October is National Toilet Tank
Repair Month! They make a holiday for anything these days… You may be able to
fix your own tank but for those of you who can’t, read on ahead!
How to Fix a Running Toilet
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| Inside of a standard tank |
First thing first. Do you know what
your toilet’s tank looks like? Generally, there’s the valve and float, the fill
tube, the overflow tube, and the flapper. The handle on the outside of the tank
connects to a lever and chain that raises the flapper when you flush.
When you
flush, you release the tankful of water into the bowl and the flapper should
drop and close the opening. The float drops as the water drains and lets water
in and should stop when the float is up.
When this doesn’t happen and toilet
continues to run, lift the tank lid and take a look. If the tank isn’t full and
it also isn’t in the process of filling, the flapper may be stuck open. Push it
closed. If this happens frequently, check for the chain to be catching on
something or the flapper getting caught on the chain. Also check to see if the
flapper is aligned properly with the opening.
If your flapper isn’t the problem,
check your water valve to see that it is on all the way. Next you can try
adjusting the valve and float. Pull up on the float, if the water stops, then
adjust the level of the float so the tank stops filling about an inch below the
top of the overflow tube. Try turning the screw on top of the valve to tighten
up the arm on the float or pinch the metal clip and adjust the wire if you have
that kind of float. Make sure the float ball isn’t touching anything else. Also
check that there is no water inside of the float ball. Remove any limescale,
but it is suggested you remove the parts from the tank first. If none of these
tips work, you may need to replace the whole refill vale assembly. This is time
consuming, but not expensive and can be done by one person.
Another cause of a running toilet
may be the need to clean or replace the flapper and/or flush valve. If the toilet stops filling and then starts again
intermittently or water constantly runs into the bowl, you probably have a slow
leak from the tank into the bowl. Put a couple drops of food coloring in the
tank or head to the hardware store for dye tablets made for this purpose. If you wait a couple of hours without flushing
and see the dye in the bowl, you have a slow leak. The most common cause of
slow leaks is a leaky flapper. The little rubber part may decay or get old and
needs to be replaced. If the flapper is still in good shape, you may need to
clean it or the rim of the tank where it sits. If you do need to replace it,
take your old one with you to the hardware store to ensure you get a proper
replacement. Close the water valve and flush the toilet. If the valve is
completely closed, the tank won’t refill and you won’t hear water running. Take
the old flapper off its hinges, disconnect it for the chain and replace with
the new one. Don’t forget to open the water valve all the way again. Flush a
few times to make sure that everything works and the new valve lines up with
the opening.
Hopefully this
helps in your future toilet tank adventures! If not, don’t hesitate to call a
plumber when necessary to avoid a headache. Don’t forget to check out our website, Facebook, and Twitter for all the latest in news and events for NHS!
