One of our two toilets keeps running (septic system); both toilets have black sediment (sand-like) in toilets and tanks and slightly gray water. The toilet closest to drain field keeps running (has 3-mo old flush valve, 3-mo old toilet) and the septic system and drain field were recently serviced. Please help!
Why does the toilet keep running
septictoilet
Related Solutions
I've been a victim of this before. This is bad news.
In my (rare) case, the roof of my apartment building drained to the middle of the building and down the sewer pipes. During phenomenal downpours (twice in five years), the flow of water coming down that pipe was faster than the flow of water leaving the building. The water backed up to the lowest point where it had an exit which was my primary bathroom. It did so with such intensity that water was violently sloshing out of the toilet bowl, the stopper on the sink was forcefully ejected, and the bathtub was backing up at the same time. The only good news in all this mess is that it was fresh water.
Clearly, this is not quite your case. However, it is an indication of the same similar fact: you have a flow going in the wrong direction in your sewer line. Before the astonishingly violent discharge and water flowing everywhere, the toilet would gurgle.
Since it's a septic tank for you, you need that serviced now.
The reason the flushed water level is lower is probably that the siphon link between the bowl and the sewer line isn't being broken.
It is entirely possible that if the toilet was running hard enough that that is the source of the problem. Assuming the weather conditions are fairly dry and surrounding ground is not saturated, I'd give it a day or two to subside and let the leach field catch up. If the problem doesn't clear quickly with the toilet fixed, I'd call for a pump and have them check the backflow of the leach field to determine if there is blockage downstream from the tank. Good luck.
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Best Answer
Have you verified that the flapper valve is seating properly? Even a brand new toilet can run if the flapper valve gets hung-up and is not allowed to close fully.
If you know for sure that the flapper valve is moving freely and tries to seal the drain pipe then try turning off the water flow and see if water is flowing in from the septic system. That's the only way I know that sediment would be able to enter the tank unless it was already in the line somehow.
Check those and report back if neither help to further evaluate.