Can a running toilet cause a high water bill?

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asked Apr 30 in Maintenance/Repairs by Ethancrumbley (1,160 points)
Can a running toilet cause a high water bill?

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answered Apr 30 by hemisphere (2,410 points)
A running toilet can cause a high water bill and can leak thousands of gallons of water a month.

The toilet flapper being bad is the most common cause of a toilet running and causing a high water bill but sometimes it may also be a bad toilet fill valve that is not shutting off or an improperly adjusted toilet fill valve.

Another cause of a toilet running is the chain not being adjusted properly to allow the flapper to seal.

A bad toilet flapper can cause a high water bill.

When the toilet flapper goes bad and does not seal even a little bit it can cause the water in the toilet tank to leak out and cause the toilet fill valve to come on or stay on and keep your water meter moving which causes an increase in your water bill.

Toilet flappers have leaked and caused water bills as high as $400.00 to $500.00 per month and sometimes more.

It's always good to check your toilet flapper often and replace it every 3 to 5 years as they are cheaper compared to a high water bill they can cause.

You can tell if you need a 2 inch or a 3 inch toilet flapper by measuring it or by looking at the size of the hole that it fits in.

If the opening that your toilet flapper fits in looks about the size of a baseball or orange, you need a 2″ toilet flapper.
If the opening that your toilet flapper fits in looks about the size of a softball or grapefruit, you need a 3″ toilet flapper.

Toilet flappers are not all universal and not all toilet flappers will fit the same toilets.

Some toilet flappers for certain brands are universal and will fit several different toilets but you must make sure you get the right size and fit of toilet flapper or it won't work in your toilet.

If you're unsure of what toilet flapper you have, it's best to remove turn the water off to the toilet and remove the toilet flapper and then take the old toilet flapper with you to the hardware store to find the correct one.

Toilets and their flush valve systems come in different sizes and shapes.

Toilet flappers are available in two sizes which are standard two-inch, and large three-inch.

Most toilets use the standard two-inch toilet flapper, but large three-inch flappers have become popular recently.

Toilet flappers tend to need to be replaced every 3 years to every 5 years and they are cheap and easy to replace and can prevent a high water bill should the old toilet flapper start not sealing and leak thousands of gallons of water

Toilet fill valves can last between 10 to 20 years or even longer depending on your water quality.

If the opening that your toilet flapper fits in looks about the size of a baseball or orange, you need a 2″ toilet flapper.
If the opening that your toilet flapper fits in looks about the size of a softball or grapefruit, you need a 3″ toilet flapper.

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