Hopefully, this article will get you started.
first off, check to see if your toilet is leaking water on the floor. If it is, then you need to replace the gasket between the water tank and the bowl. If it isn't leaking water on the floor, and it keeps running, then it is leaking it into the bowl, and you will need to replace the "flapper". This is most likely where the problem is if a little handle-wiggle takes care of it temporarily.
Take the lid off of the tank on the back of the toilet and look inside. You will see a chain attached to a rubber piece at the bottom of the tank that lifts up when you flush the toilet. That's rubber thing down there is called the "flapper".
To replace the flapper, you should take the old one off and carry it with you to the store. To do this, first turn off the water to the toilet. The shutoff is under the tank on the left-hand side (when facing the toilet). Turn it to the right (clockwise) until it stops. If is hard to get it started, try a pair of pliers to get it started, and then turn it the rest of the way by hand. You don't want to mangle the shutoff if at all possible.
With the water turned off, flush the toilet. The tank should not try to fill up after the flush is completed. Once the water drains out of the tank, simply reach inside and cut or loosen the flapper, unhook the chain, and lift it out. A replacement "flapper" should only cost about $5.00.
If you find water on the floor after each flush, then there are two possible places where it can be leaking: 1. between the tank and the bowl; 2. between the bowl and the floor.
You should be able to use a flashlight and see if the water is coming out from the bottom of the tank (on the back of the toilet) or if it just oozes out from underneath the toilet.
If the leak is coming from between the tank and the bowl, you will need to take the tank off and replace the tank gasket. To do this, follow these steps:
1. turn off the water supply to the toilet
2. disconnect the water supply line from the tank (where it attaches to the tank)
3. flush the toilet and hold the handle down so all of the water drains out
4. use a sponge to remove the remaining water from the tank
5. loosen the two (or three) tank bolts from underneath using a wrench or socket.
6. Lift the tank off of the bowl base.
When you go to the store, pick up replacement tank bolts and a replacement gasket. Remember to take the old ones with you so you can match them up. You might also want to pick up a new "supply line" (the tube that connects the water valve to the tank). These will often leak when you put it back together, so it could save you a trip to the store if you pick one up while you are there.
To put it back together, you simply reverse the process.
If, when you flush the toilet, the water oozes out from under the toilet, then you will need to replace the "wax ring". This is by far the nastiest of the three repairs.
To replace the wax ring, you will be removing the toilet from its mounting bolts on the floor and working on the bottom of it. So, get a piece of plastic that you can put down where you are going to work. It will keep the mess contained.
Here's the process:
1. turn off the water supply to the toilet
2. disconnect the water supply line from the tank (where it attaches to the tank)
3. flush the toilet and hold the handle down so all of the water drains out
4. Use a plunger to plunge as much water out of the bowl as possible, and finish with a disposable sponge (and a rubber glove.. if I even need to tell you about that....). Get all of the water out of the bowl.
5. disconnect the "closet bolts" that come out of the floor and through the toilet. There are two, one on each side of the toilet. Simply remove the nut off of each one.
6. Now, you can stand over the toilet, grasp it between the seat and the tank, and lift it straight up. Have your plastic ready, because you want to put the toilet down on that plastic. There is a nasty goopey gasket stuck to the bottom of the toilet that you don't want to have to clean off of everything when you are done. It is much better to have a landing zone prepared ahead of time.
7. Using a putty knife, scrape the wax off of the toilet flange where the toilet was sitting.
8. remove the old closet bolts and install replacement ones (while you are here....)
9. Lean the toilet over on its side and scrape the remaining wax off of the bottom of the toilet. If you use a disposable glove for this operation, you can grasp the wax in your gloved hand, and take the glove off, turning it inside out over the mess in your hand. This will contain the wax in the discarded glove. I usually go through 3 or 4 gloves before I am finished.
10. set the new wax ring on the floor flange and center it up on the hole.
11. Straddle the toilet and grab it between the seat and the tank, and lift it over the hole. As you hover over the hole, line up the new closet bolts with the toilet holes, and ease the toilet straight down on top of the new wax ring. It will sit a little high at first, so apply some gentle downward pressure to get the toilet to seat into the wax ring.
12. put the closet bolt nuts on and tighten them (using the provided washers).
13. Re-attach the water supply line, turn it on, and test it out.
14. Put all of the nasty wax ring on the plastic, and wrap it all up for a trip to the trash can. Be sure to check the bottom of your shoes before walking out of the room in case you stepped in some of the wax. That stuff will track a sticky path all of the way through your house if you are not careful...
Good luck!
I hope this helps.
Stewart Hulett
Mt. Pleasant Renovations LLC
