Homeowners know that if their toilet is constantly running, it can increase their water bills. However, the solution to this problem might be simpler than they think.
The scoop
TikTok user Jak3 (@jake_theplumber) shared a video showing how to switch out the flapper valve in a toilet's tank, which is one of the most common causes of a constantly running toilet.
@jake_theplumber Running Toilet Tips & Tricks! How to Replace Flapper: #diyplumbing #DIY #flapper #toiletflapper #toiletrepair #plumbinghowto #runningtoilet #fixtoilet ♬ original sound - Jak3
In the video, captioned "Running Toilet Tips & Tricks!" Jak3 demonstrates how to turn off the water supply to the toilet, shows where the toilet flapper is located, and walks through the steps of switching out an old flapper for a new one, including how to measure the flapper's chain.
The whole process takes mere minutes to accomplish and easily solves what could become a costly issue.
How it's helping
According to Home Guide, the average American pays $40-$60 a month for water. Toilet usage makes up around 30% of total water use in a home, and each flush uses anywhere from 1.28 to six gallons (depending on the age of the toilet).
However, a toilet that's constantly running uses up significantly more water than that, sometimes wasting up to 200 gallons a day, or 6,000 gallons a month. Using that amount of water each day can cause water bills to dramatically increase, adding anywhere from $30 to $100 to a homeowner's monthly bill.
On the other hand, a toilet flapper valve costs anywhere between $5 and $15. Spending the money to switch it out instead of leaving the toilet running will save homeowners a significant amount.
Plus, knowing how to replace a nonworking flapper valve with a new one saves homeowners money on hiring a plumber to do the job for them.
Additionally, by replacing a faulty flapper valve, homeowners are helping the environment, as wasting hundreds to thousands of gallons of water due to a running toilet strains local water supplies and treatment facilities, as well as contributes to environmental degradation.
What everyone's saying
Plenty of TikTok users were grateful to Jak3 for sharing this handy hack.
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$200 or more 💰 "Thanks, I need to do that," one person commented.
Another TikToker simply said, "Thank you so much."
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