How to Fix a Running Toilet: DIY Tips for Troubleshooting and Repair

The running toilet not only makes a lot of noise and is irritating, but it also indicates you are using more water than usual, which might increase your utility bills. It can be really irritating to continuously hear running toilet water sounds. However, resolving this problem is not really challenging.

You will not only be able to save more money when you have resolved it but also have learned how to deal with running toilets wherever you go against it.

It is necessary to purchase suitable toilet parts when you need to change any components during the repair. Although if you have no plumbing expertise, the repairs are simple. Therefore, try to fix the toilet as well as avoid wasting water!

Fortunately, there are some straightforward fixes that can generally solve the issue without calling a plumber. Here are the steps for identifying the issue, troubleshooting your running toilet, as well as adopting the repairs.

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How To Fix Running Toilet

A running toilet can be a frustrating and wasteful problem. Not only does it waste water and increase your utility bill, but it can also be a nuisance to listen to the constant sound of running water. Fortunately, fixing a running toilet is usually a simple DIY project that you can tackle with a few basic tools and some patience.

Here are the steps to fix a running toilet:

Step: 1 Turn Off The Water

The water connection to your toilet must be turned off first. Cut off the water supply to the toilet before inspecting the flapper-related issues. Typically, there is a little knob on the sidewall just to the right of the toilet, close to the flooring.

Closing the valve by rotating the knob all the time in the right direction, will cut off the water flow and by doing the reverse, the water is turned back on.

Flush the toilet to remove any remaining water from the tank. By doing this, you will be able to find the main issue without having the water continuously flow.

Step: 2 Remove The Toilet Tank Lid And Look Inside

Toilet tank lids should not be placed in places where they could be easily knocked over because they are composed of heavy ceramic. Place a cloth on the ground somewhere safe such as a corner.

Take care when removing the ceramic lid from the water tank’s top. By using both hands, tightly hold each end of the toilet lid, and carefully lift it off the tank.

To protect the lids from being scratched, put the lid on the towel. Now look into the tank, all the important components in place to manage the water flow in your toilet must be visible within the tank. This includes the flush valve, fill valve, as well as fill tube.

Step : 3 Inspect The Flush Valve Chain

The flush valve chain is designed to raise the flapper in accordance with the usage of the flushing button. If the chain which pushes the flapper up is very long or very short, it might cause difficulties.

When the flush valve chain is very short, the flapper won’t be possible to close completely, causing a steady flowing of water continuously run into the toilet.

Similar to the previous scenario, when the chain is very long, it will become trapped beneath the flapper and stop it from closing.

Ensure that the flush valve chain is the proper length so that the flapper can completely close without being obstructed by additional chain links.

The chain can be shortened by removing a few links and it becomes the proper length, but when it is extremely short, you may need to purchase a replacement flush valve chain to fix the issue.

Step: 4 Check The Flapper

Identify the flapper at the base of the tank as well as lightly press it using your hand. If you do not like to get your hands dirty, you should alternatively use a lengthy screwdriver.

The flapper is generally composed of rubber, and with time, it will get worn, warped, or covered in grime. The faulty flapper can often be responsible for a toilet that runs continuously.

Look at each and every clear evidence of wear, warping, or filth on the flapper. Replace the flapper with a newer one when it has been broken. If it’s only dirt, you can easily wash the flapper with a hot water and vinegar mixture.

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Step: 5 Check The Float

The float is the next thing to verify when the toilet is continuously running after you have examined the flapper. The level of the water is controlled by the float ball.

Lowering the float will assist in reducing the level of water inside the tank as well as preventing it from reaching too high.

If the water level goes too high, water will enter the toilet bowl through the overflow pipe and continue running toilet as a result.

Water can constantly flow into your toilet when the float ball is not really functioning or even the height needs to be changed.

Floats come in two basic varieties, ball floats, and float cups. If the tank contains a ball float, bend it downward and tighten the screw on the opposite end of the arm which is attached to the ball.

For a float cup, Find the metal clip, squeeze it, and move it down until it is beneath the water level.

Step: 6 Check The Fill Valve

To flush the toilet and check out leakage in the fill valve. It is really possible that your fill valve has to be changed because it is leaking.

The fill valve controls the water flow into the tank as well as stays till the water level in the tank reaches its maximum.

It is also known as a ballcock. To determine whether your fill valve is working properly, remove the tank lid and flush the toilet.

Look in the tank to determine whether the valve is leaking water from any point in running toilet.

If there are no obvious leaks, raise the arm which is connected to your float while the tank is filling. If it doesn’t visible, the fill valve possibly has a leak which is hidden lower down.

Step: 7 Check The Flush Valve

If the issue of running toilet remains after checking the length of the flush valve chain, the condition of the flapper, float, fill valve, and the flush valve assembly itself may be caused. The leaky flush valve is the more common reason.

The common place for such a leak is just around the flush valve’s mouth, where the flapper is required to provide a tight seal.

Raise the flapper and run your finger over the border of the opening in which water flows through the flush valve as well as into the bowl.

Examine the burrs, uneven surfaces, and rough spots. If any are present, you might be able to smooth them out by using some abrasive cloth or fine-grained sandpaper.

The aim is to provide a smooth surface on which the flapper can seal. If that does not solve the problem, we recommend replacing the flush valve.

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