It’s midnight and you are awake. It isn’t because you are worrying but because your toilet starts running every 10-15 minutes. You have to work tomorrow and being tired isn’t an option. You flip over for the 100th time and rearrange the pillows. Just as you drop off to sleep, the toilet starts running again. If this scenario sounds familiar, it may be time to call a plumber. Go to Google and find the top-rated Austin plumbers to get a good night’s sleep tonight!
How Do Toilets Work?
Most of us take the inner workings of our toilets for granted. It is a fairly simple system that hasn’t changed for the most part. With that being said, each individual part is still important for the toilet to work right. Running toilets waste lots of water, as much as 4.5 gallons per minute, and may cost you as much as $60 a day. Here is how your toilet works:
- When the handle is pushed down, a chain lifts the flapper up. The flapper, when open, allows the water inside the tank to flow down into the toilet bowl. Once the toilet bowl is done filling, the flapper closes and the tank refills.
- Your tank also contains a large plastic float. This float is connected to a valve. The float tells the valve when to open (when the float is down), and when to close (when the float is up).
- The tube where the water drains into the toilet is called the overflow tube. When the float is too high, water may drain into the bowl and cause it to run between fillings.
Why Is My Toilet Running?
While DIY may be the right way to go for some people, not everyone is interested or equipped to make their own repairs. If you think you can fix your running toilet, here are some things you can check for:
- The flapper should be a soft consistency, and fit firmly over the drain, with no gaps.
- Check the chain to ensure there are no kinks or breaks.
- Pick up the float and shake out any access water.
- Changing the float setting may be helpful as well.
If none of these ideas work, there are more deep issues that could be causing a toilet to run more often. It may be time to call a plumber if you are feeling uncertain of what to do next. There are many top-rated Austin plumbers who can fix the problem in no time at all. Put your trust in one of them and your toilet will be running less in the future.
