INDIANAPOLIS — Everybody at one time or another has to deal with a leaky toilet. But not every leak needs a plumber to come and fix it.
Sunday on 13Sunrise, Pat from Sullivan Hardware and Garden showed where the vast majority of toilet leaks originate, and how a homeowner - or renter - can make simple adjustments to stop the unwanted leak with little effort. Some fixes don't even require tools.
Leaks often occur where the soft flapper seals the bottom of the tank. As water leaks down into the bowl, the tank refills, explaining why you hear your toilet running in the middle of the night. The simple fix involves turning off the water supply at the wall, removing the worn-out flapper and replacing it with a new one. Just be sure to take the old one with you to the store so you can buy a new flapper that matches your existing plumbing.
You can make other adjustments by hand to set the float level inside the tank so the tank holds more or less water for your flushes.
You may need to replace the whole float assembly, though. That will require draining the tank and a couple tools to loosen and tighten connections, but the replacement cost for a new float valve is around $20.
Pat's toilet fixes also include some maintenance to the bowl, including how to remove rust and hard water deposits.
You can watch all of Pat's advice from his 13Sunrise segment in the video player.