Why Does My Toilet Keep Running After I Flush?
It was almost midnight when a Nampa homeowner finally got out of bed.
The house was quiet.
The children were asleep.
The dog had settled down for the night.
But something in the bathroom was not quite right.
It wasn’t making a lot of noise, and that’s what made it so disconcerting.
There was a faint hissing sound coming from the toilet, and then it stopped. A few minutes later, it started again.
He walked into the bathroom, opened the lid, and looked around as if the answer would reveal itself.
There was no water on the floor.
The toilet had been flushed recently and everything seemed to be working fine.
He gave the handle a test and watched the tank refill before returning to bed.
Twenty minutes later, the sound began again.
That’s when it usually starts.
A small sound that seems innocuous enough.
It’s not like the toilet is completely out of control and running all over the place.
It’s more subtle than that.
It’s a faint hissing or trickling noise that either doesn’t stop after you’ve finished your business or restarts itself several minutes later.
It’s a sign that something is wrong, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
For many homeowners, the first instinct is to give the handle a jiggle and hope that it stops.
And it usually does.
For a while, at least.
If it happens again the next day or the week, it’s easy enough to simply accept it as part of the landscape.
It’s a small price to pay for the convenience of having a toilet, right?
If your toilet is running after you’ve flushed it, it’s worth looking into before it wastes even more water and becomes an annoyance that you can’t seem to fix.
To schedule plumbing services in the Nampa area, contact A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing.
A Toilet Should Be Quiet After It Has Been Flushed
Most people are familiar with the sound of a toilet that needs repair.
It’s the sound that happens right after you’ve finished your business and you’re just about to leave the bathroom.
It’s the sound of water running when it shouldn’t be.
It can be a hissing noise or a trickling sound.
It can be intermittent or constant.
It can even stop for a few minutes before restarting on its own.
Whatever the sound is, it’s not normal.
It means that something inside the tank has stopped working the way it’s supposed to.
It may not look like much is wrong, but it almost certainly is.
Sometimes it only happens every once in a while.
That’s another reason why it can be so frustrating.
The toilet is fine one day and then it starts acting up the next.
It’s enough to make you wonder if you’ve done something wrong.
Maybe you flushed it incorrectly.
Maybe the handle is stuck.
Maybe it’s just a one-time thing.
Whatever the reason, it stops happening as often after that.
It’s easy enough to simply accept it and move on.
Many plumbing issues start out this way.
They’re barely a nuisance.
They’re just enough of an annoyance to remind you that they’re there.
That’s not a sign that they’re going away on their own, though.
It’s a sign that something is wearing down or coming loose.
The Handle Gets Blamed For Everything
Most homeowners seem to know that jiggling the handle is often the best way to stop a running toilet.
It’s surprising how often it works.
As a result, many people have adopted it as part of the flushing process.
They stop and give the handle a shake every time they’re done.
One homeowner even mentioned that his family had been doing it for nearly a year before they realized it.
It had become second nature to them.
In fact, their guests had started asking them to do it whenever they used the bathroom.
It had gotten to the point where it was practically a rule.
Jiggling the handle may have been the solution, but it was also part of the problem.
It may have been working so well that nobody thought to look any further.
It’s possible that the handle was the issue, but it’s also possible that it was simply moving something else that was loose or worn down.
That’s why it stopped working as well.
It was only a temporary fix.
The Water Bill May Notice Before You Do
Not all running toilets are loud about it.
In fact, some of them are surprisingly quiet.
It’s entirely possible that you’ve never even heard it.
All the same, it’s still wasting water.
It could be that the tank is simply leaking slowly.
It could be that it’s refilling itself every few hours.
Either way, it’s using more water than it should.
It may not seem like much, but it can add up.
One Nampa family was surprised to find that their water bill had suddenly gone up.
They couldn’t think of a reason for it.
They hadn’t been using much water.
They hadn’t been filling up any pools.
They hadn’t noticed any leaks in the house.
It wasn’t until they stopped to listen that they realized what was happening.
They heard the toilet filling itself up.
It seems like a small problem, but it was wasting water every day and every night.
A running toilet may not seem like much, but it can still be a problem.
Nothing Has To Be On The Floor For It To Leak
When most people think of a leak, they think of water dripping somewhere it’s not supposed to be.
They think of water on the floor or coming out of a pipe.
That’s not always the case with a running toilet, though.
It’s possible that everything looks fine, but the tank is still leaking.
It’s simply leaking into the bowl instead of onto the floor.
That’s one reason why it’s so easy to miss.
It’s easy to think that everything is fine when it’s not.
It’s also the reason why running toilets are such a nuisance.
They seem harmless, but they can waste a surprising amount of water.
The Toilet May Be Refilling Itself When No One Has Used It
One of the telltale signs of a running toilet is that it may start up on its own.
It may be completely fine one minute and then start filling up fifteen minutes later.
It could be that it only happens once or twice, but it’s still a problem.
It’s called a phantom flush by some because it can be so disconcerting.
It almost feels as if the toilet is magically filling itself up.
What it’s really doing is sensing that the water level in the tank has dropped below the normal level.
It then refills the tank to the appropriate level.
It’s a small amount of water, but it adds up when it happens several times an hour.
Older Toilets Have Been Used A Lot
Think about how many times you’ve used your toilet over the course of a year.
Now imagine doing that for ten or fifteen or twenty years.
Every single time you’ve done that, the internal mechanism has been put through the motions.
It’s had to open and close and move and stop.
It’s had to do it all over again.
It’s amazing that they last as long as they do.
One homeowner joked that his toilet was probably older than two of his children.
It still looked fine, and it still worked, but it had been through a lot.
Age is rarely an issue on its own, but it can contribute to other problems.
It’s not uncommon for older toilets to require repairs.
That doesn’t mean that they have to be replaced, though.
It’s often a matter of deciding whether the repair is worth it.
Hard Water Can Do Strange Things To Your Toilet
Most people in Nampa and the Treasure Valley are familiar with hard water.
They know what it looks like.
They can see the white film that sometimes forms on their faucets, their showerheads, and their drinking glasses.
What they may not realize is that it can also have an effect on their toilets.
It’s the same minerals that are in the water that are causing the film to form.
They’re simply depositing themselves on different surfaces.
Over time, they can cause issues with the internal mechanism of the toilet.
It’s not the cause of every running toilet, but it can certainly contribute to the problem.
We’ve written more about hard water and its effects on plumbing in this blog.
A Running Toilet Can Become Background Noise
One of the most interesting things about human nature is that we can get used to just about anything.
The hum of the refrigerator, the creak of the floorboards, the odd sound that the pipes make when no one is using them.
We can get so used to them that we barely even notice them anymore.
The same thing can happen with a running toilet.
It can start out as an annoying sound, but it can become background noise.
That’s when it can be especially frustrating.
It’s not until someone points it out that we even realize it’s there.
Someone will ask you if it’s supposed to sound like that, and suddenly you hear it for the first time in weeks.
More Than One Toilet Can Be A Problem
It’s not uncommon for a single toilet to need repair.
They’re used a lot, and they’re exposed to a lot of different things.
It’s entirely possible, though, that more than one toilet has been acting up.
It’s one thing for it to happen once in a while, but it’s another thing entirely if two of them are doing it at the same time.
It could be a sign that they’re both old, or it could be a sign of something else.
It could be hard water.
It could be something entirely different.
It’s hard to say for certain, but it’s always a good idea to have it looked at.
A plumber will typically ask if it’s happening in more than one bathroom before doing anything else.
It can be an important step in figuring out what’s going on.
The Toilet Still Works, So It Can Wait
This is probably the most common reason for putting off toilet repair.
It still works, after all.
It doesn’t back up.
It doesn’t leak.
It doesn’t stop you from doing your business.
It’s not like a clogged drain or a burst pipe.
It’s easy to put it off, especially if it only happens every once in a while.
You can give the handle a jiggle and tell yourself that you’ll get to it later.
That’s when it can become an issue.
It can be easy to put it off for months at a time.
It may not seem like much, but it can add up.
Even if it’s not an emergency, it’s still something that should be taken care of.
It’s not like the repair is going to be that difficult.
Repair or Replace?
Most homeowners are faced with this question at some point.
Can it be repaired, or does it need to be replaced?
It’s a difficult question to answer, especially when it comes to something like a toilet.
It depends on how old it is, how much use it’s been through, and how many repairs have been made.
It’s entirely possible that it can be repaired, especially if it’s a newer model and only one small part has failed.
It’s also entirely possible that it needs to be replaced, especially if it’s old and has had multiple repairs.
There’s no right answer for every situation, but there are things to consider.
It’s not always about how much it costs to repair it.
It’s also about how much it’s going to cost to replace it.
It’s about knowing when it’s time to move on.
What A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing Looks For
When you contact A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing about a running toilet, the conversation will usually start with a few simple questions.
Did it start happening after every flush?
Does it refill itself when no one has used it?
Does jiggling the handle stop it?
Have you noticed an increase in your water bill?
Is it an older toilet?
Are other toilets acting up as well?
These are just a few of the questions that may be asked.
They’re designed to get a general idea of what’s happening.
From there, A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing can take a closer look at the toilet and recommend the best course of action.
It’s not just about making it stop running.
It’s about making sure it stops running for good.
To schedule plumbing services in the Nampa area, contact A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing.
A Small Repair Can Make The Bathroom Quiet Again
One of the things that many homeowners will tell you about a running toilet is that they wish they would have taken care of it sooner.
It’s amazing how much of a difference it can make.
The sound stops, the handle works properly, and the toilet no longer fills itself up in the middle of the night.
It’s not a huge improvement, but it’s enough to make everyday life a little bit better.
It’s not something that most people would consider a major upgrade, but it’s still something they’re happy with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my toilet keep running after I flush?
Something inside the tank has likely stopped working the way it’s supposed to. A professional plumber can take a look and identify the issue.
Can a running toilet raise my water bill?
Yes, it can. Even a small amount of water running constantly can add up over time.
Why does jiggling the toilet handle stop the water?
It may be moving something inside the tank that has stopped working. If you find yourself doing it often, it’s a sign that something is wrong.
Is a running toilet an emergency?
Not necessarily, unless it’s causing water to back up or leak onto the floor. It should still be repaired, though, because it can waste a surprising amount of water.
Can hard water cause toilet problems?
Yes, it can. The minerals in hard water can build up on the internal parts of the toilet and cause issues over time.
Should I repair or replace an older toilet?
It depends on the condition of the toilet and how many repairs have been made.
Final Thoughts
A running toilet is a nuisance, but it’s also easy to ignore.
It’s not like it’s making a huge mess or wasting large amounts of water.
It’s usually a small sound that doesn’t last for long.
That’s why it can be so easy to put off toilet repair for so long.
It’s not like it’s an emergency.
It’s more of an annoyance.
That’s not a good reason to ignore it, though.
It’s important to remember that a toilet should be quiet after it’s been flushed.
It should stop running the moment you’re done.
Those are the signs that something is wrong.
It may not seem like much, but it can be an early warning sign.
Sometimes it’s something simple, like a small part that has stopped working.
Sometimes it’s more complicated and has to do with the age of the toilet.
Either way, it’s always a good idea to have it looked at.
If your toilet will not stop running after you’ve flushed it, A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing can help.
To schedule plumbing services in the Nampa area, contact A+ Drain Cleaning and Plumbing.