Does your toilet keep running after flushing? Or does it stop for a moment but then water starts running into the toilet bowl again? This situation leads to an unnecessary waste of water and money and annoying noises. Don’t worry though, fixing a running toilet is pretty easy in most cases. Each toilet has a different mechanism, but they work quite similarly. All you need are:
Toilet keeps running
Before troubleshooting, try to understand how the toilet’s internal system works. Therefore, we must first remove the lid from the tank to observe the internal workings. With most types, you can simply loosen the push button by hand, and pull it out of the sink. After this, remove the lid from the sink. However, this is not possible with a built-in toilet or wall-hung toilet. These instructions apply to toilets with classic sinks.
Before fixing the problem, we first have to find out what the cause is. If the toilet keeps running, there is usually a problem with either the fill valve or flush valve. Both are easy to fix, but you must know what causes continuous running. To find out, do the following. Turn off the toilet’s supply tap and observe what happens next. You should be able to do this by hand. If not, you can use the pliers.
Does the flow of water stop?
If the water stops running down the toilet, this probably means that the float is not adjusted properly. One of the most common causes of a running toilet is that overflowing water leaks from the tank through the overflow pipe down into the toilet bowl. In normal situations, when you flush the toilet, the sink will automatically be refilled with water. A float rises and falls together with the water level to determine whether the water tank has filled up.
However, it may be that the float is incorrectly adjusted over time, and the tank continues to fill even though it is already full. In other words, the water level is too high and unnecessary. To lower the water level, loosen the screw on the float with pliers until the “arm” of the float bends down. Test the toilet by flushing several times and adjusting the height of the float until it is at the perfect level.
Does the water keep running?
If the water keeps running after turning it off, there is a problem with the bottom valve, which means that the rubber seal is dirty or even broken. You can start by cleaning the rubber ring by loosening it and then cleaning it thoroughly. Put the ring back in the mechanism and test if the water keeps on running.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, take the rubber ring to a DIY store and ask for a replacement. Replace the old ring with the new one, and test by flushing the toilet. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved by adjusting the float or ensuring that the bottom valve is working properly. While the lid is removed from the tank, take the opportunity to clean and descale the inside of the tank. This can prevent similar problems in the future.
Hiring a plumber
If the solutions mentioned above failed to solve the issue and your toilet keeps running, you will have to hire a plumber. Certain parts of the flow system could be worn out and no longer work properly. Rest assured, it will be an easy problem for a plumber to solve. First, try to read some reviews online and research how they calculate their hours, so you know how much hiring a plumber will cost you beforehand. Observe how the plumber fixes the problem so that you might be able to do it yourself next time.
