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Asked By: 
Steven G.

How do I fix a running toilet. Water keeps going into the fill pipe.

Thanks,

Answer: 
So your toilet is churning out more water than a busted Hoover Dam? Hopefully your toilet will be easier to fix than the dam, though. Most likely, the ball cock or tank flap is faulty. To find out, follow these steps:
  1. Remove the toilet lid.
  2. Check out the ball cock. It's the valve connected to the float, which is normally a ball at the end of a rod. You will need to replace or clean the ball cock if you can hear or see water coming from this valve.
  3. Check out the tank flap. Pull your sleeves up and dive in! The tank flap is on the bottom of the tank and is usually a red or black rubber cone that covers the tank's hole. Push on it. Should you still be able to see water leaking into the bowl, you will have to replace the flap. If the flap is fairly new and/or you have hard water, it's possible that the flap may just need to be cleaned. Vinegar or LimeAway both work well to take away hard water deposits.
  4. Should you need to replace either the tank flap or ball cock, it's better to remove them after getting rid of the water in the tank. To do this, turn off your water supply for the toilet. You should be able to find it in the form of a valve close to the toilet on the wall or floor. Turn it clockwise. Flush the toilet to drain the tank. With the water removed, it will be much easier to replace or clean your faulty items.
  5. Take whatever part that need to be replaced with you to purchase new ones. This way you are assured to buy the correct pieces.
Now, go catch your running toilet!

Comments (1)

loissadie on Sun, 11/12/2006 - 22:05
WOULD IT STILL BE THE BALL COCK, IF WATER LEVEL IS TOO HIGH AND WATER IS RUNNING INTO THE PIPE THING. SORRY. I HAVE TRIED TO LOOSEN THE SCREW TO LOWER THE LEVEL, DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK. IF IT'S JUST THE BALL, I UNDERSTAND IT SCREWS OFF? HOW DOES WATER IN THE BALL AFFECT THE LEVEL IN THE TANK? SEE I'M AN AMATEUR. THANKS. LOIS.