2015_Toilet from John Finan on Vimeo.
A running toilet can waste up to 230 gallons of water a day, that’s up to 7,000 gallons a month. So how do you know if you have a toilet that runs?
You’ll either hear it refilling on its own, or won’t stop filling when flushed. There are two easy things you can do to stop a toilet from running. The most common cause of a running toilet is a worn out flapper. The flapper is the rubber plug that sits on the drain in the bottom of the tank, it holds water in the tank until the next time you flush. A flapper wears out due to mineral deposits. Mineral deposits usually found in hard water, build up around the seal of the flapper, causing warping or cracks on the rubber, not allowing the flapper to close properly. You can find a new flapper, like this one, at your local hardware store.
To replace the flapper, simply shut off the water to your toilet, give it a flush. Disconnect the old flapper from the chain and the drain. Take it to the hardware store to get the right size and shape. Then reattach the chain, then hook up the new flapper back over the drain, that’s it. You could also check the length of the chain, see if that’s the problem. If the chain is too short, it will pull up on the flapper even when the flush lever is at rest. If it’s too long, it might interfere with the flapper closing all the way. You can easily adjust the length of the chain by moving a clip. Moving the clip allows you too shorten or lengthen the chain to allow the flapper to seal properly. If you need help catching your running toilet, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you out.
This post was written by John Finan
July 18, 2017