What you can safely check first
A running toilet is one you can often fix yourself. The water in the tank is clean, and nothing in there is under pressure.
- Lift the tank lid and look. If the chain is tangled or caught under the flapper, free it so the flapper can close.
- If water is spilling into the tall overflow tube, lower the float. Most have an adjustment screw or clip.
- Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, the flapper is leaking. A new one from the hardware store fits most toilets.
- If you need to stop it tonight, close the valve on the wall behind the toilet.
What might be behind it
More than one thing can cause this, which is why the plumber finds the cause first.
A worn flapper. The rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank stops sealing, so water leaks into the bowl and the tank keeps refilling. It's the most common cause, and a dye test confirms it.
A fill valve or water level problem. If the water level is set too high, it spills into the overflow tube and never shuts off. A worn fill valve does the same thing.
Water pressure that's too high. High water pressure can push past a fill valve that's otherwise fine. If faucets and toilets in the house wear out quickly, pressure may be why.
How we fix it
We check the flapper, fill valve and water level before replacing parts. If the toilet keeps developing the same problem, we may also check household pressure. We explain whether one tank part or a more complete repair is appropriate.
Depending on the cause, the relevant services are toilet repair, water pressure regulator or leak detection.
Where we fix it
Our plumbing shop is at 910 Cable St in Conroe. We also serve the surrounding towns. Check our plumbing service area and ZIP codesbefore requesting a visit.