A leaky toilet is unforgiving. It efficiently and senselessly wastes water by as much as 200 gallons in a day. When you consider the ugly impact it has on your water bill (as well as on the environment), then you'll want to check your house for a leaky toilet, and even your friends' houses just to do them the favor. Thankfully, the average person can check a leaky toilet since different toilet designs essentially have the same functions for their mechanism. The most common culprit would have to be the rubber flush valve that covers the bottom of the tank-this controls the water's entry into the bowl and if not sitting properly, can lead to a serious water leak. Another possible reason is a leaking refill valve which ends in an overfilled tank. Want to fix a leaky toilet on your own? Here are a few simple DIY tips.
Tools and Materials Needed:
Pencil and Food Coloring
Step 1-Check 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 that Refill Valve
Turn back the tank's water supply on. Then, squeeze a few drops of food coloring or any suitable dye inside the tank. Again, leave the toilet unused for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If the food coloring has seeped into the water in the bowl and tinted it, you have a problem. Go to Step 5 or continue with step 3 on testing the Refill Tube.
Step 3-Test 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-Correct your Flush Valve
Flush the toilet if there is still water inside the tank. Align the guide arm over the seat. Press the trip handle and observe the behavior of the flush valve. If the lifting hardware is holding the flapper off its seat, then adjust the hardware or the flapper to have it fit its valve seat.
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-Fixing 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.
What if after all the steps you've performed, you still have a leaky toilet? Don't be discouraged as you've definitely tried your best. Some leaky toilet problems are too complex for the average person no matter how handy they are with tools. In such a scenario, don't hesitate to contact a professional licensed and insured plumber who'll gladly help you out. Before long, your leaky toilet is solved, your water bill is back to normal, the environment is safe again, and you didn't have to replace the entire toilet tank.
Say goodbye to your Toilet Leaks. For absolutely free consultation, try our fully experienced and very helpful Emergency Plumber.