When a ballcock is stuck, it will cause an overflowing toilet cistern and lead to inefficient water usage. Luckily, it is a simple and inexpensive problem to fix. The ballcock consists of an arm attached to a plastic float. As the water rises and pushes up the float, a valve on the other end of the arm shuts of the supply when it gets to a certain point. A ballcock can get stuck when it rubs against other items, gets clogged with dirt, rust or lime build-up or is damaged. Turn off the water supply to the toilet, or to the whole house if you don’t have easy access to the toilet water supply. The valve is usually located below, or to the side of the cistern. On a roof tank, you should find the tap on the top pipe. Make sure the water is turned off by taking off the lid of the cistern or tank, and pushing down on the ballcock arm. There should be no water gushing out. Before you go any further, check that there is no water in the ballcock float. You can unscrew the float anticlockwise, and shake it.

If you hear water sloshing around you will need to replace it. If the float is intact with no water in it, undo the nut and the backnut. This backnut is what holds the valve in position in the tank. You will see a split pin which holds the arm in place. Take out this pin and the arm will now drop out. If the pin is hard to remove, you will need to twist and pull it while squashing the ends together. You can use pliers to make this easier. There is a cap at the end of the ballcock barrel, remove it and hold the threaded part up. Tap this until the washer drops out. There may or may not be a holding cap on the ballcock washer. If there is a cap, and it is threaded, turn it anticlockwise. Dig out the washer with a screwdriver if there is no cap. Then, you will need to replace the washer. Screw back the washer cap and slide the washer barrel into the ballcock, making sure the hole in the barrel is at the bottom. The washer side goes in first. Wriggle the arm back into the ballcock barrel and line up the holes for the split pin.

Put in the split pin and separate the ends slightly so it will not creep out. Place the ballcock back into the tank and replace the backnut loosely. Tighten the nut clockwise after lining up the pipe. How To Inflate Bike Tires Presta ValveTurn on the water and check for leaks. Kittens For Sale Lafayette CoIf the level of the water is too high, bend down the arm a little so the water shuts off at a lower level. Whippet Puppies For Sale OklahomaIf the water level is too low, bend the arm in an upward position.When a toilet runs continuously, makes noises or fails to flush completely although unblocked, minor adjustments to internal parts often can cure the problem.With most toilets, these parts are inside the tank. With tankless toilets operated by a pressurized flush valve, common in apartment buildings, the parts are inside the valve.

To diagnose a problem in a toilet with a tank, remove the cover, flush the toilet and observe the results.Operating the handle should raise the rubber flush valve at the bottom of the tank, visible under the water.The water in the tank then should drain quickly through the hole beneath the valve and enter the bowl, flushing the toilet.As the tank empties, the flush valve should close automatically, and the tank should refill.The tank is refilled by the flushing mechanism, usually on the left side. On older toilets, a float ball attached to a horizontal rod governs the refilling process.As water empties from the tank, the ball drops. This opens a valve inside the mechanism, and water enters from the supply pipe under the tank.On newer toilets, the flushing mechanism has no horizontal rod.The float is a hollow plastic cylinder called a float cup that slides up and down on the mechanism itself.An opening in the flushing mechanism directs water into the tank. Another, connected to a small tube, fills the bowl by directing water into the vertical overflow pipe beside the flushing valve.

As water fills the tank, the float ball or cup rises, gradually closing the refill valve. This stops the flow of water into the tank and bowl, completing the flush.A loose handle can cause the parts linking it with the flush valve to be misaligned.To tighten the handle, simply tighten the nut that holds it against the inside of the tank.If water rises above the top of the overflow pipe, it will spill into the pipe and enter the bowl, causing the toilet to run continuously. Often a hissing noise develops because the float cannot rise high enough to close the refill valve completely.To fix this problem, flush the toilet and while the water is rising, bend the float rod slightly in the middle so the ball no longer rises as far before the valve closes.On float-cup mechanisms, reduce the float`s travel by squeezing a clip on the side.The refill valve should close when the water in the tank is about half an inch from the top of the overflow pipe.Incomplete flushing means the water level is too low.

On float-ball mechanisms, if hissing is the only symptom, check for a leaking float. Unscrew it from the rod and shake it. If water has entered, get a new float.If the problem continues or if water sprays upward from the mechanism when the toilet is flushed, replace the rubber washers or the diaphragm sealing the refill valve.First, turn off the water supply to the toilet, usually by closing a shutoff valve beneath the tank, and flush the toilet to empty it.Remove the screws holding the top of the flushing mechanism (including the float rod) and remove the assembly. If the valve has a plunger, remove the washers around it and replace them with new ones.If the valve has a diaphragm separating its two halves, remove that. Scrape away sediment with a penknife or scrub the parts with a toothbrush dipped in vinegar.After reassembling the flushing mechanism, adjust the float if necessary. If the toilet runs even though water does not spill into the overflow pipe, if jiggling the handle sometimes remedies running or hissing or if the toilet fills properly but begins to hiss a short time later, suspect a leaking flush valve.

To check, flush the toilet and let the water rise in the tank. As soon as the refill valve closes, mark the water level on the inside of the tank with a pencil.Wait about a half hour and inspect the tank again. If the water level has fallen, the flush valve leaks.Flush valves consisting of a rubber ball at the end of a metal linkage can be adjusted by loosening their screws, repositioning the parts and tightening the screws.The valve must drop precisely into the tank opening. Scrub the parts and the valve opening with steel wool to smooth their surfaces.Flush valves that are merely a flap of rubber with a bulb on the underside should be replaced.If you cannot perform adjustments or repairs because of corroded parts, or if symptoms persist, consider replacing the flushing mechanism, flush valve or both with modern, trouble-free equipment.Float-cup flushing mechanisms and flap-style flushing valves seldom need attention. They are inexpensive and reasonably easy to install and can be fitted in place of almost all older mechanisms.