Will your toilet not stop running? Well, you better catch it before it gets away! Seriously, a running toilet is bad in many ways and, therefore, must be dealt with as soon as possible.
First of all, a continuously running toilet may mean that your toilet tank is not filling, which would keep the toilet from flushing properly. If your toilet doesn’t flush properly, you may find yourself having difficulty removing the waste from your bathroom. This, of course, can be quite unpleasant. Secondly, a running toilet is simply a waste of water. Wasting water in this way can be quite expensive, particularly if you are paying for city water. In addition, wasting water is simply not good for the environment.
Thankfully, repairing a running toilet is something that nearly any homeowner can fix with the proper training. The first thing you need to do in order to repair your running toilet is to go to your nearest hardware store and get a “toilet repair kit.” In addition to purchasing the new kit, you will need to make certain you have a wrench. Then, find a few minutes in your day to make the repair. To complete the repair, you will need to follow these simple steps:
- Shut off the water supply to the toilet - This should be located under the tank. Make sure you shut the valve completely! Flush the toilet to drain the tank.
- Remove all the parts of the old assembly. This will leave you with an empty tank with the fill opening on the left side and the drain in the center.
- Install the new fill assembly to the fill opening. Make sure you use the included gaskets, and do not over tighten the plastic nut on the outside of the tank - you can strip the threads and end up with a leaky toilet, which would be no improvement at all!
- Install the new flapper assembly, and attach the chain from the flush handle to the new flapper.
- Attach the water supply line to the new filler assembly, again making sure the connection is tight.
- Open the valve and let the tank fill. Check for leaks around the filler opening.
- Flush the toilet a few times, adjusting the float so that there is just enough water in the tank to ensure a proper flush. Remember, we started this project in the first place so as to not be wasting water, so this last step is one to not forget.
If you still aren’t feeling too comfortable about making this repair, you might want to consider taking plumbing courses where you can learn more about basic home repairs.