A constantly running toilet can be an enormous source of irritation in your household, reduce the strength of each flush, and waste unnecessary amounts of water. The causes of a running toilet are often simple and, as the water in the toilet tank is clean and unused, you can feel comfortable attempting basic repairs yourself. There are three parts inside your toilet tank which commonly cause problems:

The overflow fill tub

This is a small, flexible tube which connects the fill valve to the overflow tube. At times, this can come loose from the fill valve, or not be positioned correctly to fill the overflow tube. Reconnecting or relocating the fill tube should solve the problem.

The flapper

This is a rubber valve at the bottom of the tank which opens to let water flow into the bowl, and closes when the flush is completed. A worn out flapper is a very common cause of running toilets, because its failure to close properly means that water keeps trickling through after each flush. The solution here is to remove the worn out flapper and replace it with a new one. If you try this solution, it’s important to take the old flapper with you when you go shopping, to make sure you get the right replacement for your toilet.

The float

This is a ball which controls the water level inside the tank. If the float is set too high, too much water trickles into the tank, and this overflows, causing your toilet to run. The good news is that floats are easily adjustable. Try adjusting the height of your float, taking care to flush the toilet after each change to see if the running stops and to make sure you haven’t dropped it so low that the flush is weak.

Still experiencing difficulties?

There are other potential causes of a running toilet, but in most cases, checking these three components will lead you to a solution. Of course, if you are unable to determine the reason your toilet is running – or simply prefer not to spend your time poking around in the tank in search of answers – you can always call for professional help. PNG Solutions offers a wide range of plumbing services, and our expert plumbers will be able to solve your running toilet quickly and effectively.