A homeowner in Bellaire called about a toilet that ran on and off all day and needed two flushes to clear the bowl. Between the noise and the water bill, they were done living with it.
What we found inside the tank
Pulling the tank lid made the diagnosis quick. The original flush valve had corroded down to bare, green-crusted metal, and the flapper seat was so pitted it could not hold a seal anymore. Bellaire has plenty of homes where the toilets are original to the house, and after a few decades of Houston hard water, the parts inside the tank simply wear out. Nothing was broken in a dramatic way. It was all just used up.
A flapper that cannot seal is what makes a toilet run between flushes. Water leaks from the tank into the bowl, the fill valve tops the tank back up, and the cycle repeats all day. A toilet in that state can quietly send more than a hundred gallons a day down the drain, which is why the water bill usually notices before the homeowner does.
The fix: rebuild the tank, keep the toilet
The porcelain itself was in fine shape, so there was no reason to replace the fixture. We rebuilt the tank instead: new fill valve, new flapper, new flush hardware. The running stopped the same afternoon, and the homeowner kept a toilet that matches the bathroom.
A rebuild like this takes about an hour and costs a fraction of a new toilet install. If your toilet runs between flushes, or you hear the tank refilling when nobody has used it, the parts inside are telling you something. Call Texas Premier Plumbing at 713-955-1919 and we will take a look. Family-owned, serving Bellaire and the rest of Houston since 1989, Master Plumber License #16188. You can also reach us through our contact page.