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Hot water in the toilet tank can indicate a problem that needs to be fixed. There are a few things that can lead to a toilet filled with hot water, so take a little time to troubleshoot before you decide what to do next.

If you’re living in a new home, there’s a chance that hot water in the tank could mean the hot and cold water lines that run to the toilet were installed incorrectly. The plumber who installed your toilet to fix the problem.

If hot water in the toilet tank isn’t a problem from the get-go – meaning you’ve had a perfectly normal toilet until recently – chances are the problem is a malfunctioning flapper or a bad fill valve. In either of these cases, hot water can seep into the tank of the toilet.

Keep in mind lukewarm water in your tank is not the same as hot water. The mixing valve installed on toilets to prevent condensation causes water to be lukewarm. When there’s a problem, the water will actually be hot because too much hot is seeping into the toilet – there’s an imbalance.

During a normal flush, only a little hot water comes through the mixing valve, but if there’s a hot water leak it will overpower the cold, steadily raises the temperature , so you eventually have a hot tank with a warm flush.

You might be able to fix the problem without calling a plumber if the problem is the flapper. Adjusting or replacing a flapper is fairly easy, but some people just don’t want to bother with it.  On the other hand, if the problem is the fill valve, you’ll need to call a plumber because it’s a more complicated repair

Do I Need to Worry about a Toilet with Hot Water?

Hot water in and of itself will not damage the toilet. It might seem a little weird to have hot toilet water, but it doesn’t do any harm to the plumbing or the toilet. However, the hot water is an indication of a problem you DO need to fix – a leak.

A hot toilet leak will consume hot water, forcing not only your water bill to skyrocket, but also your heating bill. Fixing it as soon as possible ensures you aren’t paying more for wasted water or wasted energy for your water heater to warm the water.

If you’ve noticed hot water in your toilet or you’ve worried there might be a leak in your toilet for any other reason, give us a call!