Why Does My Toilet Continue To Run?

"So, the first thing to do is check your flapper, make sure it's not warped, soggy, like the rubber deteriorated."

- Bobby Crowder, Plumbing Expert

 

It can be annoying to hear our toilets constantly run.  Plumbing expert, Bobby Crowder, The Family Plumber joins Jim Klauck - aka Check A Pro Joe on the show today.

The question today - "Why Does My Toilet Continue To Run?" 

Check out this episode of The Plumber Podcast to find out more...

For more information about The Family Plumber in Surprise, Arizona log on to www.callthefamilyplumber.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.

 

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Podcast Episode Transcript: 

Check a pro Joe here with my friend Bobby Crowder. He's the family plumber. In surprise, Arizona. Hey, Bobby, how you doing pal? Hey Joe. Thanks for having me on. Absolutely. We get questions here all the time and questions cross my desk again. This comes up all the time. Why does my toilet keep running? You know, we flush the toilet and I know it's supposed to happen because uh I'm a quasi plumber and I'm, I'm kind of joking around. I am not a licensed plumber, but I do know when I push the lever down, it will lift up the flapper. Ok. And then the water from the tank will flow to the bottom of the toilet, the base of the toilet. And it will basically allow the water to push the waste out and then the flapper closes and then the tank fills again, but sometimes it continues to run or it'll run like a minute after it'll go off and on. So thanks for having me on again here, Joe. But uh I get a lot. So you, your toilet's running. Well, you better go catch it. I'm kidding. No, no pun intended. That's just kind of a bad joke for us. But uh here's this, there's, there's several, several things. So we've got, we got, of course your flapper the most common, right? And, but you also have your flush, your flush valve, your fill and your fill valve. So there is some more uh complicated issues we can get into, but then I'd probably throw everybody off. They probably wouldn't be like, what's, what's that mean? You know. So let's just do the three basics fill val flush valve. Flapper. So flapper, of course, every, you know, everything is about five years inside a toilet tank. So you should start thinking about, especially the flapper, five years, the fill valve about five years. And the flush valve, man, you know, that's you do lifetime with the toilet. But you know, that thing can leak or crack or, you know, the filled tube can crack and that's where you're getting your water, your, your leak from. So, um, first thing to do is check your flapper, make sure it's not warped, soggy, you know, like the rubber deteriorated. Um I would just recommend replacing it every five years anyway. It's just, you know, this way you can kind of save water waste. Um, the flush valve, the center tube where the flapper sits on that the bushing can go bad and start leaking through there. Uh, your fill tube that's right in the middle that could be cracked and it's leaking from there. Um, go to the fill valve, the fill valve is either on or off. That's just point. So, if it's a constant, uh and a constant flow, ok, you've got a bad fill valve. You, I mean, you can replace like the little diaphragm that's inside the fill valve, stuff like that. But, you know, after about five years, let's go ahead and replace, replace the whole thing. Let's buy your best bet, you know, five years in the flab for five years on the fill valve, flush valve just depends on if it's cracked or not. But those are your three main reasons. A toilet would be running. Yeah. And some of these things really can be handled by the homeowner if you want to. I mean, it's, it's, you know, call Bobby out if you'd like, which is fine. But if it's just a flapper, you really can't go wrong by replacing it. You're not gonna damage anything if it continues to leak because you thought it was the flapper. But it's not, it's only gonna cost you five bucks by the way to put the flapper in. No big deal. But sometimes people will do it themselves. And after they've replaced a number of parts, the thing is still, still running. So they have to call you out. Yeah, exactly. And when they can't figure it out, you know, your little customers, like, oh, I do a lot of stuff but when it comes to plumbing and water they kind of stay away from it. But you gotta keep in mind a lot of people are just used to the, the flapper that comes up and comes back down. They're actually, there's are different flappers or, you know, the cylinder, you know, rings and stuff like that, that those are a little bit more difficult to get off. But, you know, if you call me up and stuff, I can kinda h

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Check a pro Joe here with my friend Bobby Crowder.
He's the family plumber.
In surprise,
Arizona.
Hey,
Bobby,
how you doing pal?
Hey Joe.
Thanks for having me on.
Absolutely.
We get questions here all the time and questions cross my desk again.
This comes up all the time.
Why does my toilet keep running?
You know,
we flush the toilet and I know it's supposed to happen because uh I'm a quasi plumber and I'm,

(00:24):
I'm kind of joking around.
I am not a licensed plumber,
but I do know when I push the lever down,
it will lift up the flapper.
Ok.
And then the water from the tank will flow to the bottom of the toilet,
the base of the toilet.
And it will basically allow the water to push the waste out and then the flapper closes and then the tank fills again,

(00:46):
but sometimes it continues to run or it'll run like a minute after it'll go off and on.
So thanks for having me on again here,
Joe.
But uh I get a lot.
So you,
your toilet's running.
Well,
you better go catch it.
I'm kidding.
No,
no pun intended.

(01:06):
That's just kind of a bad joke for us.
But uh here's this,
there's,
there's several,
several things.
So we've got,
we got,
of course your flapper the most common,
right?
And,
but you also have your flush,
your flush valve,
your fill and your fill valve.
So there is some more uh complicated issues we can get into,

(01:29):
but then I'd probably throw everybody off.
They probably wouldn't be like,
what's,
what's that mean?
You know.
So let's just do the three basics fill val flush valve.
Flapper.
So flapper,
of course,
every,
you know,
everything is about five years inside a toilet tank.
So you should start thinking about,
especially the flapper,
five years,
the fill valve about five years.

(01:49):
And the flush valve,
man,
you know,
that's you do lifetime with the toilet.
But you know,
that thing can leak or crack or,
you know,
the filled tube can crack and that's where you're getting your water,
your,
your leak from.
So,
um,
first thing to do is check your flapper,
make sure it's not warped,
soggy,
you know,
like the rubber deteriorated.
Um I would just recommend replacing it every five years anyway.

(02:12):
It's just,
you know,
this way you can kind of save water waste.
Um,
the flush valve,
the center tube where the flapper sits on that the bushing can go bad and start leaking through there.
Uh,
your fill tube that's right in the middle that could be cracked and it's leaking from there.

(02:33):
Um,
go to the fill valve,
the fill valve is either on or off.
That's just point.
So,
if it's a constant,
uh and a constant flow,
ok,
you've got a bad fill valve.
You,
I mean,
you can replace like the little diaphragm that's inside the fill valve,
stuff like that.
But,
you know,
after about five years,
let's go ahead and replace,

(02:54):
replace the whole thing.
Let's buy your best bet,
you know,
five years in the flab for five years on the fill valve,
flush valve just depends on if it's cracked or not.
But those are your three main reasons.
A toilet would be running.
Yeah.
And some of these things really can be handled by the homeowner if you want to.

(03:16):
I mean,
it's,
it's,
you know,
call Bobby out if you'd like,
which is fine.
But if it's just a flapper,
you really can't go wrong by replacing it.
You're not gonna damage anything if it continues to leak because you thought it was the flapper.
But it's not,
it's only gonna cost you five bucks by the way to put the flapper in.
No big deal.
But sometimes people will do it themselves.

(03:40):
And after they've replaced a number of parts,
the thing is still,
still running.
So they have to call you out.
Yeah,
exactly.
And when they can't figure it out,
you know,
your little customers,
like,
oh,
I do a lot of stuff but when it comes to plumbing and water they kind of stay away from it.
But you gotta keep in mind a lot of people are just used to the,
the flapper that comes up and comes back down.
They're actually,
there's are different flappers or,

(04:02):
you know,
the cylinder,
you know,
rings and stuff like that,
that those are a little bit more difficult to get off.
But,
you know,
if you call me up and stuff,
I can kinda help you out and see what we can do from there.
But you know,
there is different cylinders,
flappers for the toilet.
So and everything is getting a little different nowadays.
It's not just standard,

(04:22):
standard flapper anymore.
So everything's kind of advancing just just for to keep the uh waste water low.
Like our toilets are now 1.2 eights.
I used to love the 1.6 is in,
but now those are becoming obsolete and now we're down to 1.28.
So I'm sure we're gonna keep going,
you know,
just kind of conserve water,

(04:43):
which we're ok with.
Absolutely.
And so yeah,
the technology is changing.
Our plumbing expert Bobby Crowder,
the family plumber,
all of his information,
including a link to his website.
You get a hold of him is located in the description of this podcast for all your plumbing needs.
Get a hold of my buddy Bobby.
Thanks,
Pal.
Thank you.
Thanks for having me on again.

(05:04):
Take care.