Costs For Ignoring A Constantly Running Toilet And
How To Do Basic Toilet Repairs Yourself
A Running Toilet Wastes 1,000-4,000 Gallons Of Water Per Day. *
* Source: https://water.arlingtonva.us/customer-service/resolve-high-bills/
This chart shows the cost per 1,000 gallons of water used for Plano, TX:
| Gallons | Rate per Gallon |
|---|---|
| First 1,000 gallons | included in minimum charge |
| 1,001 – 5,000 gallons | $0.60 per 1,000 gallons |
| 5,001 – 20,000 gallons | $3.10 per 1,000 gallons |
| 20,001 – 40,000 gallons | $6.19 per 1,000 gallons |
| All over 40,000 gallons | $7.50 per 1,000 gallons |
In Plano, a toilet running continuously & wasting 1,000 gallons of water per day = 30,000 gallons. The cost for 1 month = $105.00!
In Plano, A toilet running continuously & wasting 4,000 gallons of water per day = 120,000 gallons. The cost for 1 month = $770.00!!
If You Receive A Large Water Bill, Don’t Assume It Must Be A Slab-Leak.
It May Simply Mean A Minor Toilet Repair Is Required.
Before you check for a slab-leak, first take the tank lid off of each toilet to see if it’s running non-stop.
- Check to ensure that water isn’t flowing over the top of the Fill-Tube. If it is, the Fill-Valve is not shutting off when tank is full. The black ball (at the right of the tank) rises as the tank fills and tells the Fill-Valve the tank is full.
- (The Fill-Tube is white and located in the center of the tank)
- (The Fill-Valve is gray and located in the left rear corner of the tank)
- Check to ensure the flapper is closed.
- (The Flapper is blue and located at the bottom of the tank)
- Listen carefully to hear a quiet trickle of water leaking past a worn out flapper. If you can’t hear anything, turn the water off to the toilet ** and see if the water level in tank drops. If water level drops, the flapper is leaking and needs replaced.
** An individual shut-off is located on the wall or floor under the tank
YOU can change the flapper in minutes. It simply hangs onto hooks on the Fill-Tube (in photo, just above the blue flapper). No tools are required to change the flapper.
Here’s The Movie!
YOU may be able to stop water from running over the top of the Fill-Tube.
1. Check to see if the rod holding the float (black ball) is partially unscrewed. If it is, retighten it by hand (no tools necessary). There is typically a small upward bend near the center of the rod which holds the float. If the rod comes partially unscrewed, the bend may be pointing toward the side or bottom of tank. When tight, the bend will point upward again and will likely shut the water off (if a loose rod is the problem).
2. If there is no upward bend in the rod, you can add a slight bend it by hand (no tools necessary).
Here’s the movie!
SUMMARY: A continuously running toilet is a very expensive problem which can often be fixed quite easily. This article describes what most often causes running toilets and what a home owner can do to fix them with only a little money spent for parts.