Answered: Why Won't My Toilet Quit Running and Five Other Top Issues

Is your toilet running? Creepy gurgling noise emitting from your toilet bowl? From water leaks to odd noises, toilets can do all sorts of bizarre things.

The good thing is, with a little troubleshooting, there are numerous toilet problems you can solve on your own. Here, the specialists at Classic Air will go over some of the most frequent toilet problems, what they mean and whether it’s a situation you can fix yourself—or, if it is better to call in an expert.

1. Why Is My Toilet Running?

If your toilet is constantly running, it is an issue you should correct because it's in all probability also costing you money on your water bill.

A common cause of a running toilet is something amiss with the overflow tube. Located in the tank in the back of your toilet, an overflow tube allows extra water to drain from the tank into your toilet bowl so the water level in your tank does not get too high and overflow the top of the tank. At times, the problem is that the plastic tube connecting your fill valve to your overflow tube has become detached. If that’s the scenario, you most likely can just reach into the tank and reattach them. It also might be your toilet is running due to the fact the overflow tube is is not tall enough to maintain the correct water level and needs to be replaced by one that is taller height.

Another reason for a toilet to run could be the flapper--which acts as a plug in the bottom of your tank—is malfunctioning and no longer forms the tight seal needed to hold water in the tank. This enables water to seep through or around the damaged flapper and escape out the bottom of your tank into your toilet bowl.

Occasionally a running toilet is caused by something awry with your toilet float, which is a floating device that maintains the water level in your tank. It accomplishes this by shutting off your fill valve when the water level raises the float to a predetermined height. If your float is set too high, this permits the water level to rise too high, and the unwanted water will flow into your overflow tube and down into your toilet bowl.

2. Why Does My Toilet Keep Gurgling?

A gurgling toilet is usually caused by a partial obstruction in your toilet, drain lines, mainline or a blockage in your sewage vent. If the problem is a clog in your toilet, you can try to fix this by using a plunger or drain snake to loosen the clog. If this doesn’t work, you can check where your sewage vent exits your home to confirm it is not blocked by debris that would restrict air flow.

If you've done these two trouble shooting tasks and the toilet is still gurgling or bubbling, it would be a good idea to phone a professional such an expert from Classic Air to evaluate the problem. As the trusted plumber in Columbus, Classic Air will investigate whether the noise is caused by a blockage in one of the drain lines carrying toilet water out of your home or the mainline that takes waste water away from your home to the municipal water system.

4. Why Won't My Toilet Flush?

If your toilet is hard to flush, it's probable that the problem is with the chain, flapper or the handle. That’s because there’s a chain within the toilet tank that is affixed to the back side of the handle. The other end of the chain is connected to the flapper, which functions as a plug in the bottom of your toilet tank.

The quickest way to find out why your toilet is challenging to flush is to remove the lid, peer inside the tank and investigate.

Here’s how the process ought to work anytime you flush a toilet: you push down the handle, which pulls up the chain, then the chain pulls the flapper up and that allows the water to drain out of your tank and into your toilet bowl.

Sometimes a toilet doesn't flush because the chain is caught on something inside the tank, which keeps the chain from lifting up the flapper to let out the water. Or, the chain is too long or gets disconnected from either the handle or the flapper. If this happens, unhook the caught chain or reach in and change it to the appropriate length.

Occasionally flappers can get stuck when they get old or become worn out. There also may be something awry with the handle.

5. Why Is There a Leak in My Toilet?

A dripping toilet can be a costly problem, potentially leading to water damage in and around your bathroom. Often, a leaky toilet is caused by a cracked supply line or a crack in the toilet tank. If your toilet tank is overflowing, it could be something wrong with the toilet float.

Cracked gaskets around the connections on the underside of the tank also can permit water to leak out of the toilet, as can a damaged toilet flange or wax ring at the base of the toilet where it attaches to the floor. The majority of these issues are best fixed by an expert plumber. 

6. Why Is My Toilet Not Filling with Water?

A toilet that isn't filling with water in many cases indicates a problem with the fill valve, which fills the tank in the back of your toilet with water. If the tube has failed or is clogged by rust, sediment or mineral buildup, it potentially could not be allowing water into the tank.

Another likely cause for your toilet not filling with water is something faulty with the float, which is a device that prompts the fill valve to stop bringing water into the tank when the water has risen to the correct level. The fill valve gives the signal to stop when the water level lifts the float to a predetermined height. It might be that the float/float assembly needs adjustment so that the water rises to the correct level. Or, repairing a toilet not filling with water may require adjusting or changing the fill valve.