Your Toilet Won't Stop Running — and Your Water Bill Feels It

You know that faint trickling sound from the bathroom at night? Like the toilet never quite finished its job? That's your money — literally — flowing down the drain.

A running toilet is one of the most common silent money-eaters in South Florida homes. Here's why it happens and what to do about it:

1. 🔧 In most cases it's the flapper — that rubber disc at the bottom of the tank. Over time it warps, cracks, or gets crusty from our hard water, and water keeps leaking into the bowl 24/7. You can't always see it — but you can hear it.

1. 💦 The second suspect is the fill valve — it should shut off when the tank is full. If the water level sits above the overflow tube, it never stops filling.

1. 💰 Why you should care: a running toilet can waste 200+ gallons a DAY. On your water bill that adds up fast — tens of dollars a month, for a fix that's usually small.

Here's the honest truth: a flapper swap takes me about 20 minutes. A fill valve replacement — maybe half an hour. If it's just the flapper and you like DIY, it's a cheap part from any hardware store. But if the whole valve assembly is corroded, or the tank bolts are rusted solid (very common in older Florida homes), that's where DIY ends and "call the guy" begins.

⚠️ Red flags — don't wait

• The toilet hisses or trickles constantly
• You have to jiggle the handle to stop it
• The tank refills every few minutes for no reason
• Your water bill jumped for no apparent reason