Have you ever come to your toilet to realize that the water hasn’t stopped flowing? You may have flushed it again and moved on, but perhaps this is a bigger problem than you think. A leaking toilet can output around 2 gallons of water per minute. If you spot the problem a mere 8 hours after the issue arises, nearly a thousand gallons of water have gone down the drain. If this happens 3 times a year, this can double your toilet water usage.
In my household, I have had this problem with nearly all of my toilets. A few minutes after flushing, sometimes the water would still be going down the drain. If I pulled the handle down again, the toilet typically returned to normal. I never thought this was any big issue until I knew some numbers. Checking with friends confirmed this is a really widespread issue as well.
Nearly 27% of water used inside homes goes through toilets, much more than in showers, washing machines or faucets. A leaky toilet can cost one Boston resident over $20 a day”
Why was this happening? As it turns out, the toilet water runs continuously due to a jammed connector. Learn more by watching the video below.
Essentially, the connector between the lever arm and the flapper becomes stuck at an angle. The flapper can no longer close due to the stuck position. Water will run from the tank to the bowl until you pull the handle which will often dislodge the connector. This is a major problem because it happens randomly. Therefore it may take you a long time to realize that the stuck connector is the culprit. In the process you could lose a lot of water. So much, if fact, that it is possible that your water bill may be doubled by this problem.
However, with a custom connector, the jamming issue is solved. After months of research, I found a simple and reliable solution to prevent this type of water leakage. By filling out the form below, you can receive a custom connector that will act as a substitute to a traditional connector. This custom connector is very easy to install and durable (rust resistant), and works for flappers with both loop chain or ball chain.
Understandably, there may be other reasons why your toilet is always running. They are usually less common or easier to fix. If you would like to learn more about the different causes of toilet leakage and prevention, click here.
If you would like to donate to this project so we can help more people save water, you can support us on this page.
Fill out the form below to request a free custom connector.
(One household can get up to 3 connectors for free)