After you flush your toilet, a lever opens a flapper that causes the flush and then falls back into place when the water level drops. The pump refills the tank, and the float raises and lowers with the water until it reaches a certain level, which is established on the overflow tube.
Sometimes, the toilet keeps running and doesn’t stop after the normal flush cycle. This can potentially result in wasting gallons of water and increasing the monthly water bill.
First, you must turn off the water feeding the toilet. Locate the silver knob on the back of the wall behind the toilet and turn it right all the way.
The following are the three common reasons why your toilet keeps running:
There is an issue with the flapper chain – Ensure that the chain is connecting the rubber flapper and the flush lever correctly since it can commonly become disconnected. If that is not the case, determine if the chain has too little or too much slack. If the chain is too long, the flapper will not open when the lever is pushed. If the chain is too short, the flapper isn’t sealed properly, so the water will continue to leak into the bowl. Either cut off the excess chain or purchase a new chain that is long enough.
The flapper is broken or dirty – The flapper may not properly seal the drain due to being broken, dirty, or warped. If you need to clean or replace the flapper, first you must completely drain the tank and then unhook the flapper from the chain. You can find a replacement at the store, just make sure you match the brand of the old flapper.
The float is out of position – An adjustable float controls the water level inside the tank. If the float is too low, then the flush will be weak. If it’s too high, the water will spill into the overflow tube and run continuously. Make sure the fill level mark is indicated on the overflow tube. If not, measure approximately one inch down on the overflow tube and make a mark. Then, turn on the water and flush the toilet to see where the water level stops when compared to the mark. If the water goes over, then the float for the pump is too high, so adjust it accordingly.
If your toilet continues to run, let our expert plumbers at Meyer’s Companies, Inc. inspect your toilet, determine the issue, and make the necessary repairs.
If you are dealing with a plumbing issue, call our Griffith expert technicians at Meyer's Companies, Inc. at (219) 240-0610 or fill out our online contact form today for fast and friendly service. Proudly serving Northwest Indiana since 1951!