How To Fix A Faulty Flapper In A Toilet
When a toilet runs constantly, it can not only be annoying, but it can also cost you money. A running toilet means you are using a lot more water than you need to. This causes your pump to run more often and can rack up a higher water bill if you have city water. While a running toilet can be the result of several different things, it is often the result of a faulty flapper in the toilet. This is something you might be able to fix yourself for very little money, and here are some tips to help you with this.
Determine if it is the flapper
If you remove the lid from your toilet bowl tank, you will see a lot of different parts. The flapper is the part that seals against the bottom of the toilet, and it is made of rubber. It is usually a circular or oval shape, and it is designed to seal the tank of the toilet so the fresh water does not come out. When you flush the toilet, the flapper lifts up and lets the fresh water fill the toilet bowl.
To determine if the flapper is the problem, grab a stick of some kind and push down on it, or you can push down on it with your hand if you prefer. If the running water stops when you are putting force on the flapper, you can be fairly certain that the flapper is faulty.
A faulty flapper is not able to seal properly, which means water will constantly be flowing through your toilet. The only way to fix this is to replace the faulty flapper with a new one.
How to replace it
Replacing a flapper is not difficult, but you will need to turn the water off to the toilet. Once the water is off, you can remove the old flapper and put the new one on. A flapper will come in a a package with directions for installation, and replacing it is typically a fairly easy toilet repair job. You should make sure you purchase one that is compatible with the old one though.
If this does not fix the problem you have, you may want to call a plumbing company to come out and find out what is wrong with your toilet. A plumber can examine all the components to narrow down the cause of the continuous running of your toilet.