Job book · Entry 02

Your toilet won't stop running.

A running toilet isn't an emergency — it's usually one of three small parts inside the tank. The catch is the water it sends down the drain day and night.

What it usually is

01Flapper not seating — warped, cracked, or chained wrong, so water leaks past it nonstop.
02Fill valve running past the overflow tube because the float is set too high or has gone waterlogged.
03Refill tube stuffed down inside the overflow pipe, siphoning tank water (it should clip near the top, not sit in the pipe).
04Mineral crust on the seat the flapper lands against — more common where the water runs hard.

Safe checks you can do now

Take the tank lid off and watch a full cycle — you'll see which part is misbehaving.
Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing; color showing up in the bowl means the flapper is leaking.
Check that the chain has a little slack — one or two links, not drum-tight and not a tangled nest.
Confirm the water level sits about an inch below the top of the overflow tube; lower it by adjusting the float screw or arm.
Close the shutoff under the tank and see if the tank holds level — if it slowly drops, the flapper is your culprit.

Where this stops being DIY

If a new flapper and a float adjustment don't quiet it, or the tank sweats enough to puddle the floor, the flush assembly is due for replacement. A toilet that runs nonstop can move a couple hundred gallons a day — worth fixing this week, not someday.

(256) 415-7610

House-age angle: Toilets from a 1980s-era build are usually on their second or third set of tank parts by now, so one more flapper is normal wear, not a sign the fixture is finished. If the house still has polybutylene supply lines to the toilet — builder-dependent in that era — mention it when the angle stop gets replaced, since the two jobs ride together.

How much water does a running toilet waste?

A small flapper leak can send 30-plus gallons a day past the flapper, and a stuck fill valve can push past 200. It's all clean water going straight down the drain unused.

Can I just shut the toilet off until it's fixed?

Yes — the angle stop under the tank closes the supply, and the tank still holds a flush or two. That's fine for a few days while the parts get sorted, not a permanent plan.