A leaky toilet left running to itself can result to wasting gallons of water. This typically concealed problem can also increase your water bill. While there are differences in the design of the toilet’s mechanism, their functions remains essentially the same. One source of problem for leaky toilets can be pointed to the flush valve-that cover at the bottom of the tank controlling the water’s entry into the bowl. Another possible cause is a leaking refill valve that results to an overfilled tank. A few simple steps can help you troubleshoot the problem and try simple fixes.
Tools and Materials Needed:
Pencil and Food Coloring
Step 1-Test the Flush Valve
Open the toilet tank’s cover. Draw a line at the inner side of the toilet’s tank to indicate the water level. Locate the water supply valve at the bottom of the toilet tank and twist it close. Allow 20 to 30 minutes to pass by without using the toilet or flushing it. Check the water level. If it has fallen below the pencil mark, the Flush Valve is not seated well. Proceed to Step 4 or continue testing the other parts.
Step 2-Test the Refill Valve
You can twist back the tank’s water supply valve on. Next, put a few drops of food coloring or dye or what have you inside the toilet tank. Leave the toilet unused for a good while: 30 minutes to 1 hour is ideal. If you see the food coloring tinting the water in the bowl then that’s not a good sign. Proceed to Step 5 or continue to the next step.
Step 3-Troubleshooting the Refill Tube
Go flush the toilet. Note how the water flows out of the Refill Tube. If it is pointing towards the long plastic Overflow Pipe, then it is positioned correctly. If not, go to Step 6.
Step 4-Reseat your Flush Valve
Flushing out all the water in the toilet tank. Next, make sure the guide arm is aligned over the seat. Press the trip handle and examine the flush valve. See if lifting hardware gets in the way of the flapper resting fully on its seat. If this is the case, adjust and reseat.
Step 5-Correcting the Refill Valve
Open the water supply valve to allow the water to fill the toilet tank. Bend the float arm of the Refill Valve to set the water level about of an inch from the top of the Overflow Pipe. Position the float in such a way that it does not touch the other parts. Unscrew the float and listen for signs of water inside. Replace if necessary.
Step 6-Adjust the Refill Tube
Lastly position the Refill Tube over the Overflow Pipe. Make sure it doesn’t go below the water level, and if it does, lift it higher. Now, flush the toilet and repeat Steps 1 to 3 to make sure the leaky toilet problem has been thoroughly fixed.
If all these steps still fail to remedy a leaky toilet or if any of the parts would need replacement, you may have to contact your friendly neighborhood plumber to help you determine the real cause of the problem. The same applies when you would rather not risk damaging the working parts of the toilet by your lack of experience in handling the same.
Say goodbye to your Toilet Leaks. For absolutely free consultation, try our fully experienced and very helpful Emergency Plumber.
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