Why Does My Toilet Always Sound Like it’s Running?

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of your toilet running, even though you haven’t used it in hours?

Even though “ghost flushing” is one of the most common plumbing problems homeowners come across, very few know what to do (and what not to do) when the problem occurs.

What To Do When Your Toilet Won’t Stop Running

After you flush your toilet, water should leak out of the tank and into the bowl. Then, the tank re-fills with water — once the tank is done filling, you should stop hearing the sound of flowing water.

If your tank starts running when no one is in the bathroom, it could indicate that one of the following problems is present:

• Your valve is broken and allows water to escape into the bowl randomly throughout the day.
• The flapper chain is too tight. When this happens, it prevents the valve from shutting all the way and stopping the flow of water.
• The float in the tank is set too high. If your float is set too high, water is constantly running, trying to get to the fill line.

Some of these problems can be easy to spot, like pulling on the chain or checking the height of the float. However, other, more serious, problems could be causing your toilet to run. If you don’t have plumbing experience, you could end up making the problem worse.

Mr. Rooter Plumbing of San Francisco has been assisting homeowners with their plumbing issues for decades, and our expertise is unmatched! To learn more, give us a call or fill out our form!