A toilet that keeps running is one of the most common plumbing complaints in Florida, and one of the most wasteful. A steady leak from the tank into the bowl can waste 200 gallons a day, which shows up on your water bill within one cycle. The good news: the fix is usually simple and inexpensive.
The rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank seals the flush valve. Chlorine, hard Florida water and age make it stiff and warped so it no longer seals. Test it by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If color shows up in the bowl without flushing, the flapper is leaking.
If the water level rises above the overflow tube, water pours down the tube continuously. Adjust the float so the water sits about an inch below the top of the overflow tube.
A fill valve that will not shut off completely keeps trickling water into the tank. Sediment in the valve is common where water is hard. Replacing the fill valve takes a plumber about 20 minutes.
A flush chain that is too short holds the flapper open; a sticking handle does the same. Adjust the chain so it has about half an inch of slack.
If you have replaced the flapper and adjusted the float and the toilet still runs, the flush valve seat may be corroded or cracked. That requires pulling the tank. Our toilet repair plumbers carry parts for every major brand and can usually fix a running toilet in a single visit anywhere in Florida.
Florida Cracker Plumbing offers toilet repair across Florida, including Ruskin, Altha, Perry, Fruitland Park, Pinetta, Lake Monroe, Campbellton, Tallahassee and every other Florida city. Call (888) 809-6756 24/7.
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(888) 809-6756