Want to stop losing money from the constantly running water in your toilet bowl? Want to stop that pesky toilet sound of the water refilling? Here are a few helpful tips and tricks on how to stop a toilet from running constantly.

First, get acclimated to the state of your toilet; flush the toilet a few times with the cover off and observe the flushing process. Wiggle the handle a few times and if this doesn’t work, check out these helpful tips!

1. Make sure the guide rod and chain are straight and not twisted.

2. Release the flapper. The most common issue leading to a running toilet is the flapper being stuck open. To remedy this issue, reach in and close the flapper with your hand so the pipe is sealed off. Make sure the flapper (or ball, depending on your toilet model) are aligned with the hole and go directly into the hole when being lowered. If you lift the ball and realize there is water in it, the ball itself will need to be replaced. You can purchase a new ball to your local home improvement store.

3. Correct the water level. Another cause stimulating leaking toilets is an excess of water in the tank. The water level should be about one inch (2.5 cm) below the top of the overflow pipe. If the level is too high, there is excess pressure in the tank, which produces leaks. If this is the case, bend the float arm down. If there is not enough water in the tank, bend the float arm upwards.

4. Use a dye test. Place food dye or a dye tablet into the tank and wait 15 minutes. If you see the dye in the bowl after the 15 minutes, there is a leak in your toilet that needs further correction.

If you have tried the above tips or if the dye test is positive, a plumber is your best option to target the source of the leak. TalkLocal is a great resource that will connect you directly with a plumber who can  fix your faulty toilet.

This entry was updated on Thursday, June 11th, 2015 at 10:26 am. This entry was originally posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Plumbers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.