How To Repair A Running Toilet -Almost every homeowner will have dealt with a leaky toilet at some point or the other. You might see the water dripping or only hear it refilling continually. Not only is this annoying but also expensive and wasteful.
Even a minor toilet leak can result in 6000 gallons of water wastage per month, which can add hundreds of dollars to your water bill annually. The good news is that with just a little knowledge, you can determine what is causing your toilet to run, and fix it. A DIY fix can save you the expense of professional repairs.
Steps to Repair a Running Toilet
Before starting, make sure there is enough water pressure in your toilet tank for proper operation. These are the components to check in succession to determine what is causing the leak:
1.Flapper & Flapper Chain- Open up the toilet tank and carefully check the chain attached to the flapper’s flush mechanism. If this chain is excessively loose, it can get between the flush valve rim and the flap, preventing it from sealing correctly.
If it is too tight, the system’s flapper will not seal onto your flush valve fully.A certain amount of experimentation would be needed to determine the right amount of tension required in the chain for the system to work correctly. Sometimes, corrosion in the rim of the flap can also cause the seal’s failure, and you would need to replace it.
2.Fill Valve & Float- The next thing to check is the water level inside the tank. It needs to be at least an inch below the rim of the overflow tube. In case the water level is higher, a slight adjustment in the float mechanism should prevent water overflow. If the water level is lower than required, there wouldn’t be sufficient water pressure for the toilet to function correctly.
Maintaining the right angle of the ball float in older toilets is crucial to ensure proper functionality of the flushing mechanism. If you have a newer, its float assembly might be one of the components of the fill valve. Depending on the toilet’s model, you can use a clip on the adjustment rod or the screw positioned on top of the float to maintain the angle.
3.Fill Tube- Check whether the end of the fill tube is under the water and cut it back a little so that it clears the water level. If you find that the toilet handle stays stuck in the downward position after flushing, you might have to replace it with a compatible lever mechanism.
These are some of the steps you can take to fix a running toilet. However, if you find that the problem is too challenging or are not confident about handling it yourself, feel free to call A Clear Choice Plumbing and Heating with your requirement at 720 938 1554.
We are on call 24/7 to deal with all your plumbing issues at any time of the day or night.
