Your home’s toilets are among its most-used plumbing fixtures. Despite that, a high-quality toilet can last up to 50 years with proper care. However, toilets have a handful of mechanical parts that can and do degrade over time. The good news is that they’re replaceable, allowing you to keep your toilet working well throughout its lifespan.
When those parts start to wear out or experience problems, your toilet may behave strangely. One of the most common symptoms of a problem is a toilet that won’t stop running. Here are all the reasons why that might happen, courtesy of our kitchen and bathroom plumbing experts.
A Flapper Problem
Your toilet’s flushing mechanism is quite simple. It relies on a float that detects the water level in the toilet tank. When the float rises far enough, it forces the toilet’s fill valve closed. However, if the tank’s water level never rises to the appropriate level, the fill valve stays open indefinitely. One reason that might happen is a problem with your toilet’s flapper.
The flapper is little more than a buoyant drain plug. When you flush your toilet, the flush arm pulls the flapper up and out of the tank drain. That allows the water to flow out of the tank and into the bowl, creating the flushing action. Once the water empties from the tank, the flapper falls back into position, sealing the drain. If it doesn’t, the tank cannot refill.
One reason a toilet flapper may not seal the drain is if it cracks or suffers other damage. Most toilet flappers are rubber, which can wear out from constant water exposure. Or, the flapper may experience mineral buildup if your home has hard water. That buildup may prevent an effective drain seal. Another common flapper problem is if the chain connecting it to the flush arm gets tangled or kinked. That can eliminate the slack necessary to let the flapper fall into place after a flush.
A Misaligned or Stuck Float
Another problem that could force a toilet to run endlessly is a misaligned or stuck float. Most toilets have a float that resembles a large rubber ball at the end of a metal or plastic arm. The arm is a lever that attaches to the fill valve. However, if the arm suffers damage or the float itself slips out of position, it may leave the fill valve open.
The good news is that a simple adjustment to the float arm typically solves the issue. By bending the arm up or down, it’s possible to adjust the float’s final position. Bending the arm down applies more pressure to the fill valve at high water levels, which should cause it to close completely.
Some toilets have a different kind of float mechanism. It looks like a plastic barrel that wraps around the outside of the fill valve. It travels up and down the valve housing as water levels rise and fall. That type of mechanism features a small plastic adjustment screw that allows you to set its final closed position height. That kind of float may experience a slightly different issue, resulting in a constantly running toilet. It may get stuck as it travels up the valve housing. When that happens, dislodging the float by hand usually resolves the problem.
A Worn-Out Fill Valve Seal
A toilet that won’t stop running may also result from worn parts of its fill valve. To understand the problem, it is essential to comprehend how toilet fill valves operate. Beneath the cap of your toilet’s fill valve housing, you’ll find a small rubber disc with a narrow center protrusion. The protrusion holds a tiny pin that attaches to the fill valve’s float arm.
The float arm raises and lowers the pin as it moves up and down. When the pin withdraws, it unblocks a small hole in the rubber disc, thereby relieving pressure above the seal and allowing the valve to open. When the pin drops back into place, it builds water pressure above the seal, forcing it closed.
If the few millimeters of rubber surrounding the pin stretch out of shape, the valve will cease functioning. It will prevent pressure buildup above the valve seal, keeping the valve trapped in the open position. The good news is that a new valve seal only costs a few dollars. Additionally, replacing one is a straightforward task that takes less than five minutes.
A Cracked Fill Valve
Finally, your toilet may run endlessly if its fill valve cracks. In that case, the valve loses its ability to contain the water coming from your toilet’s supply line. There is no way to repair a cracked toilet fill valve. You can, however, replace one. A new fill valve should come with everything needed to install it, including a new float. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the simplest job to complete.
Installing a new fill valve can be a messy process when done by an amateur. The first step is to turn off the toilet’s water supply and flush it. That will remove most, but not all, of the water in the toilet tank. The remaining water will drain onto the floor beneath the tank during the valve removal process. As a result, the job requires you to keep a plentiful supply of towels available to catch the draining water.
After positioning some towels beneath the toilet tank, the next step is to remove the water supply line. Some toilet supply lines have plastic nuts that require no tools to rotate. Others call for an adjustable wrench. Either type should rotate counterclockwise until detaching from the valve.
Next, there is an additional nut that holds the fill valve in place against the tank. It should also rotate counterclockwise until it comes off completely. That should allow the fill valve to disengage from the tank.
Installing the new fill valve involves the same steps performed in reverse. However, new fill valves need some adjustment before installation. First, they need a height adjustment to fit into your particular toilet tank. Then, after installation, they require float height adjustments to allow the proper volume of water into the tank. Getting those adjustments right will ensure the proper functioning of your toilet.
Your Local Toilet Repair Team
Our plumbing services team can quickly resolve any of the toilet problems described above. You can even save yourself some time by identifying your toilet’s specific issue before scheduling a repair. That way, our plumber can resolve your issue immediately upon arrival. They also possess the skill and knowledge to identify which parts fit which toilets and how to make lasting repairs.
We’ve served Auburndale, FL, homeowners since 1991. Plus, we’re locally owned and operated, so you always know who you’re dealing with. Those are all reasons why we have such a long list of positive customer reviews.
If you need a toilet in your Auburndale home repaired, contact Snowbird Heating & Cooling today!
