This is a complicated question. You might have noticed that every time you flush your toilet, it runs for a long period of time before you have to open it up and replug the flapper. Not only is this infuriating, but it’s not particularly sanitary and it can be hard when friends or family come over. Nobody likes explaining the broken toilet to guests, especially if it’s a problem that can be easily remedied.
Though, your mind probably drifts in a different direction. What if this is just the first symptom of a broken toilet? What if it’s leaking or going to completely stop working? Well, as your local plumber in Port St. Lucie, FL, we’re here to help with this type of situation.
We’re going to try and figure out why a toilet would keep running and what you can do about it. Just be sure to call us if you need help.
Why a Toilet Might Run
The back of your toilet is a tank that needs to fill with water. In order for it to have the power to flush anything down the drain, it requires gallons of water to do the trick. Unfortunately, if your toilet is running, that means it’s not holding the water necessary to flush properly. Here’s where we run into a problem.
At the bottom of your toilet lies a flapper that plugs the drain of your toilet. It’s connected to the handle that allows you to unplug the tank and flush water at the push of a button or flip of a switch. However, the water is going to keep flowing into your toilet tank after it’s flushed until something signals it to stop.
That’s when a flotation device signals the valve to stop pumping water into your toilet when it reaches a certain level. It’s a simple design, but it ensure that your toilet never overflows and that it knows when to stop pumping water. Therefore, when your toilet is running, there could be a few solutions:
- There’s a rip or tear in your flapper that’s causing water to leak out consistently no matter what.
- The filling valve is broken and is constantly leaking into your toilet tank.
- There’s a leak somewhere else that’s stopping your toilet from detecting that the tank is full.
While replacing the flapper and repositioning the interior components is an easy job, you’ll need to call us if you think your toilet is leaking.
Is Your Toilet Leaking?
That’s a good question! Some toilet leaks are detectable, like water flooding in your bathroom all around your toilet bowl. Or, perhaps you hear a dripping noise coming from the pipe that leads into your toilet.
Though, not every toilet leak is detectable. That’s where we come in! Our team has access to specialized dye that can color your water so we can more easily spot a leak. It doesn’t matter where your toilet is leaking or what’s going on with the system itself, we’ll easily get to the bottom of it.
