Running toilet repair:

A stopper replacement (possibly)

A small pair of pliers

A lift arm replacement (possibly)

Slow leak repair:

A flush valve seat replacement

Several drops of food coloring

Steel wool or fine wet/dry sandpaper

A couple of clean rags

A flashlight (optional)

15-20 minutes, not including a possible trip to a hardware store

2torial #0734: Learn2 Fix a Running Toilet The truth about toilet tech...   Plumbing used to be a very dangerous occupation--before modern ventilation systems were installed in homes, sewer gases could build to dangerously high pressure and explode. Fortunately, you won't be dealing with any pipes and dangerous gases--fixing a running toilet is a matter of simple hardware adjustment and replacement. Maladjusted or worn-out pieces of toilet hardware allow water to run continuously from the tank to the toliet bowl and down the pipe, eventually emptying the tank. There's also a slow leak running toilet that's quiet and not easily detectable, but will also empty the tank before long. Running toilets should be repaired for three reasons: one, a running toilet isn't ready for use, since there's no water in the tank; two, it's noisy; and three, it can waste a tremendous amount of water--thousands of gallons over the course of a year. So, if you've never looked inside a toilet tank before, you'll want to take a few minutes to check out the parts and get your bearings. If you can do that, and maybe loosen and tighten a few bolts, you save yourself the cost of a plumber's service call, which is usually upwards of US$50. Don't be afraid of sticking your hands in the toilet--there's nothing in there that won't wash off with soap and water. In fact, since the water in the tank often sits undisturbed for hours on end, silt and sediment in the tapwater will settle to the bottom of the tank. So the water in a toilet may be the cleanest water in a home. Some toilets are designed differently from the design described in this 2torial, but don't let that throw you off. All toilets work on the same principals--so by taking off the lid, flushing the toilet, and watching the flush cycle a few times, you'll be able see how it works.     Step 1