A running toilet not only wastes lots of water, it's
irritating to hear. The good news is that you can often solve the problem
with equal parts diagnosis and repair. And you need only a few simple tools
to fix things.
The quickest way to diagnose the problem is to take the tank lid off and
observe how the toilet works through several flush cycles. (Don't worry about
handling parts inside the tank, the water in it comes directly from the cold
water pipes and is perfectly clean.) To protect the tank lid while you work,
set it on a towel out of the way.
Note how long the water flows and what sounds it makes as it fills. If the
water runs constantly between flushes, suspect a high float arm or stuck
flush valve. If water cycles on and off with minutes of silence between
hissing sounds, the flush valve probably has a slow leak.
When you push down a toilet handle, it lifts a rubber tank ball or flapper
from the flush valve at the tank's bottom. Water rushes out of the tank and
washes down the sides of the bowl. This displaces the bowl's wastes and
water, and forces them over a trap cast in the toilet's base. When the tank
is empty, the tank ball or flapper falls and seals the flush valve for
filling. At the same time, a float-activated valve, called a ballcock, opens to fill the tank with water for the next
flush. When the float rises, the ballcock shuts off
the water. Newer toilets typically have a simpler Fluidmaster
fill valve instead of a ballcock.
If Water Rushes Constantly
If water rushes into the toilet bowl continuously, the flush valve is not
closing. There are several possible reasons for this.
If the tank has a
flapper, the culprit is usually the chain connected to the flush arm.
Free the chain so that the flapper drops into place. Check that the
flapper is properly aligned with the flush valve opening. Replace the
flapper if it is decayed or distorted.
If the toilet has a
tank ball, it may also stick. If the lift wire is bent, replace it.
If the flush arm jams
in the "up" position on each flush, loosen the
reverse-threaded nut that holds it to the tank wall.
If Water Hisses Constantly
If the flush valve is closed and water is still running, the water level in
your tank could be set too high. If so, the water spills constantly into the
overflow tube. To lower the water level, bend the float arm down. You can do
this without even turning off the water or draining the tank. If you have a Fluidmaster fill valve with a float cup, squeeze its
adjusting clip with your fingers and slide it down the rod.
Rule of Thumb:
Thirty to 40 percent of an average home's water use goes into flushing
toilets. Lowering the water level saves water on every flush.
If Water Hisses Intermittently
Gurgling noises and water trickling into the bowl are signs of a slowly
leaking flush valve, especially if the toilet cycles on intermittently when
no one has used it. As the tank level drops, the ballcock
or fill valve opens to refill it. Often, this valve's cycling on and off is
the only sign of trouble. Flush valve leaks may be so slow that you can't see
or hear them. A dye test is the surest way to find out. Add food coloring or
a dye tablet to the toilet tank water and wait at least 15 minutes to see if
the color finds its way to the toilet bowl. If the color leaks through, it's
time to repair the flush valve seal.
Step by Step
Realign the ball or
flapper. If you can see and hear water flowing into the bowl, the tank
ball or flapper probably doesn't sit properly in the flush valve. Shut
off water to the tank by turning the angle stop (usually on the wall at
the lower left of the tank) clockwise, flush the toilet and watch how
the ball or flapper settles on the flush valve opening. If you have a
tank ball, loosen the screws on the overflow tube and adjust the guide
arm so that the ball settles correctly. If you have a flapper, twist the
rubber ring that holds it to the overflow tube.
Replace the ball or
flapper. If realignment does not solve the problem, replace the
flush ball or flapper.
Clean the flush
valve. If a new ball or flapper doesn't stop the
from running, clean the flush valve seat with 600-grit wet/dry
sandpaper.
If the valve still
leaks, you can retrofit its surface with a glue-on flush valve seat
kit (Fluidmaster model 555C) that provides a
new surface over the old seat.
