Why Your Toilet Tank is Leaking
Toilet leaks can be a nuisance. Water flowing through an open fill valve can easily add up to gallons of water being wasted each day. If your toilet is leaking or you notice a significant increase in your water bill, don’t wait to have your toilet repaired.
As a homeowner, dealing with toilet leaks can cause serious problems in your home. Luckily, it’s easy to identify toilet leaks and even fix them yourself.
Here are the reasons why your toilet tank may be leaking.
Toilet Flapper Malfunction
With time, your toiler flapper can break at the warp or hinge and cause leaking problems. A worn-out, warped, broken, or dirty flapper that doesn’t close tightly enough may be one of the reasons why your toilet tank is leaking.
To test if this is the problem, first flush out all the water in the tank, then carefully remove or unhook the flapper from the base of the tank and inspect its condition. Look out for issues like:
- Mineral deposits and buildup of debris at the bottom
- Breaks in the flapper’s plastic or rubber
- Any form of discoloration
If you note any of these issues, you may have to clean off the dirt that may be causing the flapper to malfunction or replace the flapper with a new one.
Plumbing experts may recommend testing each toilet in your home at least once a year to identify such problems.
Chain-Related Problems
When you have a toilet tank chain that’s broken, too long, or too short, it could lead to toilet tank leaks. To check for a problem, check the chain’s connection between the flush lever and the rubber or plastic flapper.
A short chain will pull on the flapper even when the flush lever is at rest, while a long chain will cause flushing problems. You can fix this by moving the clip down for the correct chain length adjustment or by replacing the chain entirely with, maybe, an aluminum ball chain.
A Cracked Toilet Tank
While it may seem unlikely to you, cracked toilet tanks are a common problem in many homes. The solution here is a tank replacement. You may think of fixing the small crack, but remember, cracks expand with time. Toilet tank leaks caused by cracks can cause major problems.
The cracks lead to water leaks into the toilet bowl that you may hardly notice. You might also be asking yourself why your bathroom floor is always wet. If the cracked holding tank is not replaced, you’ll be wasting water, dealing with rising water bills, and risk significant floor damage.
According to restoration experts at restorationelite.com, toilet tank leaks are some of homes’ most ignored leaking problems. Failure to address these leaks as soon as possible causes bigger problems that cost more to fix. So, don’t ignore those wet floors!
Fixing Your Leaking Toilet Tank
Not everybody wants to fix things around the house, but giving it a try may as well save you a few bucks. An average homeowner can fix common toilet problems without hiring a professional.
Hiring a professional plumber is only necessary if you’re dealing with persistent leaking problems that never seem to disappear despite your small fixes. Troubleshooting may help fix problems, but consulting a certified plumber can help you develop better solutions.