Sometimes older toilets start to sound like there is always water running through them, or they start to make a really loud sound when you flush. Thankfully, many repairs for these types of problems are easy to do on your own – saving you both money and the time you might spend waiting for the plumber to arrive.
If you hear your water draining – This is a sign of a leaky toilet. It can quickly raise your water bill, but is relatively easy to fix yourself. This can be a problem with your float adustment. To readjust the float you need to find the screw connecting the float to the pipe in your toilet. Loosen this screw and adjust the angle of the float so that it adjusts to the water level. If this doesn’t help your problem, it could be a problem with the seal at the bottom of your toilet.
Strange noises when flushing – These are the types of sounds which might scare your house guests away. Check to make sure the shut-off valve under the tank is open all the way. Flush again. Try to observe if the noise is coming from this valve. If it is, try to rattle the valve to clear away any possible rust or obstructions. If this doesn’t work, but you sense there is something blocking the valve, you may have to open and clean it. If it isn’t this valve, it is probably coming from a fill valve in the the tank. The easiest way to fix this is to either change or clean the valve. A new valve only costs a few dollars, and it is much cheaper to do yourself.
Changing or cleaning the fill valve – turn off the water to the toilet, use the shut-off valve but consider turning off the water at it’s source for safety sake. Flush the toilet and the tank should empty. Take out the supply tube; it is connected to the bottom of the tank with a nut. You should see a smaller nut that connects the fill valve. Loosen it, and remove it from the bottom of the tank. You can clean this by giving it a good scrub with soap and water, or switch it out for a new one.
