If you have a toilet that is not running as well as it should, then there are a number of things that could be wrong. Typically, when a toilet is having problems it is because it is running non stop. The toilet may flush like a typical toilet but you may find that it is continuously running. This is one of the most common problems that are reported when it comes to repairing the toilet. This repair is easy and can be done in just a few minutes of time, as long as you do the repair properly the toilet should return to running normally.
Each toilet is different and therefore one toilet may take a part that another toilet does not need or require. However, the way the toilet works inside is the same is theory. You will need to remove the hood of the toilet and observe what happens when you flush. Flush the toilet a few times while you carefully pay attention. In a typical toilet, the left of the is valve and the float while on the right is the fill tube and the overflow and flapper. This part will connect to the lever and chain which is how the tank is filled when you flush. By pushing the handle on the toilet, the flapper will raise and let the water out of the tank. When the level of water starts to fall the flapper will continue to lower as well.
This may be part of the problem, that the flapper is sticking open when the water level is low. If the flapper is sticking open, then check to see if there is something that is causing it to stick. There may be some dirt stuck around the seal of where the flapper is to shut and seal closed. In this case, you may want to take a sponge and clean around the seal. There are times when the flapper and the valve will need to be replaced.
If the flapper is not the cause of the water running, then perhaps the valve and float will need to be adjusted. You will want to pull up on the float. If the water stops flowing out of the over flow when you pull on the float, then you will want to simply adjust the float. To adjust the float, you simply adjust the chain. If you continue to adjust the float and the water is still running, then you may need to replace the valve and float along with the flapper. If this is the cause of the running water than once you replace these parts, the toilet should return to normal. You can find these parts in many superstores as well as many home improvement stores as well.
To first stop the leak and make the repair, you should close the water valve off that can be found on the wall underneath the toilet. You will then need to flush the toilet. If you have turned the valve completely then the tank of the toilet should not begin to fill up again. You then will need to pop the flapper off from the hinge inside of the tank. Then disconnect it from the chain and place a new flapper inside the tank. You will want to run your finger around the inside of where the flapper sits to make sure that there is no dirt that can stop the flapper from shutting. Once you have done this, you will want to turn the water back on to see if the flapper will then shut.
In some cases the flapper may need to be trimmed but you will want to be very careful when doing this, if you remove to much of the flapper, you will have to once again have to purchase another flapper to install. You may have to mess around a little with the chain of the flapper before you see any improvement with the water level. You will want to then flush the toilet a couple of times to make sure that you have properly adjusted the chain and the flapper. Once you have flushed the toilet and the leak has stopped, you will want to place the lid back on the toilet. This is one of the easiest repairs that can be done to the toilet.
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