How do you fix a toilet that runs all day long?

Question

Weve replaced the insides once which didnt help. What else could it be? It wastes alot of water and cuts on constantly.

Answer 1

Sounds to me like the flapper valve isn't sealing over the flush opening properly. Water from the tank will drain out the large hole at the bottom, & it will never get full enough for the float to rise up & shut the water off. You will know it's the flapper if, in addition to hearing the water flow through the pipes that fill the tank, you can also hear a faint trickle sound of the water leaking out the bottom of the tank. If you hear that, then it's a faulty flapper for sure.

If the flapper is a new one already then try one of a slightly different design until you finally get one that matches your toilet well enough that it works.

Answer 2

     this is your problem.the part the flapper falls on has the remnents of the old flapper on it.making that surface rough and not smooth.the flapper must sit on a clean and smooth survice.therefor use a piece of wet sand paper to clean it off.sand in a circle motion.im sorry i do not know the gritt number.but it should be fairly smooth.check if it smooth with your finger.check the entire circle.when it feels smooth.that should do it.you say you replaced the inside.did it include the peice that i am talking about.if so.i dont understand.what else it could be.good luck.

Answer 3

We had that problem for the longest time. We replaced the innards one time and it still ran for another year. Yes, we turned it off when it wasn't in use. But that got so old.

We tried everything to fix it. A couple of months ago we did it again, but we bought a different type, it doesn't have a float ball, it's the tall thing on the left, it's black and it rises and pops up when the water rises. We put it in and we couldn't believe it...it worked. We listened and listened. But yeah, it stopped running. Wish someone had suggested that before.

Answer 4

Check the length of chain to the flush handle?  Sometimes you get it too short and the stopper won't close all the way.  I did that once and that was all it took was to add a couple of more loops in the length.  

If you have already done that then it has to be a leaky seal between the tank and the toilet.  That means you will drain the tank, remove it, and replace the seal.

Answer 5

The funny answer would be, "First you have to catch it!"

Seriously though, I don't know which type

of set up you have, but there are only so many reasons why it keeps running.

One is the float is binding or stuck.  When flush the water starts coming into the tank after the flush, because the float falls and and allows it to.   As the tank fills the float goes up and when full

it shuts the water off.

The other is, at the bottom of the tank is a little rubber or plactic flipper.  When you trun the handle there a chain, wire,

or plastic chain, that connects the handle to it.  When you turn the handle, it opens the flipper, allows the water in the tank to be expelled through the toilet

to do it's thing.  Check to see the chain isn't too short, not allowing the flipper to fully seat.  It should be short enough to pull it up, yet long enough to let it go fully

down.

The process in the tank happens symintanously.   If the flipper isn't seating correctly to from a good seal

water will esape, and the tank can not

reach the full mark, and the float will not be able to shut off the water coming in to refill the tank.

99% of the time one of these  things are the problem.  If you check them and they are working properly, you have a defective unit.   But 99% of the time

it's not the unit, it's an ajustment.  

Answer 6

If the flush valve - the thing that the flapper sits on - is smooth & in good condition, and you can't get a flapper to seal, go get the original manufacturer's flapper.  That is, if it's a Kohler, American Standard, or whatever brand toilet, get the OEM part for it.

If the flush valve is not in good condition, it can be replaced.  You have to get the tank off of the bowl, and it may or may not be just as easy to replace the toilet at that point.

Answer 7

Well, until you get it figured out, there is a water shut off valve.  The water feed coming out of the wall or floor should have a valve on it.  Turn it off when not in use.

Most probably it is the float is adjusted too low.  Alternatively, it could be that the flap isn't sealing/seating properly.  If it is the latter, the toilet will still "run" until the tank is drained.

Answer 8

It sounds like the issue is with the lip where the flapper sits on. This could have deteriorated just enough over time preventing even a new flapper not to seat correctly.

Sometimes new flappers just don't work no matter how many you try. If your sure it's not related to the float(set to high) I would replace the entire flush valve unit. They run about 12-20 bucks. It includes the flapper - fill valve and related parts, basically everything but the float and tank to bowl mounting hardware.

If you look inside the tank usually on the right side just under the lid you will find the date of manufacture ;)

Answer 9

It's most likely the flapper on the bottom is leaking. For the most part they are easy to replace. You can pick up a kit at Lowes, Homes Depot. That or its filling to high and needs to be set lower. Some you replace all the innards and others just the flapper.

Answer 10

you say it has plenty of chain.. it doesnt have too much does it? i stayed in a hotel once where the toilet kept running like that and keeping me up, so i finally gave in and went to see if i could fix it. it turned out that someone used a piece of chain like from a necklace or something to fix it last, and didnt remove the extra chain, so it hung down in the hole preventing the flapper from closing.

You might also want to try a different style of flapper. my moms toilet is really old, so sometimes they need a different type to work properly.  If that doesnt fix it, then you might want to replace the rings under the tank, and under the toilet.  its not hard, but you might want to have someone there to help.  

Answer 11

Check that the flapper is aligned.

They can be twisted, and not seat properly.

Best wishes