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7 Reasons Why Your Toilet Keeps Running(Solved)
Toilet tanks, toilet bowls, and toilet flappers are the components of a flush mechanism. You can locate the water-saving device under its cover at the bottom of the tank, called a flapper valve.
The flow of water back into the bowl passes through this valve. The flapper valve shuts off the flow of water when it’s no longer needed and turns on again when the flapper valve needs to open up to allow water into the bowl.
The flapper valve also controls the flushing action itself. It must stay shut to prevent flooding your toilet bowl.
Toilet water is still running with the water off for a few different reasons:
The main causes are when the toilet is leaking or if there are broken parts in the tank. Clogs in the line may also carry your bathroom’s waste away from your toilet. You might need to call a plumber if your toilet doesn’t stop flushing, even with all the handles shut off.
If your toilet leaks, there’s a good chance you’ve broken parts in the tank. To find these, check where the leak is coming from. The toilet shouldn’t leak if it’s taking water from a pipe near the tank, such as under your sink or behind your toilet.
If you think it’s coming out at the bottom, you can have someone check your connection to the water main behind your house.
If you’re sure the leak is coming from your tank, you must take apart the tank and look for a cracked part. If you’re unsure what you’re doing, you might try getting a maintenance specialist to come by to check it out.
As with any toilet problem, it’s better to be safe than sorry and call someone who knows how to deal with tanks for professional help. The water will eventually run out if no broken parts are inside your toilet.
What Causes the Toilet to Run and How to Fix
| What causes the toilet to run and How to Fix | |
| Causes | Solution |
| Tank water running into the overflow tube | Tank water may enter the overflow tube when a toilet tank is not full. The water level in the tank needs to be at or above the top of the overflow tube opening to prevent reverse siphoning into the bowl |
| Leaking Seal on the ballcock | If a toilet has a leaking ballcock seal, it can easily cause water to overfill and run into the overflow; this is due to inadequate pressure caused by worn valves or damaged flapper seals |
| Worn Washer Placed on the fill valve | If the rubber or plastic washer is worn out on a toilet, the resulting gaps caused by erosion of the washer can cause it to leak or not shut off properly; this is a common issue for older toilets |
| Leaky Flush Valve | A leaky flush valve can also cause water to pour into the bowl from an overflow tube opening. As long as the seal is intact, the leak will occur at the “T” fitting directly above the toilet bowl |
| Worn Ballcock | A worn ballcock can also cause water to overfill and run into the overflow. This is due to insufficient pressure caused by worn-out components that are not being replaced |
| Worn Flapper | A worn flapper can leave water trapped in the toilet tank or overflow, causing it to overfill and run into the bowl. Flappers are designed so that they will physically “cup,” but the cup must be there for a seal to be made; if the flapper is not sitting properly, it usually means the seal is not formed properly |
| Tank Outlet Valve | The tank outlet valve is the one that turns off and on for each flush. This can cause water to run into the bowl if worn out or damaged. |
Why Does the Toilet Keep Running Even After Replacing the Flapper?
A toilet tank flapper closes the water off in your tank when you flush it. This prevents water from leaking out all over the place.
However, the design of this piece is such that with time and use, it can get stiff and not close correctly, leaving your toilet running while you’re getting up to speed on your reading material or finishing up a quick game of solitaire.
If your toilet keeps running after the tank refills, you may have a defective fill valve or ballcock. If a burping sound follows a flush and the toilet tank continues to run, you likely have a problem with your fill valve or ballcock.
Unfortunately, some people replace fill valves and ballcocks over and over again in an attempt to fix their running toilets when they need to replace the entire fill valve assembly.
If your toilet continues to run after replacing the flapper, flush once more and let the tank refill. If the problem persists after the tank refills, you might need to replace all the parts in your fill valve assembly.
Get in touch with a plumber for help if your toilet keeps running even after replacing the flapper. Your fill valve assembly may have corroded, and you need to replace it.
If you have a leaky flapper, water will continue to run into the tank after letting go of the handle. This is due to the flapper itself or, if you install it upside down, causing unnecessary water usage.
There will always be some excess water that runs out of a toilet bowl. However, if your toilet is constantly running or filling too fast and you notice larger than-normal water bills, your flapper may have a problem.
How Do You Test A Toilet Fill Valve?
- Die the water in your toilet tank with 2-5 drops of food coloring. If the color comes out of the tank, your valve is leaking.
You should carry out this test in a location where the debris won’t inconvenience you from the toilet flooding your bathroom.
- Wait for 10-30 minutes. Once you wait for the dye to absorb into the water, open the toilet tank lid and flush. Again wait for 10-30 minutes. If the color remains in the bowl and the toilet does not leak, you can refill your tank with water and flush it again.
Again wait for 10-30 minutes. If both times you flushed, there was no color in the bowl or on your hands when you took them out of the bowl, your valve is leaking and needs replacing.
- Inspect the toilet bowl for any sign of dead water. If there is, then the motor is leaking. If not, dry it well. Fill the bowl with water again. If you have any color in the water, you know your toilet fill valve is leaking and need replacement.
If you determine that your toilet fill valve needs replacing, you may consider replacing it now and being done with the task or getting a new one if possible.
Caution: Be careful of the water on the floor, and turn off the power to your toilet before performing this test.
- If you find dead water in your toilet bowl, your flush valve leaks. Call a plumber to replace the flush valve.
If you don’t find any dead water in your toilet bowl, it may be that your fill valve or ballcock is leaking, and you might need to replace them. (I would suggest replacing both simultaneously, to be sure.)
If your toilet continues to leak after you replace these parts, it may be that the tank itself is cracked or broken and needs replacing.
How Does One Stop Their Toilet Bowl from Trickling?
You must drain the tank and bowl, check and clean the flapper seat, and replace the flapper if it’s worn or damaged. If the flapper functions correctly, you may have a worn ball-cock valve or a leaking center ball joint. Or the toilet seal may have become dislodged.
A kink might also cause a problem in the supply line from your house to your toilet. Or, as with most plumbing problems, the cause may be corrosion and debris accumulating in pipes and joints.
If none of these easy fixes does the trick, you’ll need to call a plumber for more complicated repairs.
Begin by turning off the shutoff valves to the toilet. You don’t want wastewater flowing into your basement. If you have a double-flushing system, bypassing it will help you locate the problem.
Next, turn off the supply line at the wall and drain any remaining water in the tank with a bucket.
Remove the tank lid, pull up on the flapper, inspecting it for wear or damage. If the flapper is the culprit, replace it with a new one.
If you can’t fix the loose ball cock, it may be necessary to replace it with a new one. If your toilet has an additional lift-assist feature, you may need to take that apart and clean its mechanism before reinstalling it.
Cleaning up the ball-cock valve should also help you find what’s causing your problem.
Are Shutoff Valves Necessary?
No, Shutoff valves are not necessary or required. A shutoff valve is a device you use to stop the flow of a liquid or gas at the source. You can attach it to pipes or hoses, and there are typically two types: An atmospheric type and a vacuum-type valve.
The function of both valves is the same, but they react when there’s no pressure on them. The atmospheric-type valve joints leak when there’s no pressure, while vacuum-type valves do not.
The position of the shutoff valve is usually chosen before start-up, and you can typically locate it at a convenient point in the system.
A shutoff valve at the source is a precautionary measure, and you don’t require it to operate water heaters properly. If a shutoff valve is inadvertently left closed, it can lead to a low hot water supply or loss of pressure in the tank.
Early on, in the design stages of a new home or water heater, it’s recommended that you can install shutoff valves on all hot water outlets. If these were not in place initially, you should discern them and retrofit them later.
You should also install Shut off valves at the cold-water inlet to prevent over-pumping of the system by an unsupplied water heater.
Is It Better to Drip Pipes or Shut Off the Water?
It is better to drip pipes during the winter than to shut off the water for the following reasons:
| Keeps Pipes from Bursting | Drip pipes are commonly used to keep pipes from bursting during the winter. |
| Saves Energy | Shutting off water and letting it drip uses less energy than keeping the water constantly running, which means we can save more money on our monthly utility bills. |
| Eliminates Runoff Problems | Shutting off the water may create a buildup of sediment in your pipes, which can run out of your house or apartment when you turn the faucet back on. Drip pipes may eliminate this problem, as the pressure from your faucet may push the calcium and other sediment particles down into your basement. |
| Prevents Frozen Pipes and Bursting water lines | Because it takes more time for water to reach a freezing point with drip pipes, you won’t have pipes bursting during the winter with dripping faucets. |
| Increases the life of your Faucets | With dripping, the water will flow slowly out of the faucet and expand all around the pipe,. This creates a cooling effect that prevents the water from freezing up and bursting pipes in the event of a power outage. |
| It Allows you to change your faucet handles without having to shut off the water | If you have metal handles on your faucets, turning them with a dripping pipe will be more difficult because there won’t be any pressure on them. |
How Many Shutoff Valves Do I Need?
You will need two shutoff valves for a water line. That is two valves to prevent water flow and allow it to be shut off at a pump station.
A standard water installation outside your property, with a house and an attached garage, will require two shutoff valves for each of the following: House, Attached garage, and Pump station.
One valve will be on the inside of the building and one on the outside wall. The valves will have a small wheel or lever for turning the water on and off.
You will need a valve on each structure if you have a separate house and garage. If you have a well and septic tank, you will need both house valves by the well, not just one. Ensure that your water system has shutoff valves for all structures serviced by your well.
If you have a well, you must have a shutoff valve by the well and one in the house or garage. You may install these valves on opposite sides of the same wall. In other cases, they may be in adjacent walls.
A few homes have two shutoff valves with different wheel settings that control separate lines to various structures in the household.
If your home has only one line, you must install a second line to protect against freezing.
How Do You Install a Shutoff Valve on An Existing Water Line?
If you are looking to add a shutoff valve to an already existing water line, the first thing you must do is assess whether or not the line has enough room for installation. If there is not enough room, you must make space before going further. To do this, use a saw and cut away as necessary.
Once this space has been made available, measure and mark the locations of your proposed valve with chalk. Do this for both the hot and cold-water pipes.
Drill holes into the wall using a hammer drill, then insert a piece of pipe through them on each side, making sure you place them directly beside and parallel to the existing water line.
If you are working with copper pipe and cutting is required to extend the shutoff valve of the existing line, use sweat fittings to allow you to bend copper without soldering.
Once you install the valve, you will want to connect your hot and cold-water lines.
To do this, use a T-fitting, which will allow you to connect both pipes without soldering; once you make the connections, clean and disconnect the hot and cold water lines as necessary.
You may also need to plug any holes left in the wall after cutting and installing the shutoff valve. Before doing this, make sure that the shutoff valve is turned off.
Once you finish all of your plumbing repairs and fixes, test them. Ensure the water is on and running at full pressure for at least one hour without any leaks before turning it off.
Finally, clean up messes and cover your workspace with drop cloths before beginning work.
Do I need Teflon tape on PVC to metal?
No, You don’t need Teflon tape on PVC to metal. It’s unnecessary if you have a proper sealant between the two materials. PVC and Teflon tape have different chemical reactions that prohibit the metal from getting a good seal without any barrier.
The most common type of barrier is the silicone used in caulking. The main problem is that latex paint gets stuck to the silicone and sometimes spills over onto the metal and corrodes the PVC over time.
Teflon tape was never meant to be a good sealant between materials like PVC and metal, and it is designed to stop gases from escaping.
You would only need Teflon tape on PVC and metal if several layers of cement or mortar have been set up overnight or several days before you put the barrier tape on.
This typically happens on concrete work because it’s hard to set up the barrier tape when the mortar is wet. This is why many people use Teflon tape instead of silicone paint.
Beware of other types of tape too. Tape is not always the best option; thermal conductive and electrical tape can penetrate the sealant and cause a problem.
Which Is Better, Pipe Thread Sealant or Teflon Tape?(Comparison Table)
Pipe thread is generally a stronger seal than Teflon tape for the following reasons:
| Adhesion | Pipe thread sealant has much better adhesion to the material surface than Teflon tape. It can be exposed to the sun or rain for many years and maintain a perfect seal. Pipe thread also provides superior performance in extreme temperatures. |
| Impact Resistance | Pipe thread sealant is more impact resistant than Teflon tape. It will not crack as easily when it’s deformed by external impact forces, such as those created by rocks being thrown at the pipe or other objects striking it during excavation work. |
| Environment | Pipe thread sealant will not be degraded by exposure to low temperatures or UV light. Pipe thread sealant is a thermoset polymer that remains permanently crosslinked, whereas Teflon tape is a thermoplastic that can degrade if exposed to the sun for a long time. You can use pipe thread sealant in applications where fluid can freeze and expand to any degree, whereas Teflon tape is unsuitable for this application. |
| Tensile Strength | Pipe thread sealants achieve higher flexural strengths than Teflon tape. For example, pipe thread sealant can be designed to achieve an initial flexural strength of up to 230 PSI and a flexural modulus of 15-20×10 PSI at room temperature. |
| Chemical Resistance | Pipe thread sealant is generally more resistant to acids and chemicals than Teflon tape. It’s also superior in cold temperatures. While pipe thread sealant and Teflon tape are rated for use with compressed gases, pipe thread sealant is used more widely because of its superior force and chemical resistance properties. |
| Weather Resistance | Pipe thread sealant is not affected by the weather as quickly as Teflon tape. it can withstand temperatures of -300 °F with minimal degradation, while Teflon tape may have performance issues at -100 °F. |
Conclusion
If your toilet is running, you may have to turn off the toilet’s shutoff valve. You need to check the water supply line under your toilet tank.
If you turn that off, bypass a rag or piece of paper and then try turning on just the cold-water faucet in your bathroom to see if it stops running.
Also, check if a float switch inside the toilet tank (underneath where you put in the water) keeps turning off the water supply line. Make sure it’s not stuck down or not working properly.
