How to Fix a Kohler Toilet That Keeps Running

A toilet that runs only seldom wastes water, and you may be wondering how to fix it. Several issues could be causing your Kohler toilet to keep running. Water leaks often or streams from the tank into the bowl of the toilet because of the level arm not tripping well or overflowing water or any debris or sediment caught in the toilet fill valve lid. A leaking toilet tank is the first problem, followed by a faulty flapper or a broken toilet valve, and so on. To resolve this issue, you must first address the leaking issue as well as any other factors contributing to the Kohler toilet flush issues.

KEY PARTS OF A TOILET

  • TANK LEVER: THIS ELEVATES THE RUBBER FLAPPER, WHICH CAUSES THE FLUSH, AND IS CONNECTED TO THE HANDLE. IT’S ALSO KNOWN AS THE LIFT ROD.
  • TOILET FILL VALVE: THIS COMPONENT IS IN CHARGE OF REFILLING THE TANK AFTER EACH FLUSH.
  • TOILET FLOAT: THE VOLUME OF WATER IN THE TANK IS CONTROLLED BY THIS BUOYANT MECHANISM, WHICH IS SOMETIMES PART OF THE FLUSH VALVE. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS A BALLCOCK OR FLOAT VALVE.
  • TOILET FLAPPER: THE FLAPPER, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, LIFTS AND CAUSES A FLUSH OF WATER TO THE TOILET BOWL. A FLAPPER VALVE IS ANOTHER NAME FOR IT.

SIGNS OF A RUNNING TOILET

SOME COMMON SIGNS OF A RUNNING TOILET ARE:

  • The toilet tank will make a continuous filling or running noise that will not stop.
  • A tiny swirl of water may also be visible in the toilet bowl.
  • When you lift the tank lid, you’ll observe water rushing into the flush valve’s overflow.

CAUSES OF A RUNNING TOILET

SOME COMMON CAUSES OF A RUNNING TOILET ARE:

  • Sediment or debris caught in the cap of the toilet fill valve prevents the water from turning off, resulting in leaking or persistent running. After the toilet is flushed, its fill valve fills the tank and bowl with water. Because turning the water supply on and off might dislodge silt within the water pipes, this problem is frequent during new toilet installation.
  • Your toilet’s refill tube has stopped working.
  • If the float ball is misplaced or faulty in any way, the valve may not close entirely, allowing the water to flow.
  • The flush valve chain is either too long or too short to open the flush valve and allow freshwater to enter the tank as used water is flushed out.
  • There are problems with the flapper or the flush valve.
  • The seal between the tank and the bowl on your toilet is worn out.

HOW TO FIX A RUNNING KOHLER TOILET?

STEP 1: PUT THE FLAPPER TO THE TEST

  • Whenever you listen to running water, use a stick to push down on the flapper and wait for it to stop.
  • If it comes to a halt, the flapper does not seal and should be replaced.
  • Check the length of the fill tubing and cut it back to at least 1/2 inch above the waterline.
  • Shut the main valve of the water supply which is below the toilet prior to replacing the flapper.
  • After flushing the toilet inorder to remove the water, remove the existing flapper.
  • Purchase a whole new flapper of the same model and set it as per the package’s directions.
  • When the flapper is closed, hook onto the lever arm the flapper chain which comes with a little slack.

STEP 2: LOOK FOR A LEAK IN THE TOILET FILL VALVE

  • Observe the toilet leak at the fill valve post flushing the toilet.
  • When the tank is filling, lift on the toilet float arm to observe whether the water stops.
  • When the water level is one or half inch below the top of the overflow pipe, bends or adjust the toilet float arm so that the tank stops filling.

STEP 3: DISPOSE OF THE OLD TOILET FILL VALVE AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW ONE

  • Turn off the water, flush the toilet, and then sponge away any remaining water in the tank.
  • Remove the old fill valve by disconnecting the water supply line, unscrewing the toilet fill valve lock nut, and lifting it out.

STEP 4: FILL VALVE NEEDS REPLACEMENT

  • According to the instruction sheet, install the new fill valve in the tank and tighten the locknut a half turn past hand tight.
  • If the toilet fill valve is at its maximum height but the overflow pipe is still higher than the critical level mark, use a hacksaw to cut the overflow pipe down to one inch below its fill valve’s critical level mark.

STEP 5: PLUG IN THE FILL TUBE

  • Connect one end of the new fill tube to the nipple of its fill valve and the other to the angle adaptor that comes with it.
  • The angle adapter should be clipped onto the overflow pipe.
  • Attach the flapper chain to the flush lever as stated above to complete the installation.
  • Turn on the water and flush the toilet to see if it’s working.

IN SUMMARY

  • The toilet fill valve should be replaced when it needs to be cleaned.
  • When the toilet continues to run after flushing the toilet fill valve, it has to be replaced.
  • The toilet fill valve part number is determined by model number of the toilet.
  • Adjust the slack in the trip lever chain. So that the excess chain does not get hooked on the trip lever arm, the chain should have one to two links of slack. If necessary, cut away any excess chain.
  • Adjust the tank’s water level to avoid water overflowing into the flush valve overflow.
  • The tank water level will need to be changed if water runs into the overflow but ultimately stops.

CONCLUSION

A toilet that is left running for a lengthy amount of time might generate a variety of issues. The extra water consumption can increase your monthly utility bill, and the sound of running water might be annoying. It’s possible that no amount of cleaning or fiddling will be enough to fix your toilet. Replace it with a new one is recommended as doing so will significantly extend the life of your toilet.

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