You know that sound. That indescribable sound. It usually registers first as an ethereal feeling that something just isn’t quite right. The hair on the back of your neck stands on end; the far off sound of water flowing through pipes finally crosses your noticeable threshold. Someone didn’t jiggle the handle even after you specifically took the time to write a note and stick it on the wall. Changing peoples’ behavior is difficult: way more difficult than fixing a running toilet.
Know Your Bowl
You’ve been dreading the day that you have to actually stick your hands inside the menacing porcelain idol, which explains why you’re reading this now. Don’t worry, what you’re about to do is entirely sanitary.
1. The tank: this is the big white rectangular part typically situated behind the seat. This is your toilet’s refill reservoir. Remove the cover from the top of the lid. Inside you will see a tube gushing water into the tank. This water is just as clean as the water that come from the sink. Now, look toward the bottom of the tank.
2. The valve, float, and flapper: You see the ball and lever? This is known as the valve and float. The lever is connected to the shut-off valve. Attached to the flush-handle lever is a chain, which is connected to a rubber plug on a hinge, known as the flapper. When the toilet is operating correctly, the flapper is in the closed position, and the tank fills until the water level reached the float, causing the valve to close and stop the flow of water. In a toilet that runs continually, there is something causing the flapper to stay open.
Assess The Situation
A number of different things could be causing the problem. Most of these are very easy to remedy.
Is the flapper stuck on something? Feel free to reach inside and manipulate the flapper by hand. It may just be that hard-water has caused a slight lime build-up impeding the movement of the flapper hinge.
Is the chain so long that it catches between the flapper and the drain? Typically these chains are easily adjusted with a clip connected to the flush-handle lever.
Is the flapper rubber getting old? Rubber degrades with time. If you have an old toilet, then the flapper may have shrunk, withered, cracked, and needs to be replaced. Your local hardware store should have a toilet tank flapper. In the event you need to replace the flapper, you will need to turn off the water from the toilet. Look for a valve running from the wall to the toilet. Turn this clockwise to shut off water flow.
If the flapper is completely closed and the water continues to fill the tank to the point of overflow, the float needs to be adjusted. A horizontally-mounted float can be easily adjusted to a lower level by either adjusting a leveler-screw or simply bending the bar. A vertically-mounted float usually has a clip that allows the float to be raised or lowered.
If the float, the chain, the flush-handle, and the flapper are all functioning properly, but water continues to run then valve itself may be malfunctioning. In this case, you will need to replace the valve outright. Shut off water flow to your toilet, remove the valve, and find a replacement at the hardware store.
Congratulations, you’ve successfully passed level 1 of basic household skills. For more valuable survival tips, read more of my Factoidz, including How to fool people into thinking you’re a good cook.
