There are a few things in life more frustrating than a leaky toilet. Not only is it annoying, it’s also rather unhygienic if you think about what goes into the toilet. Unfortunately sometimes these situations cannot be avoided. What’s important is to be prepared for them. Having said that, should you find yourself faced with such a predicament, here are a few quick fixes for that leaky toilet:
- Examine the connection between the stopper handle and the valve. There should be a chain that connects the stopper and the handle. You can try jiggling the handle to help the stopper close as it should. Sometimes this will fix the leak altogether, sometimes it won’t. Either way, it’s worth a shot.
- Inspect the stopper valve. The stopper valve should have no problem flopping into its “seat” and sealing the tank. If the stopper valve does not seal properly, this results in an enormous waste of water as the toilet will run. Try tweaking the hinge on the valve. If that doesn’t work, replace the stopper valve as soon as possible.
- Check out the float. If you aren’t familiar with toilet technicalities, the float is the big ball that you’ll find at the end of the rod. Sometimes it resembles the shape of a donut in some toilets. In any case, check out the float and ensure that it doesn’t leak. Otherwise, this may be what’s causing the problem. Replace it if necessary.
- Call a professional. In the event that none of the fixes above work, it may be necessary to call a plumber or an expert in the field of toilet installation and mechanics. This is a very nasty problem to have and it’s also very ecologically irresponsible as plenty of water is wasted with every second that passes by. Once the professional comes to your home, provide him or her with as much information as possible such as when the leaking began, how bad the problem is, and how old the toilet is. If they aren’t able to repair the leak, be prepared to replace it.
