But jiggling the handle won’t always work. And even when it does, it’s more like Tylenol than Penicillin; that is, it’s a quick fix that deals with a symptom, rather than the root of the disease.

So, do you frequently find yourself just jiggling the handle of your toilet as a quick, temporary way to keep it from running? Here are three ideas about what may be to blame – and how to fix those issues the right way:

It’s Time to Change Your Flapper

If you have an ever-running toilet, the problem may be the age of your flapper. Over time, these units can wear down and “go bad,” creating a shoddy seal that allows water to escape. Fortunately, this is an easy and fairly inexpensive repair: Just replace your flapper! These are available at most hardware or plumbing supply stores; once you have the right flapper for your toilet, simply drain your toilet, then remove the old flapper by unplugging the chain from the toilet handle rod and slipping the flapper’s ears from the flush valve. From there, you can prepare and install your new flapper using our handy step-by-step guide.

Your Chain Needs To Be Adjusted

In some cases, jiggling your handle helps shake out the chain that connects the handle to the flapper valve; this chain can easily kink up or get caught on the flapper valve, preventing it from forming a solid seal. This causes water to leak out of the tank, which means that your toilet will compensate by always attempting to re-fill. If this is the case, replacing your flapper and chain mechanism will most likely solve your problem; make sure that you give your chain enough slack to allow the mechanism to open and close properly.

Your Float Mechanism is Getting Caught

The running water issue may also be due to your ballcock or float valve mechanism.

On older toilets, you’re likely to find a large plastic or brass ball connected to a rod which is then  connected to the toilet fill valve. In order to get the water to stop running, turn the screw to lower the float until the water stops running.

Newer tank floats use a vertical pipe of the toilet to contain the float (sometimes known as a Fluidmaster). The adjustment rod on this device is on the side. You can typically pinch the spring clip to adjust the float up or down. Adjust this slowly while stopping to check if the water is continuing to run. Once the water has stopped running, flush the tank and see if the water has refilled to proper levels (just below the top of the fill tube for the flush valve).

Whether you have any more DIY plumbing questions or you’re ready to turn your plumbing woes over to the pros, we’re here to help! Drop Combat Plumbing a line for all of your Red Oakland bathroom, kitchen, or HVAC needs, day or night.