A toilet running too long might indicate a costly problem…

One of the great mysteries for many people is what keeps their toilet running too long. Sometimes a running toilet is not even noticed for several hours. Few people actually wait near the bathroom until they hear the toilet stop running.

When the problem is noticed, it could be a sign of your need for residential plumbing experts. In most cases, however, the problem of a toilet that will not stop running is usually fairly easy to fix.

Know your toilet

To understand what keeps a toilet running too long, you have to know how a little bit about the mechanics of a toilet. Toilets are not rocket science. The flusher handle is connected to a chain, which lifts up a metal or rubber flapper. When the flapper is lifted, it lets the water in the tank flush into the toilet bowl.

The water is then replenished, until it reaches a level high enough to lift the float up, which then shuts the water off. The float usually looks like a large, black plastic ball.

What to do when you hear a toilet running too long

One of the things that often goes wrong with a toilet running too long is that the flapper is stuck open somehow. This makes all the water that is supposed to be filling the bowl flow right back into the toilet bowl. Make sure that the chain connected to the flapper is not stuck on anything.

Also make sure that the chain connected to the flapper is long enough. Sometimes a chain can be just a little bit too short and will keep the flapper slightly open, so the toilet is stuck in a cycle of filling up enough, draining to a certain level, and refilling.

Other signs of a plumbing problem

Other plumbing problems you might face include:

• A broken or cracked flapper, which will require replacement
• A float that needs to be adjusted. Try bending the arm it is attached to down a little bit.
• A waterlogged float that is too heavy. Try replacing a waterlogged float with a new one.

There are actually a host of other issues that can go wrong with a running toilet, many of which require professional plumbing help. If you are inexperienced dealing with plumbing problems or simply cannot find the cause of the running toilet, it is best to get in touch with the plumbing professionalsPlumb Tech.