How To Fix a Running Toilet With a Button Flush – The Simple DIY Solution

There are many reasons why your toilet might be running continuously. It could be an old or worn-down rubber flapper, a leaky flush valve, or a clogged or jammed trap. Regardless of the reason, the problem is easy to fix, if you know what to do. Here are five easy steps for how to fix a running toilet with a button flush.

When the toilet is running constantly and causing great discomfort and loss of water then it is an indication to repair your flush. Before going for that make sure you check that your flush valve or fill valve is not defective.

Read More: How to Fix a Running Toilet Without a Ball Float

Take the advice of a person with experience in plumbing. Below are some time-saving, easy, and handy steps to repair your flush (dual button) toilet

STEP:1

If you have shut off the water supply line, then turn on water and look inside the tank. Determine if the water level is rising so high it is draining into the overflow pipe. If the answer is yes then following the steps for cleaning the fill valve.

Step: 2

If flushing debris (Cleaning Solution) does not resolve the issue; Replace the fill valve.

You don’t have to match the old one; many, like the one shown, fit most toilets. It’s a 15-minute change-out.

Flushing Debris (Cleaning Solution):

It is possible for dirt and debris to lodge itself inside the valve. This can happen any time the water is on and may happen after a new installation, a few days later or even months and years after installation.

Follow these steps to clean the valve:

Turn off water and flush the toilet.

Reach into the tank with your right hand and lift the float cup and grip the gray shaft and hold it in that position.

With your left hand grab the cap and at the same time place your thumb on the side of the plastic arm.

Twist both the cap and plastic arm counterclockwise 1/8th turn. Press down on the cap while making a quick twisting motion.

Lift up on cap and move away from top of valve body. Using a cup hold the cup upside down over the exposed opening of the valve and turn on the water supply full force for 10-15 seconds. Look inside valve to ensure no debris is left inside the valve.

Reverse steps to place top back on the valve. Turn on water and flush toilet to ensure problem has been resolved.

If this procedure does not resolve the issue then replacing the fill valve should resolve the issue cistern.

STEP:3

With the tank full of water turn off the water to the toilet and mark the current water level inside the tank. Wait a period of time 10-15 minutes and note if the water is draining down from your mark. If it drains down replace the flapper first as this is the most common problem.

STEP:4

If you replace the flapper and the toilet continues to drain down (repeat step 2 if necessary) then we recommend replacing the flush valve as this will ultimately stop the constant draining of water from the tank to the bowl (where stool is thrown).

STEP:5

f at any time the toilet is running, and you see water on the floor immediately turn off water and look inside the tank to see if the water is coming from the lid or tank lever area. Replace fill valve and replace flush valve. The flush valve is set to the wrong height or may be blocking the path of the water to drain safely into the toilet bowl.  If water is draining down and water is coming out from the bottom of the tank change tank bolts and washers.

NOTE:(If your toilet flush is weak or incomplete toilet flush)

Toilets that have been in use for some time can develop a lazy or weak flush. It is quite common for minerals such as calcium and lime, along with debris particles such as rust to build up in the rim feed and jet holes of the toilet bowl. Over time, these deposits restrict and block water from flowing into the toilet bowl which will cause a weak or incomplete flush.

1.Cleaning the rim (feed holes) and jet holes of your toilet:

Turn the water supply valve off.

Holding the flapper open, let most of the water fall out of the tank.

Using a toilet bowl cleaner, hold the flapper open and pour 1–2 cups of cleaning solution down the flush valve opening. Be careful to not let any cleaner spill over into the tank. If it does, wipe it up immediately. Let the toilet sit unused for several hours or overnight. The cleaning solution will work its way into the flow channels and help to dissolve any mineral build up.

Using a wire hanger, feed the hanger into the rim feed holes located under the lip of the toilet. Work the hanger in and out of the holes several times to scrape away and break free any hard build up.

Turn the water supply back on and let the tank refill. Flush the toilet several times to flush out any leftover cleaning solution or deposits.

To clear the jet, using the wire hanger, make a small hook at the end of the hanger. Push the hanger up into the jet hole and fish out any paper or waste that may be trapped in the jet passageway.

2.Other causes for incomplete or weak flush:

Check the Water Level in the tank. If your water level is more than 1 inch below the top of the overflow pipe, it may be that the low water level is not enough for a good flush. Raise the water level to within 1 inch of the top of the overflow pipe using the water level adjustment screw on the fill valve or by adjusting the height of the fill valve.

Flapper closes too soon (and water level is at the appropriate height). If the flapper closes too quickly during the flush, not enough water is released to complete the flush.

NOTE: Make sure there is minimal slack on the flapper chain. For most toilets, there should only be ½ inch of slack of chain length needed to operate the flapper. If you have a toilet that uses 5.0 gallons per flush (gpf) or more, make sure that you are using a non-adjustable flapper. If you have a toilet that uses 3.5 gpf, 1.6 gpf or less, check the flapper for adjustable settings.

3.Installment of new fluid master kit:

If you have installed a new Complete Kit or one of our adjustable flappers, make sure that the flapper adjustable setting is set properly.

Look on the top of the rubber part of the flapper. You will notice numbers approximately about 1–9 (Min–Max). The number that is located directly in front of the chain is what the flapper is set on. The lower the number it is set to, the quicker the flapper will close, allowing less water to flush out of the tank. The higher the number it is set to, the longer the flapper will stay open, allowing more water to flush out of the tank.

Trial and error will determine the proper setting for your toilet. Drop 2–3 pieces of toilet paper in the bowl and flush your toilet. If the bowl clears, lower the setting on the flapper by one and flush again. Repeat these steps until the bowl does not clear, then set the flapper one setting higher from your unsuccessful flush. This will give you the most efficient (water savings and prevent overflowing) toilet flush. Clogged toilets can cause many diseases like pneumatic

If your toilet is making noise then:

1.Ghost Flushing:This can happen intermittently, cycling every few minutes or every few hours.

2. Fill Valve Hiss:A noise that is constant and sounds like forced air moving through the toilet.
3. Water Resonance: A noise you hear when the toilet is flushed, and the toilet is running water during its flush cycle.
4. Ghost Flushing:This refill sound is alerting you that your toilet is losing water, either internally (if there’s no water on the floor or exterior of toilet) or externally leaking if you see water outside the toilet.

Internal Water Loss:

Definitely check refill tube first: If refill tube is inserted or shoved into the overflow pipe, remove it and reattach clipping the tube to the overflow pipe. This will keep the tube from entering the overflow pipe and stop the leak.

Clean bottom of the tank and flapper area and replace flapper.

Replace flush valve drain (last resort if 1 and 2 do not resolve the issue).

External Water Loss:

Water draining from bottom of tank around fill valve and water supply connection: Leaks coming from the bottom of the fill valve that have been in use for a long period of time (not new installations like new balls) should be removed along with the supply line and replaced.

Water draining from the bottom of the tank from the fill valve and water supply connection: Remove fill valve and clean bottom of tank both inside and outside. Make sure the shank washer is placed on fill valve first (it is designed to seal tank from the inside of tank) and install valve actuator. Hand tighten the fill valve lock nut. If using water supply line older than 5 years replace supply line sometimes plunger.

Leaks coming from under the tank onto the toilet bowl: These leaks indicate failed bolt seals. The tank to bowl gasket and toilet bolts with washers should be replaced.

2.Fill Valve Hiss:

This noise is alerting you that water is constantly passing through the fill valve and going into the tank.

Here are some steps for removing the top cap and flushing out debris from the fill valve:

Turn off water supply and flush the tank.

Reach inside the tank with your right hand under the float cup and lift it up. With your right-hand hold onto the gray shaft keeping the float cup all the way up. Do not allow the float cup to drop or valve shaft to turn.

Place your left hand on the top of the valve cap and while placing your left-hand thumb on the side of the arm coming out of the top caroma. Turn the cap and arm counterclockwise 1/8th of a turn to unlock. You should be able to lift off the cap and lever from the valve body.

Once the cap assembly removed inspect for debris on the seal (rubber disc with pin coming through) and the valve portion still in the tank.

Hold a cup upside down over the exposed opening of the valve and turn on the water supply full force for 10-15 seconds, allowing the pressure to free any debris inside the valve inlet.

Reassemble the top of the valve by placing the cap arm next to the refill tube. To lock, press the cap down while turning it and the arm clockwise.

The bottom hand is lifting on the float cup which raises the black arm under the top cap. The top hand is gripping the cap while the thumb is pressing on the raised lever arm.

3.Water Resonance:

Use a regulated fill valve to stop noise. These valves come with a regulator built into the valve to slow down the incoming water by refurbishing or reducing the speed by the incoming water we can stop the resonance noise that is occurring.

If a Fill Valve might not stop the problem then the buildup of debris in your shut off valve is so severe we recommend replacing the shut off valve at the wall.

Above mentioned are some of the handy, fast and easy steps to repair your constantly running toilet. In this article is also discussed types of flush associated problems like water resonance, ghost flushing and fill valve hill. If your toilet flush is weak or incomplete then which steps you should undergo are also discussed in this article. We consider flushing and plumbing problems as “how to fix toilet flush button” tremendous and difficult ones but they are easy to handle and repair if proper steps and cautions.

• Toilet doesn’t flush just fills with water