Results for "toilet runs by itself"

Smells Sewer Gas Medium 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on cause 12 👍 0

Why Your Toilet Smells Worse in the Morning

During the night I keep noticing a sewer-like smell coming from the upstairs bathroom, and by morning it's noticeably stronger than it was when I went to bed. This is the third time this season I've walked into the bathroom and been hit with that rotten-egg or musty odor, and I'm done just lighting a candle and hoping it goes away. I bought this house last year and I want to actually fix the root cause, not just mask it.

The toilet itself seems to flush fine and there's no visible water on the floor. I've scrubbed the bowl, replaced the toilet brush, and even used a bathroom spray — nothing has made the morning smell go away for good. Is there something specific about overnight hours that makes it worse, or is this pointing to a plumbing problem I need to deal with right now?…more

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Smells Sewer Gas Medium 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on cause 7 👍 0

How to Get Rid of Sewer Smell from Your Toilet

Nobody wants to walk into their bathroom and get hit with that rotten-egg, sewer-gas smell coming from the toilet — and yet here I am. It started a few days ago and it's definitely strongest right around the toilet itself, not the drain or anywhere else. I opened a window and lit a candle, but the smell keeps coming back.

I'm guessing something is off with the toilet's seal or maybe something inside the tank? I really can't afford a plumber visit right now, so I'm hoping this is something I can troubleshoot and fix on my own over a weekend without spending a fortune. Has anyone dealt with this and tracked down the cause without calling in a pro?…more

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Install Replace Medium 2–4 hours (including removal and cleanup) 13 👍 0

How to Install a New Toilet: Step-by-Step Guide

My apartment's toilet has to be at least 15 or 20 years old at this point, and it's starting to show its age in a big way — the handle keeps sticking, the flapper goes constantly, and I've noticed some discoloration at the base that worries me. My landlord has given me the green light to swap it out myself if I want to handle it, and honestly I'd rather just have a fresh, efficient unit in there.

I've never pulled and set a toilet before, but I'm reasonably handy and I want to understand what I'm getting into. Are there different ways to approach this job, and what are the main things I should know before I start? I'd hate to get halfway through and realize I'm in over my head.…more

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Supply Shutoff Easy 30–45 minutes 11 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Supply Line Leaking?

Looked under the tank this morning and spotted a slow drip coming from the supply line — there's already a small puddle forming on the floor. Got my tools out and I'm ready to tackle this myself, I just want to make sure I understand what's actually causing it before I start swapping parts. The line doesn't look obviously cracked, so I'm not sure if it's the fittings, the washers, or the line itself that's the problem. Is this something I can diagnose and fix on my own, or are there situations where I'd need to call someone in?…more

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Clogs Blockages Easy 1–2 hours 10 👍 0

Why Does My Toilet Keep Clogging?

Three times in the last month I've had to grab the plunger because my main bathroom toilet keeps clogging up. It's not a new toilet — been in this house for years — but this recurring problem is getting old fast. Planning to tackle this Saturday and figure out what's actually going on before I call anyone in.

The toilet seems to flush okay most of the time, but every now and then it just doesn't clear properly. I'm wondering if it's the toilet itself, something further down the line, or if I've been flushing things I shouldn't. I want to have the right tools and know what I'm looking for before I start poking around.

What should I have ready to diagnose and fix this myself? Is there a logical order to check things so I'm not just guessing?…more

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Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–60 minutes 13 👍 0

Why Does My Toilet Fill Valve Keep Running?

My toilet in the main bathroom started making a constant hissing sound a few days ago, and the fill valve just never seems to stop running — even a good 10 or 15 minutes after I flush. The tank appears to fill to the normal level, but the water just keeps trickling in like it doesn't know when to quit. I can hear it from the hallway, which is getting pretty annoying.

I'm not sure if this is a fill valve problem specifically, or if something else in the tank is causing it. The toilet is probably eight or nine years old — nothing fancy, just a standard two-piece we had installed when we redid the bathroom. I haven't noticed any water on the floor, so I don't think it's leaking externally. Is this something I can sort out myself, or am I looking at a bigger issue?…more

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Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 16 👍 0

Water Leaking Around Toilet Base? Here's Why

During my first week settling into this rental, I noticed water collecting around the bottom of the toilet. I've never dealt with this before and honestly wasn't sure if it was just condensation or something more serious. The floor around the base is consistently damp, and it seems to get worse after flushing. Is this a wax ring issue, or could it be something simpler? I don't want to panic my landlord over nothing, but I also don't want to ignore something that could cause real damage.…more

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Tank Problems Medium 1–3 hours (tank swap, once parts are sourced) 8 👍 0

Cracked Toilet Tank: Repair or Replace?

Looked under the lid of our toilet tank the other day while chasing down a slow drip, and sure enough there's a visible crack running along the inside wall. Now I'm trying to decide between attempting some kind of repair versus just swapping out the tank entirely — or maybe even replacing the whole toilet. We have two kids and this is the busiest bathroom in the house, so I don't want to be without it for long, but I also don't want to slap a band-aid on something that's going to fail on me in a few months.

I'm not totally clear on what causes these cracks in the first place — is it age, water pressure, something I did wrong? And honestly, I'm not sure if a DIY repair is even a realistic option or if it just delays the inevitable. Would love to understand what I'm actually dealing with before I drag my family to the hardware store.…more

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Flappers Chains Easy 15–30 minutes 13 👍 0

How to Fix a Toilet Chain That's Too Long

Found out the hard way that a too-long toilet chain is apparently a thing when my toilet started running nonstop a few days after we moved in. Tried clipping the chain to a higher hook on the flush arm, re-hooking it at a shorter link, and even replacing the whole flapper assembly thinking that was the problem — still getting either a phantom flush every hour or a flapper that barely lifts when I flush. I've double-checked that the chain isn't kinked or tangled, and the flapper itself seats flat on the valve seat, but I can't seem to dial in the right length. Is there a correct amount of slack I should be aiming for, and is it possible I've been making this worse by going too short instead of too long?…more

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Flappers Chains Easy 30 minutes 9 👍 0

How to Replace a Toilet Flapper (Step-by-Step)

Three weeks ago my toilet started running constantly, and I finally called a plumber to take a look. The quote he gave me felt really steep for what sounds like a pretty minor repair, so now I'm wondering if swapping the flapper is something I can actually handle on my own without making things worse.

I've peeked inside the tank and the rubber flapper piece looks worn and kind of warped — I'm guessing that's the culprit. I just want to make sure I know exactly what I'm doing before I go buy a part and start pulling things apart. What's the process for getting the old one off and putting a new one in correctly?…more

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Running Toilet Easy 30–60 minutes 9 👍 0

How to Stop a Running Toilet for Good

Three times now I've come home to that maddening hissing sound coming from the bathroom, and I'm completely over it. It's the same toilet in the main bath, and every time I jiggle the handle it stops for a while — but within a few days the running starts up again. I replaced the flapper myself last month thinking that would fix it for good, but here we are.

As a first-time homeowner I'm trying to handle as much of this myself as possible, but I honestly don't know if I'm just buying the wrong parts or if there's a bigger issue hiding inside the tank. The toilet is probably original to the house, so it's not brand new. Is there a systematic way to actually diagnose what's causing this so I can fix it once and for all instead of slapping a bandage on it every few weeks?…more

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Toilet Flappers, Chains & Flush Levers

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Running Toilet Easy 30–60 minutes 10 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Always Running? (DIY Fixes)

My toilet has been making that constant trickling/hissing sound for what feels like forever, and my water bill is starting to show it. It runs pretty much non-stop — sometimes it stops for a little while and then kicks back on again even though nobody's used it. Can't afford a service call right now — is there a way to diagnose and fix this for under $20 or so? I've heard it might be the flapper or something in the tank, but I really don't know where to start.…more

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Flappers Chains Easy 30–45 minutes 13 👍 0

Toilet Flush Handle Stuck or Loose? Here's the Fix

Looked down at the toilet this morning and the flush handle is either jammed solid or flopping around like it's barely attached — and of course we're hosting a big family get-together this weekend. It's a standard gravity-flush toilet, probably 10 or 15 years old, nothing fancy. The handle used to feel perfectly normal, and now it either won't depress at all or pushes down with zero resistance and nothing happens. Is this a quick fix I can knock out before guests arrive, or am I looking at a bigger problem?…more

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Bidets Washlets Easy 20–40 minutes 4 👍 0

Bidet Seat Not Spraying Water? Here's Why

Looked everywhere online and feel a little silly asking this, but I recently installed a bidet seat in our master bath and it's just... not spraying. We got it set up a few weeks ago and it was working fine, and now when I press the wash button nothing happens at all — no water, no noise, nothing. The toilet itself flushes and refills just fine, so I'm guessing it's something specific to the bidet?

I'm a pretty new homeowner and this is the fanciest thing we've added to the bathroom so far, so I really don't want to break it or make things worse by poking around in the wrong places. Is this something I can figure out myself, or am I already in over my head? Probably a dumb question, but where do I even start?…more

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Tank Problems Medium 1–2 hours 7 👍 0

Water Leaking Between Tank and Bowl? Here's Why

During my morning routine I spotted a puddle forming right at the seam where the tank meets the bowl — and it definitely wasn't there yesterday. I've owned this house for about twelve years and this toilet has always been rock solid, so the sudden leak caught me off guard. The water seems to appear mostly after a flush and then sort of seeps down the back of the bowl. Is this a gasket issue, or something more serious I should be worried about?…more

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