American Leak Detection Plumbing and Repair service is more than happy to help you with all of your Fort Worth plumbing needs, but there are occasions when a fix is so simple you can do it yourself. One of the most common plumbing issues our clients deal with is what is called a “running toilet.” When you flush your toilet, you instigate a chain reaction among the various components that allow your toilet to magically whisk everything away. Flipping that handle raises a stopper covering a flush valve that then releases water from your toilet tank into toilet bowl, where gravity does that rest and it all goes down the drainpipe. Once the tank is empty, the stopper drops back over the flush valve, causing another component called a float ball to trigger a mechanism called the ball-cock assembly to refill the tank with water. As it does so, the float ball rises, pulling the attached arm up with it, signaling the tank to stop filling when it reaches a preset height. It’s a lot like that old mouse trap game. If it all works properly, the tank refills and that running water sound you hear stops after flushing. If something goes wrong, the water hits the overflow mark and drains back into the toilet bowl, starting an endless cycle.

Why Toilets Run

There are several reasons your toilet might run. The most common problem is that your float ball arm fails to rise to the correct height. Putting a simple downward bend in the arm can usually resolve the problem. If that doesn’t do the trick, take a look at the stopper and flush valve. If your stopper is old it may no longer hold the required seal. Replacing it is the best option. If your stopper is fine, the problem most likely lies with your flush valve seal, which could either be damaged or in need of cleaning. Cleaning is fairly easy, but if this doesn’t stop your toilet from running it may be time to call in a Fort Worth plumbing professional to replace your seal.