Toilets are supposed to be a place of utter peace. It’s where you feel light. That peacefulness can quickly become a nightmare if the toilet keeps running even after its normal flush cycle. Hopelessness surrounds you as you continue to turn on-off the flush valve, but it fixes nothing.
Now, your only option is to repair the running toilet ASAP because otherwise, your bathroom will get flooded with toilet water. So, how much does running toilet repair cost?
The answer depends on many things like, are you doing it yourself? Are you calling a plumber? I’ll go through all these scenarios and give you answers based on them. Without wasting further time, let’s jump right in.
What Are the Causes of a Running Toilet?
Hold on a second before you rush to your nearest plumber and shower them with money. Before you repair your running toilet, wouldn’t it be wise to know what’s causing it? If the cause remains, chances are, your problem will bounce back. Here are the potential culprits behind your running toilet:
Worn Out Flapper
This is perhaps the most common cause of a running toilet. The flapper is the main part that controls when the water will flow from the toilet tank to the bowl.
As time passes, Flappers can wear out. It means their power to hold off the water may not function how it should. This causes water leakage. And this leakage allows the tank water to flow to the bowl continually.
Refill Tube
If the refill tube of your toilet is too long, it can continuously pump water to the bowl. This, of course, causes your toilet to run nonstop or randomly.
The top end of the refill tube should stay above your tank’s water level – the minute it doesn’t stay above that level, you can face a running toilet problem.
So, are you wondering why does my toilet run randomly? Double-check the length of your refill tube. Make sure it has the right length.
You can also read our article on: Can a Toilet Fill Valve Cause Toilet to Run?
Gasket
The tank’s gasket acts as a seal between the tank and the bowl. As with any other part, a gasket can wear out in time. If your gasket is worn out, it can leak water from the tank to the bowl.
How Much Does It Cost to Repair a Running Toilet?
Technically speaking, if your toilet runs randomly, you can still use it. But, should you? Absolutely not. After identifying the problem, you can either fix it yourself or call a professional plumber to do it for you. Here is an estimated cost to repair a running toilet:
Doing It Yourself
If you paid attention to what causes a toilet to run randomly, you might have already figured out what to replace or repair. For example, if your flapper is the main culprit behind everything, you can replace it for around 12 to 30 dollars.
Check our quick guide on: How to Replace Gerber Toilet Flapper Without a Professional
You can replace the gaskets for around 5 to 10 dollars. Yes, they are very inexpensive. The cost of replacing the refill tube is even cheaper. You can get one for as cheap as 2 to 5 dollars.
Calling a Professional
Most plumbers take 70 to 80 dollars hourly if you live in the US. Of course, this does not include the cost of the parts and materials.
You have to bear those expenses yourself. For example, if the running toilet problem needs an hour to fix, you have to pay the plumber around 150 dollars, including the parts price.
Please do note that this is just an estimation. The cost may go up or down depending on how critical the problem is.
When Should You Call a Plumber for a Running Toilet?
Now the question remains, when should you call a professional plumber for a running toilet? The answer is: if you don’t have enough knowledge or experience with toilets.
No matter how easy those YouTube tutorials make, it seems, fixing a running toilet is not that easy. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, calling a professional plumber will save you a lot of hassle.
Is It OK to Leave a Toilet Running?
Of course, it is not OK for you to leave a toilet running. For starters, you’ll be wasting too much water, and the water bill will go through the roofs.
Secondly, you might even flood the entire bathroom if you keep the toilet running.
Also, we highly recommend to read our article on: What Problems Can Create Running Toilet?
Can You Use a Toilet That Keeps Running?
Technically speaking, you can use a toilet that keeps running. As the water continues to run, your waste will continue to flush out.
But the continuous flushing sound can easily annoy you, so I wouldn’t recommend using a running toilet.
How Much Does It Cost to Pull and Reset a Toilet?
If you want to pull and reset the toilet, you can finish the job with 20 to 30 dollars. But, I would not recommend doing this yourself unless you have experience in this field.
If you call the professionals, you’ll have to pay up to 200 dollars for pulling and resetting your toilet.
How Much Should It Cost to Have a New Toilet Installed?
Unfortunately, if you have to replace the entire toilet, you have to pay around 450 dollars. This includes a standard toilet and the labor charge.
Notice how I did not state anything about the cost of installing a new toilet yourself? That’s because toilet installation is a tricky job that professionals should only do.
Final Words
Whether you want to get down to business yourself or want to call a professional, it will be wise to fix the running toilet as soon as possible.
If you continue to leave the toilet running, it will not only flood your bathroom but also potentially damage your toilet. By knowing the running toilet repair cost, you can save yourself from spending extra bucks.
