By Rick, Owner, The Plumbing Doc

What I Walked Into

September is usually a good time to start paying attention to the plumbing fixtures that have been getting used heavily all summer here in Bakersfield.

One call this month came from a homeowner who had been having a small problem with one of their toilets. It was still flushing, but every once in a while they could hear it running several minutes after nobody had used it.

At first, they didn't think much of it. They would jiggle the handle, the toilet would stop running, and everything seemed fine again.

Then they noticed the toilet was taking longer to refill. A few days later, they heard it running in the middle of the night.

That was when they decided to have it checked.

There wasn't any water on the floor and the toilet wasn't overflowing. It was still usable. But something inside the tank clearly wasn't working the way it should.

The Problem

Once I removed the tank lid and started checking everything, I found a few things that were contributing to the problem.

The flapper wasn't sealing completely after every flush. It had worn down enough that a small amount of water was continuously leaking from the tank into the bowl.

The fill valve was also getting old and wasn't shutting off consistently. That's why the homeowner kept hearing the toilet refill when nobody had used it.

None of it looked serious from the outside.

That's what makes running toilets easy to ignore. The toilet still flushes. There's usually no puddle on the floor. You might only hear it running occasionally.

But if water keeps moving from the tank into the bowl, the toilet has to keep replacing it. That can waste quite a bit of water without the homeowner realizing it.

I also checked around the base of the toilet and the supply connection because whenever I'm already looking at one issue, I want to make sure there isn't another small leak being missed.

Fortunately, everything outside the tank was dry and secure. The main problem was the worn components inside.

The Process

I started by shutting off the water supply to the toilet and draining the tank so I could inspect the internal parts properly.

The flapper was worn and wasn't sitting evenly over the flush valve, so I replaced it with one that fit correctly and created a proper seal.

After that, I turned the water back on and let the tank refill. I flushed the toilet several times and watched how everything operated inside the tank.

I checked that the flapper closed completely after every flush, that the tank filled normally, and that the fill valve shut off when it was supposed to.

Then I checked the supply line, shut-off valve, and the area around the toilet base for any signs of moisture.

Before finishing, I let everything sit for a while to make sure the toilet stayed quiet and the tank wasn't slowly losing water.

It was a straightforward repair, but it took care of the problem before all that wasted water had more time to add up.

The Outcome

The first thing the homeowner noticed was how quiet the bathroom was afterward.

The toilet flushed normally, refilled, and stopped. There was no more water running several minutes later and no need to jiggle the handle to get it to stop.

The refill was also quicker and more consistent because the new fill valve was working properly.

We tested the toilet several times before I left, and the water level in the tank stayed where it should. There were no leaks around the supply connection or base either.

The homeowner was surprised that a couple of fairly small parts had been causing the whole issue.

That's common with toilets. A problem doesn't always mean the entire toilet needs to be replaced. Sometimes one worn component is enough to make the fixture run poorly or waste water every day.

They were also glad they called while the toilet was still usable instead of waiting until something completely stopped working.

DIY Advice

I gave them a few simple things they could check from time to time.

1. Once the tank has refilled, it should stop running. If you hear water again a few minutes later, something may not be sealing properly.

2. If it's cracked, warped, stiff, or doesn't sit flat, water can slowly leak into the bowl.

3. A weak or incomplete flush can point to an issue with the tank water level, internal parts, or a developing blockage.

4. Water, staining, or flooring that feels soft around the toilet shouldn't be ignored.

5. Run your hand around the connections occasionally and make sure everything feels dry.

6. Wipes, paper towels, hygiene products, and other items can create blockages even when they appear to flush normally at first.

These checks only take a few minutes, but they can tell you quite a bit about how your toilet is working.

Professional Insight

Toilets are pretty simple fixtures, but there are several parts inside them that wear down with regular use.

Flappers lose their seal. Fill valves start sticking. Handles and chains loosen. Supply connections can develop small leaks. Mineral buildup can also interfere with moving parts.

Most of these problems aren't difficult to deal with when they're caught early.

What I wouldn't recommend is ignoring a toilet that keeps running, rocks at the base, regularly clogs, or has water showing up around it.

A running toilet can waste water. A recurring clog may indicate a problem further down the drain. Moisture around the base can mean the seal underneath the toilet needs attention.

The symptom might look small, but it's worth figuring out why it's happening instead of repeatedly working around it.

Closing

This job was a good example of why it's worth paying attention when a toilet starts behaving differently.

The homeowner could have kept jiggling the handle every time it ran, but that wouldn't have fixed what was happening inside the tank.

Once we found the worn parts and replaced them, the toilet went back to working normally.

If you're in Bakersfield and you've got a toilet that keeps running, flushes poorly, leaks, or just isn't working the way it used to, don't wait until it stops working completely.

Sometimes the fix is simpler than you expect.

Thanks for reading.

– Rick

[https://theplumbingdoctorbakersfield.com/]