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Mike Goebel
Mike Goebel has been involved in the construction and home improvement industry for more than 40 years and is currently the Senior Vice President of the Home Center Division at Star Lumber & Supply Co. Inc. You may contact Mike by e-mail at mgoebel@starlumber.com or by phone at (316) 942-2221.
Home Improvement
2003-06-01 10:13:00
Help! My toilet's running!
ANSWER: If you hear water running in your toilet, you have reason to be concerned.  A leaky toilet can waste up to 78,000 gallons of water per year.  That's enough to fill two or three backyard swimming pools!  Fortunately the problem is not usually difficult to fix.   If your toilet is "running" it may be leaking internally. While a plumbing professional's advice is recommended, if your toilet is leaking internally, you can perform the following test.    Flush the toilet allowing the tank to refill.    Make sure the water level in the toilet is approximately 1/2" below the top of the overflow tube.    If water is running over the edge of the overflow, that is your problem.  Your fill valve can be adjusted to make the water turn off before it reaches the top of the overflow.  If it can't be adjusted it will have to be replaced.   If water is not going over the overflow and you still hear it, add several drops of dark food color to the tank (many hardware stores have free dye packets made especially for this purpose).  Wait about 20 minutes and see if any of the food color has found its way to the bowl.  If it does, your flapper or flush valve is probably the culprit.  If the seat that the flapper seals against is smooth, replacing the flapper will probably solve your problem.  If the seat is nicked or corroded, you will need to replace the entire flush valve.  Fortunately those parts are easy to replace and a wide variety of parts are available in home centers and hardware stores.   Another test not involving dye or food color is to put a pencil line where the water level is - this is your starting point. Shut off your water supply.  Disconnect the rubber hose that goes from the water control to the overflow tube. (The use of a rubber hose varies by water control model; there may not be one.)  Wait 24 hours - check the difference in the water level from the marking.  After this test, reconnect the rubber hose and turn the water supply back on.   If after these tests you still hear water running or if you're not comfortable removing and replacing toilet parts, it's time to call your plumber.
 
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