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Does Your Toilet Need a Jiggle To Stop Running?

Do you frequently find yourself jiggling the handle of your toilet to get the water to stop running after a flush? This can become so common in some households that you don’t even think about it until a guest mentions the problem — but it’s often a problem with a simple solution. And in those cases where the answer isn’t simple, you might want a plumber to look at it.

Now, let’s look at what’s going on when you try to flush your toilet.

Common Reasons Your Toilet Handle Needs a Jiggle

Cross section view of the inside of a toilet

In a standard modern toilet design, when you depress the handle of your toilet, a chain connected to it pulls up a flapper that usually seals the path from your tank to your toilet bowl. This flushes out the toilet, which makes a float attached to the fill valve fall and opens the valve since there’s no water holding it up. Fresh water flows into your tank until the float is lifted high enough to close the valve again.

A few pieces here can fail or get messed up, leaving you needing to jiggle your handle to stop water from running. The most common problems are:

  • Long chain: Most of the time, the issue that causes running toilet water is a chain that is too long. The toilet chain hangs from the handle arm to the flapper valve, and if it’s too long, the chain can get caught under the flapper and block the seal. Nothing stops the water once the toilet bowl is full, so the water will continue running. If this is the case, resize the chain so that it’s not long enough to get caught under the flapper.
  • Catching parts: Depending on the design of your toilet, the lever, chain, or flapper can get caught on another piece and cause running water. Try moving the adjustment screw or handle arm to get your toilet flushing like normal.
  • Misplaced float: Your water tank knows it’s full because of the float and overflow tube. If your float is not positioned correctly, the overflow tube will keep filling with water and draining into the toilet bowl. Try adjusting the float arm until it looks like the picture above.
  • Worn-out flapper: If the previous tips don’t fix the problem, it might be time for a new flapper valve. When a new flapper is required, it’s a good idea to bring in a professional to ensure you get a replacement part that fits correctly. Contact Superior Drainage to ensure your toilet repair is quick and easy.

Of course, these are just a few likely causes of trouble — more complicated problems can lead to needing more extensive work than the quick adjustments and replacements we’ve noted here.

To speak with a team member, call 330-733-3711 or contact us online today.

Learn More About Fixing a Running Toilet

If you can’t figure out why your toilet is running, don’t want to deal with it yourself, or need to source a replacement part, let the experts at Superior Drainage help. We offer complete plumbing services throughout Akron and Northeast Ohio and will be glad to assist you with your toilet or any other problems.

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