Your Toilet Is Running — Here's What's Wrong

A toilet that runs intermittently — the phantom flush — or runs constantly is wasting water and adding to your bill. The most common cause is a worn flapper that no longer seals.

The flapper is the rubber valve at the bottom of the tank. It degrades over time and lets water trickle from the tank into the bowl. A replacement flapper costs a few dollars and takes ten minutes to swap.

If the flapper checks out, the fill valve may be the problem — it's supposed to shut off when the tank reaches its target level but sometimes continues running. Fill valves are also cheap and DIY-able.

If neither fixes it, you may have a cracked flush valve seat or a faulty float — problems that warrant a plumber call. Brownlee Plumbing handles toilet repairs throughout Alexandria same-day.