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How To Stop A Toilet From Continually Running

How To Stop A Toilet From Continually Running

Instructions

As well as wasting huge amounts of water, the noise of a continually running toilet is enough to drive anyone mad. Well, now is the time to do something about it. Here at Homeserve we have put together some top tips to work out why your toilet won't stop running.

Step 1:
The most common cause of a continually running toilet is a worn flapper valve. This is the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank. When the handle is pulled, the valve is lifted to release the water into the bowl, once the water has drained from the tank the flapper valve should seal it shut. This is a lot of work for one little piece of rubber to do, so over time it will wear down and dissolve, continually leaking water into the bowl. Lift the valve and run your fingers around it. If you can feel grit and limescale it will need cleaning. If it feels distorted or damaged it will need replacing.

Step 2:
Next, take a look at the seat below the flapper valve, if it is scored and worn, it's bad news as you will need to dismantle the loo and replace the entire flush valve system.

Step 3:
You might find that the chain connecting the arm lever to the rubber flapper valve is too short and so the valve will always be a little bit open letting water leak through. All you have to do is replace the chain with a longer one.

Step 4:
Check the float ball - the big plastic ball in the cistern. If this is positioned too high it will allow water to conitually spill into the overflow pipe. You can easily reposition it be gently bending the arm. Also, make sure it is not touching the side of the tank, or is bent too low. If the float ball is damaged and letting in water, it will need replacing.

Step 5: If the float ball is positioned correctly but the water level seems too high then the problem is with the ballcock. Check the ballcock washer as this may be worn. If so, lift it out and replace - or if necessary replace the entire ballcock mechanism.