The only thing more frustrating than the sound of a toilet constantly running is the spike it causes in your water bill. Luckily, solving this problem is usually a snap--even for those with little plumbing experience. If you would like to learn how to stop a running toilet, read on. This article will present two potential solutions.

1. Inspecting the fill tube.

The fill tube is simply a length of flexible hose running from fill valve to overflow tube. This hose is responsible for refilling the bowl after each flush, by directing water down the overflow tube. In order to accomplish this task, the fill tube is usually attached to the overflow tube by means of a metal clip.

A running toilet is often caused by a fill tube that has worked loose from its clip, so that it is no longer sending water down the overflow tube. Check that the fill tube is properly attached. Then, with the lid off, flush the toilet and watch to be sure that the water from the fill tube is going down the overflow tube. If not, adjust as necessary.

2. Adjusting the fill height.

It is important that the water level in your tank be correctly set. This task is accomplished by means of the toilet float. If the float setting is to low, you'll end up with a weak flush. Conversely, if the float is set too high, water from the tank will spill into the overflow tube, causing the toilet to keep running.

With the lid off, flush your toilet and then wait for the tank to fill again. If the tank is filling all the way to the top of the overflow tube, you'll need to adjust your float to cut off the water at a lower height. How you will adjust the float differs depending on whether you have a ballcock float or a cylinder float valve.

Ballcock floats are adjusted by means of a screw at the end of the rod opposite the ballcock. This screw should be turned counterclockwise to lower the level of the float. Make small, incremental adjustments, testing each one by flushing the toilet and observing the new fill level until it is safely below the top of the overflow tube.   

Cylinder float valves are adjusted by means of a clip that attaches a metal rod to the top of the float. By pinching the spring clip, you can adjust the height of the rod. To allow less water into the tank, slide the rod downward. Then flush the toilet and check that the water level is below the top of the overflow tube.

For more information about fixing a running toilet, contact a company like A Absolute Plumbing & Heating.