admin | 
10 3rd, 2009| 
Sometimes water runs into the toilet tank continuously. You’ll get tired of the hissing. This also wastes many gallons of water. Lift the tank lid. See if the bell-shaped rubber or plastic stopper covers the drain at the tank bottom, where water goes to the bowl. For stoppers suspended on a rod, lubricate the rod with petroleum jelly. Jiggle the handle and the bell should drop, covering the drain. Raise the rod and bell several times. Each time, it should fall easily back into place. For stoppers lifted by a chain, examine the connections. The chain may have slipped loose; rethread it. If the stopper ball or bell no longer is flexible, or has cracks in the rubber, replace it.
The tank may overfill with water. If so, the excess continues to run out the overflow pipe. Unscrew the float bulb. Shake it. If you hear water inside the float, buy a new one. If the float is empty but the tank still overfills, that indicates a sprung float arm. Correct it by bending the float downward so it pushes the arm and valve sooner as the water level rises. Continuous-running problem still not solved? As a last resort, adjust the screw on the fill-valve end of the float arm. Or replace the washer at the base of the plunger on the ball-cock valve. To get at this washer, remove the whole float arm. You can replace the whole ball-cock assembly. It’s not expensive and the job is not difficult. You probably don’t need a plumber yet. When a toilet doesn’t flush, it’s usually because someone has jerking the handle enough to unhook the rod or the wire chain ok from its slot on the flush-lever arm. Lift the tank cover. If you find the chain lying on the bottom of the rank, thread it back where it belongs on the arm. Pinch its hook lighter with the pliers so it can’t jerk free so easily in the future. Examine where the chain or rod connects to the stopper. Replace I torn or worn stopper. Some newer toilets have a plastic flush cylinder in place of the stopper ball. This promise fewer repair problems, but don’t expect “forever” cures.
Oct
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