Why Is My Toilet Running? 4 Common Causes and Solutions

Do you have a running toilet?

Running toilets constitute one of the most common plumbing problems in U.S. homes. Left unaddressed, though, it can end up costing you money. After all, water trickling down your toilet racks up your water bill.

But, to fix toilet running problems, you need to know the common causes of running toilets. Below, we’ll go into the top 4 issues that typically plague toilets. If you go on, you’ll be able to narrow down your toilet issue to its root problem.

Keep reading to learn more!

1. The Flapper Is Leaking

Are you familiar with the anatomy of the back of your toilet?

If not, go into your bathroom right now and lift the lid off of the back of the commode. You should see a chain, a lever, and a system that refills your toilet bowl. At the very bottom, there should be a stopper. When it works well, the stopper fits into the hole that transports water to the toilet. It creates a seal. This prevents any more water from leaking into the bowl after the flushing process.

Plumbers sometimes call this stopper the flapper.

Yet, sometimes, the flapper deteriorates. This often happens as the flapper ages. When this happens, it can cause water to leak into the toilet bowl.

2. The Chain Is Too Long

Connected to the flapper, you will see the chain. It connects to a lever-activated by the toilet handle. When you flush, the lever goes upward, pulling the chain tight. In turn, the flapper comes loose. This allows water to rush in.

A long chain shouldn’t get used, though. If it does, the chain might drift beneath the flapper. This creates a gap between the flapper and the tunnel down to the toilet bowl. This causes the bowl to run.

Otherwise, an older chain may have rusted off of the handle and slipped beneath the flapper.

3. The Refill Tube Needs Shortening

Don’t think either of these options serves as the source of your problem?

Look at the refill tube. It consists of a line running from the fill valve to the area of the tank that pumps water back into the toilet. If it hasn’t been positioned properly over the overfill tube. This causes it to pump water into your bowl.

To shorten the refill tube, take it out and trim it to the proper length. Then, clamp it back on.

4. The Fill Valve Has a Leak

The fill valve handles refilling your toilet after you’ve flushed it.

If it gets damaged, though, it might get your toilet constantly running. So, if you notice your toilet running intermittently, see if your fill valve has a leak. Should you find one, hire a plumber to fix it.

Learn more about toilet noises and what they mean!

Do You Have a Running Toilet?

Having a running toilet gets both annoying and expensive, so you’ll want to get yours fixed as soon as possible.

To do so, go through this list and try to identify the problem. Then, decide whether you want to fix it yourself. If you can’t do it on your own, hire a local plumber!

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