Learn How To Fix A Toilet That Runs Incessantly

Fixing a running toilet is one of the easiest toilet problems to master.  You may need a few inexpensive toilet parts and a pair of pliers.  If the toilet is also flushing poorly you may have a toilet clog.  For that using a toilet plunger normally does the trick.  Your first goal is to diagnose the problem and that is where we will start.

First close off the water supply to the toilet.  You should see a pipe either coming out of the floor or out of the wall on one side of the toilet.  Open the tank lid and mark off the level of water in the tank.  Then do something else for 10 minutes, come back and check the level once again.  If the water level has fallen the problem is likely due to a malfunctioning flapper.

A toilet flapper is a piece of rubber that sits at the bottom of the tank and controls the flow of water from the tank into the bowl.  It should only allow water through when the toilet is flushed.  But if it is misaligned over the flush valve (the hole at the bottom of the tank) or the chain that attaches it to the flush handle has got trapped then it could be allowing water to run out, even when the toilet is not being flushed.  If the rubber of the flapper has become brittle or cracked with age then it will need replacing.  This should not cost more than $10 and is easy to carry out.

If the flapper is not malfunctioning then you probably have a problem with the fill valve and float system.  Older toilet models have a lift arm with a ball float at the end that rises and falls.  The ball can get caught on the side of the tank and not rise up enough to switch off the water supply to the tank.  It will keep entering the tank and flow out via the overflow pipe.

Newer toilets have a float system that runs up and down a vertical shaft.  Again it is worth making sure the float is not getting stuck on its way up or down the shaft.  But if the float is in its maximum raised position and the water is still entering the tank you have a problem with the switch mechanism.  You typically can't just replace this part but will need to purchase a new fill valve.  Once again these are widely available, relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.