How to fix a running toilet

Fixing a running toilet is a very easy DIY project. This article will show you the most common culprits a of a running toilet and help you solve the problem quickly and inexpensively.

Get to know your toilet

Lift the cover off of your tank and peek inside. At the bottom of the water, there will a flapper that covers a valve. This flapper allows water into your toilet when you flush. Flush the toilet to see the valve at work.

Check the flapper

If you see that the flapper is not completely covering the valve, try to find out what is prohibiting it from doing so. Sometimes, the chain or rod that pulls it open may be twisted or caught on something. Often times, however, the flapper itself may be corroded or damaged, preventing it from making a solid seal. In this case, you’ll need to replace the entire flapper.

Lower the float

If the valve is completely covered yet your toilet continues to run, try lowering the float. The float is a rubber ball at the end of a metal arm that moves up and down with the water level in the tank. Lower the float by tightening the screw at the end of the arm opposite the ball or bend the arm downward.

Flush the toilet again to test the water level. If the water level still rises above the overflow pipe, lower the float a little more and retest. If the water level gets too low for an adequate flush, just play around with raising the float a little until it’s just right.

If you do need to replace parts completely, remember to shut off the water to your toilet using the valvue in the behind it.