Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

Toilet Running? Better Catch It!

When paying for water, a running toilet can sock it to your pocket book.

Toilets are the super-fantastic-bubble-plastic of modern plumbing. And when the toilet isn’t working properly, it’s a bad, bad, bad, bad world.

Our focus today is on fixing a toilet that runs constantly. A running toilet stealthily increases the water bill and jiggling the handle quickly wears thin.

How to Repair a Running Toilet
1. Determine the type of flush mechanism on your toilet – gravity flow or pressure-assisted. FWIW, most residential toilet are gravity-flow, where the water in the tank drives the toilet flush. If you have a pressure-assisted toilet, discuss your situation with a licensed plumber. In a gravity-flow toilet, there are two main parts: the fill valve and the flush valve. The fill valve enables the tank to fill with water, while the flush valve (a.k.a. the ‘flapper’) releases the water from the tank and into the toilet bowl.

2. Assuming you have a gravity-flow toilet, remove the tank lid, set it carefully aside and flush the toilet.

3. Observe the flush as it progresses through the tank. Keep an eye out for the flapper failing to seal properly while the tank refill takes places. Flappers don’t last forever.

4. Verify that no objects in the tank (a water-displacing brick, a cleaner tablet, or mineral deposits are blocking the valve’s ability to close.

5. The most pro-active approach to a flapper or fill valve problem is to replace the entire unit. The parts are inexpensive and widely available at any hardware store. Typically, the parts come as a kit.

To perform the replacement, follow these steps:
1. Shut off the water to the toilet tank.
2. Flush the toilet (to empty the tank).
3. Carefully remove the old parts.
4. Install the new parts, following manufacturer’s instructions. Adjust the pull chain as needed.
5. Turn the water back on.
6. Test by flushing and observing the water the tank refills. With a successful fix, the tank should refill and the water will clearly stop entering when the tank is full.

Water You Waiting For? If your toilet trouble is more serious than flapper or flush valve replacement, the trained professionals at Allied Reddi-Rooter are at your service within 2 hours of your call. Call Ray and his team today for a free over-the-phone quote. (513) 396-5300, or Contact us. We always come highly recommended and have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for our expert quality of service.