Do you ever notice that your toilet continues to run long after it has been flushed? If you do, your first instinct may be to call in the plumber to get it fixed. But the problem may just be that your toilet needs a simple adjustment or a replacement part that’s easy to install — and you may be able to save yourself the trouble of getting an appointment and paying for the services of a professional.
When a Toilet Repair Massapequa NY to run, it’s often a gradual problem that can be easily overlooked at first — after all, when most people have finished in the bathroom, they walk away and forget about it. But over time, you may notice a constant or intermittent trickling sound that goes on long after you’ve flushed the toilet and the tank has refilled. Putting this right may be easier than you think: here are a few simple steps to try.
Take the lid off the tank. While toilet mechanisms can vary, it’s useful to be able to see what happens when you flush and try to spot the problem. Turning the handle on domestic toilets usually opens a flapper valve at the base of the tank, which lets the water out into the bowl. As the water goes down, so does a float that opens a water inlet valve. When the tank has emptied, the flapper should close and the float should rise back up to a pre-set level, at which point it shuts the inlet valve off.
See what’s happening. You may notice one of these situations:
- The flapper closes and water rises but doesn’t stop before the level reaches the top of the overflow pipe.
- The hinged flapper rises to let the water out, but doesn’t close again — so the water that’s coming into the tank is running straight out again.
- You can still hear a small trickle, even though the flapper seemed to close and the water inlet valve seemed to shut off.
Quick and easy fixes to try.
- You can see the water level is rising too high. Try lifting the float gently to see if that movement closes the water inlet valve. If it does, try adjusting the float position so that it stops the water about an inch below the top of the overflow pipe.
- The flapper doesn’t close. It may be catching on the chain that lifts it from the handle — or it may not be moving freely on its hinge. See the next solution for information on replacing an old flapper.
- The trickle persists, even though the flapper closed and the water intake shut off. You may need to clean away mineral deposits that have built up around the flapper and prevent it closing properly. Alternatively, the soft plastic of the flapper itself may have hardened in the water and stop making a perfect seal. In this case, the flapper may need to be replaced. You can usually find the right part for your toilet at your local hardware store for just a few dollars.