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‘I’m shocked at how simple it is’: Homeowner recommends little-known, 3-minute fix. It’ll save you money, too

‘I wish I could upvote you more.’

Photo of Ljeonida Mulabazi

Ljeonida Mulabazi

Hand flushing toilet(l) Person fixing toilet(r)

Homeownership comes with its fair share of challenges, especially when seemingly minor issues start piling up—adding unexpected costs or just making everyday life a bit more frustrating.

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One such common annoyance? A running toilet. Not only is the noise of constant running water annoying, but it can also spike up the water bill and waste clean water at the same time. 

But instead of calling a plumber, which could cost you both time and money, one Reddit user has shared a simple fix for a frequent toilet issue.

According to them, it takes only three minutes to resolve.

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One small change to fix a running toilet

In their post on r/homeowners, which has received more than 871 upvotes, Redditor u/mchgndr shared a simple, 3-minute fix for a common issue: When you have to slightly lift the toilet handle after flushing to stop the water from running.

“Installed a new toilet and had this issue immediately,” they wrote. “Realized that I’ve been to plenty of people’s houses in the past where their toilets had these quirks, and eventually you just ‘learn’ your friends’ toilets.”

But instead of accepting this as another oddity of home life, they decided to investigate—and what they found might surprise you.

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According to u/mchgndr, the culprit is likely a small but essential component inside your toilet tank.

“There’s a chain in the tank that goes from your handle to the flap that seals shut,” they explained. “If you have this problem, I’d say there’s a 95% chance that that chain just needs to be adjusted because there’s too much slack.”

The fix, according to the poster, is as simple as unhooking the chain, moving it up a few loops, and testing it out.

“Unhook it, move it up a couple loops, and flush again to see if you got it where you want it,” they write. “Boom, done!”

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For anyone feeling unsure, u/mchgndr offered some additional resources.

“Any number of quick videos online will demonstrate this if you want a visual,” they said, “but it really is that simple!”

Other reasons your toilet might be running

Aside from the issue highlighted by u/mchgndr, other components within a toilet could also wear out or malfunction, leading to a running toilet.

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For instance, experts note that a common culprit is the overflow tube. It prevents the toilet tank from flooding. If the tube is too short or incompatible with the flush valve, for example, one of these components may need replacement.

Another possible problem is the water level being too high in the tank. Luckily, this can adjust easily by using a screwdriver or channel locks to modify the float rod, float cup, or float ball in the toilet.

In most cases, as stated by experts, this is a home fix requiring simple tools.

I never thought it would be that easy’

In the comments, users thanked the original poster for sharing the helpful advice. Others shared additional tips and their own experiences.

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“You… just solved a (relatively minor) annoyance at my new house,” wrote one user. “I wish I could upvote you more. Thank you lol I never thought it would be that easy!”

“I’ve actually done this at someone’s house once. Didn’t ask, just went in, it was a new house to them, and first time I used the hall bathroom noticed the toilet kept running,” shared another. “opened the tank, saw the chain was bad (hung up internally), so i took it off and pulled it up a couple links, tried it again and seemed to be fixed.”

“Or the handle is a bit loose, and you just need to tighten it a bit (but not overly tight),” offered a third.

The Daily Dot has reached out to u/mchgndr via Reddit comments for additional information.

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FYI: if you have to slightly lift your toilet handle up after flushing to get the water to stop running, you’re going to fix that today. In about 3 minutes max, and without spending a dime.
byu/mchgndr inhomeowners

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