Have you ever heard the old, “is your refrigerator running?” joke. Most likely. What about the, “is your toilet running?” joke. This one, maybe not. That is because having a toilet that is running can drive you crazy and cost you money!

So if after you the flush the toilet it will not stop running, what do you do?

• The first step is to try jiggling the handle a little. The flapper in the valve system can sometimes get stuck, and a jiggle can quickly solve the problem.
• If that doesn't work, open the top of the back of the toilet to try and diagnose the problem. It is possible that the whole valve system may need to be replaced or that the chain connected to the ball in the valve system has snapped. A good indicator of a more serious issue such as those is if the toilet has a tendency to continue to run. If it never seems to stop, you may want to try and get extra help.

When you have a big problem with your toilet the best thing to do is call a plumber. Doing it yourself can be a wet and messy business if you are not sure how to correctly shut the water valve off!

Any questions? Contact A.B. May!