A running toilet can cause plenty of mayhem in both your home and your pocket book. Aside from the increase you can expect on your monthly utility or water bill, gallons of precious fresh water is lost when your toilet runs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, your home could be subjected to serious water damage if your toilet is running constantly and experiences a blockage. Most toilet repairs are easy enough to fix without breaking the bank, the hardest part is locating the source of the trouble. The following post will outline the three most common areas professional plumbers check when diagnosing the cause a running toilet.
Faulty Fill Valve
Your toilet’s fill valve is responsible for regulating the amount of water that fills the toilet tank. Most are adjustable and include a float system that shuts off the flow of water once the tank is full. A quick way to ascertain a faulty fill valve is by removing the tank lid and checking the overflow tube. If you see water running into the tube even when the tank is full, the fill valve is not shutting off correctly.
Flapper Valve Chain
The flapper valve is a device that seals the bottom of the toilet tank so it can hold water. The valve is connected to a chain affixed to the toilet handle. When the toilet handle is pressed, it lifts the flapper valve to release the tank water for flushing. If the chain is too short, it will prevent the flapper valve from closing completely. If it is too long, the chain could prevent the valve from sealing the tank properly.
Flapper Valve
Flapper valves are often made of soft rubber. As the valve ages, it can deteriorate. This is especially true when automatic bowl cleaners are placed inside the toilet tank. A deteriorated flapper valve may not seal the tank properly, which allows water to escape. This will cause the water level in the tank to drop, lowering the float and triggering the fill valve. This will continue to happen until the flapper valve is replaced.
Should your malfunctioning toilet become clogged and overflow, it will continue to run and dump untold amounts of water into your home. This could ruin flooring, baseboard, and cabinetry as well as invite the growth of mold and mildew, a known health hazard.
For answers to your questions, contact The Pink Plumber today.
