How Do I Stop My Leaking Toilet?
You might have noticed that your water bill continues to rise, despite your best efforts to conserve water. This is troubling if you already time your showers, use a water-efficient washer machine and have succulents in your front yard. The problem could be coming from a leaking toilet that you have unnoticed. Check out these helpful tips from Ben Franklin Plumbing about leaking toilets and how you can lower your bill.
The Cost of a Leaking Toilet
You’ve probably checked your pipes and had inspections done on your roof and elsewhere. If you don’t have pipe leaks and no other evidence of excessive moisture, there is a strong possibility that you have a leaking toilet. You might think that a leaking toilet isn’t a big deal, but you need to consider the costs. A small leak, which amounts to a drip per second, wastes about 7 gallons of water a day. That means, one toilet with a small leak wastes approximately 210 gallons per month. Multiply this by 12, and you have a big problem. A bigger problem still is a toilet with a more substantial leak, which is more common. These leaks can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day. However big the leak, you need to get it fixed as quickly as possible.
First Things First
Freshwater is hard to come by in nature. You want to conserve as much as possible. If your leak is substantial, it’s a good idea to turn off the water supplying the toilet, and let everyone in the house know to use another one. Even a small drip can cause water damage in the bathroom, which can also lead to mold. Your leak can be something as minor as a stopper that doesn’t seal all the way to something more major. However, repairing a stopper can still require a great deal of skill and accuracy to make sure parts fit and it seals properly. Otherwise, you’ll just end up wasting more water.
What Causes a Leaking Toilet?
The most common issue that causes a leaking toilet is a broken flapper. If the flapper isn’t sitting correctly in the tank or isn’t raising when the toilet is flushed, it can cause the toilet to keep running after its been flushed. Flapper issues can also cause toilet leaks to occur, especially around the tank. Another issue that could result in a running toilet is a broken chain inside the tank. If the chain is broken, there is no a way to lift the flapper valve. If you move the lever inside the toilet tank and it becomes lodged in place or wobbles, then there is likely an issue with the chain and the flapper. The length of the chain could be too short, which results in the flapper valve being kept open. On the other hand, if the chain is too long, the flapper valve may not be lifting up fair enough to allow the toilet to refill after its been flushed. When you look inside the toilet tank, you’ll see a large object that looks like a balloon—this indicates the appropriate fill level for the toilet. If the float is set at a position that is too high, then the toilet will continue to run water trying to fill the tank to the height specified by the position of the balloon.
Assessing the Issue
If the flange is the issue, you can have bigger problems than you thought. This will need complete 
removal of your toilet. A toilet leaking from this location can cause floor rot, which means you’ll most likely need to replace your subflooring, possibly drywall and do floor repairs as necessary. Once that’s settled, a new flange and wax ring will need to be installed. If your toilet rocks back and forth, you may want to consider alternative parts as a toilet that moves can distort your wax ring and provide additional leaks. Your flooring may not be level as well.
A leaking toilet doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach because you can have a number of different types of leaks. Give us a call and we’ll effectively assess and fix the problem.
If you have kids in the home, then you know that they like putting objects where they don’t belong. This includes the toilet. When items are lodged in the toilet, they can cause water to back up and spill over the rim, which can lead to damage to the floor and surrounding areas if it continues regularly. Everything from too much toilet paper, newspaper, and small toys are often seen in toilet lines. Your local Benjamin Franklin Plumber can inspect the toilet and the lines to find out what might be blocking the flow of water
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Duncanville serves the Southwest Dallas cities of Cedar Hill, Dallas, DeSoto, Duncanville, Glenn Heights, Grand Prairie, Maypearl, Midlothian, Oak Cliff, Oak Leaf, Ovilla, Red Oak and Waxahachie with a team of certified plumbers. In addition to emergency plumbing repair, some of the plumbing services provided by the company include: faucet repair, drain services, toilet repair, plumbing fixture installations, tub and shower installations, kitchen sink repair, faucet installation, water heater repair/replacement, and garbage disposal replacement. Call us today at (972) 263-5010 to schedule an appointment!
