Project #10: Fix a Running Toilet (or Two!)

Yes, you read the post title correctly. TWO (!!) of our three toilets started running incessantly, allowing who knows how much water to run needlessly down the drain. The bathroom upstairs got so bad that we just shut the water off to it after our company left. We'd wake up in the middle of the night and hear it running mysteriously. It just got to be too much. On top of that, the flush handle was nearly impossible to push. Hmmm...Could those be related? And then the toilet in the half bath started running for long periods of time after flushing. Since we don't want to siphen all of our company to our master bath to use the restroom for the remainder of our years here in our home, it was time to roll up my sleeves and do some plumbing.

I started off by doing my research. I looked up "fixing a running toilet" in three locations. First I checked out this handy DIY guide my parents got us recently: DIY Know-How with Show-How by Julian Cassell, Peter Parham, and Theresa Coleman. Then I watched a how-to video from my personal DIY heroes, the guys over at This Old House. Finally, I checked out http://www.doityourself.com/ and found a helpful diagram and several troubleshooting tips.

After my research was complete, I decided to roll up my sleeves and see what I could do. (Times two.)

1. First, I grabbed some old towels. I almost got started and didn't think about this! Good thing I did, because I got my hands a little wet! (Use old ones, especially if you use the bleach cleaning tablets like we do; no need to mess up good towels!)
   
   
2. Next, I removed the lid on the back of the toilet. Most people automatically think toilets are full of dirty water, but the tank on the back is full of fresh water, so it's not as gross as you may think. Unless you have a really old toilet that hasn't been used in a long time, and water has sat stagnantly in the holding tank, the water should be fairly clean.
3. Turn the water to the toilet on (if it's been shut off).
4. Check the chain to make sure it isn't twisted. The first thing I noticed is that my toilet was different than the one in the diagram. Namely, there was no chain. (I have Mansfield 180 toilets in all three baths.) Water came in through the left-hand column, and drained out the valved hole beneath the center column. The float arm was attached to the left column, but no chain connected it to the valve. Step complete. On to the next test.
   
5. Check to see if water is collecting in the float (blue in pciture above). My research told me that water-laden floats needed to be replaced. Mine was empty and thus, not in need of replacement. Step complete. Onward to the next checkpoint.
6. Slightly bend the float arm downward so that the float hangs slightly lower than before. I knew that this was a promising step in the half bath because I had been able to stop the toilet from running after a flush by slightly lifting this arm. Sure enough, after bending the arm, I gave it a flush, and the running stopped immediately--not 30 minutes later. Success with the half bath! Toilet lid back on, I headed to the kids'/guest bath. Unfortunately, steps 4 through 6 didn't work this time around. After flushing, I could still hear a trickle of water, meaning water was getting out of the tank somehow--presumably through that center column. And sure enough, in less than 30 seconds, the toilet maneuvered a "half-flush" to force more water back into the tank. The trickle continued.
7. Ensure the valve seal is positioned correctly. At this point, I noticed that the red valve seal (a round O-shaped piece of rubber underneath the center column) was unevenly visible around the base of the center column.
   
   So I lifted the column (causing a long flush) and pulled up the rubber. It was a bit dirty, so I rubbed it clean, and repositioned it evenly around the valve opening, snapping it into position. I immediately noticed that it connected better and was positioned more symmetrically around the valve. After testing the flush (which was MUCH easier--additional problem solved!), the toilet tank filled and stopped running. AND, the trickle was gone! Success!
8. Replace toilet lid and bask in your new-found plumbing abilities. (Optional) Call husband to brag. (He'll be so proud.)
   

This whole ordeal (two toilets) took me less than 30 minutes to complete, didn't require any tools or materials, and, most impressively, didn't cost me a thing. If I'd known how easy this would be, I'd have fixed this problem weeks ago. Now I know. I realize I was lucky and didn't have to replace any parts, as some guides mentioned. I may have to do that someday, but for now, I'll try these simple steps FIRST to see if I can fix the problem easily.

I feel kind of empowered by my new knowledge. What about you? Have you tried any home repair recently that you'd never tried before? Ever worked on a running toilet? Got any other helpful tips?