Ok so I'm in a apt with a toilet that had a running problem. Maintenance didn't come for several days so now that it's the weekend and it was driving me nuts I tried a simple fix I read several places of trying to bend the float arm a little... oops. The whole arm ended up breaking so it wouldn't stop running at all! Figured I would be best just to turn shut off vavle to the toilet off until they can come on Monday to fix it. It's a fairly newish building and I didn't have any problem getting it to turn. However, I turned most of the way and then it almost felt like if I kept trying to turn farther the shut off valve would break! The water is still flowing in but much more slowly so... is this normal and I'm just being too nervous in getting forceful with the shut off valve or what? Would like the water stopped completely but don't want a broken shut off valve on the weekend and then really be in trouble... help!

Hi Becky...

I'd hold the shutoff with a pair of pliers and hold against yourself when you try to shut the shut off again... hopefully works and you're all set for now.

Otherwise, you should be able to DUCT TAPE the broken float arm in the UP position for the weekend. I've even seen a few homeowners use coat hangers in a pinch... ;)

Be careful, take your time and you should be OK until Monday.

Questions? Post back...

Mark

Duct tape the sucker some how. Good idea. But don't forget to remind the landlord that a running toilet can easily waste about 4 gallons per minute, twenty four hours per day. Over week that could amount to 4x60x24x7=40,320 gallons! Tell'm not to blame you when the water comes! Whew!

Well thanks for the advice. Believe me, I tried to come up with a temporary fix. Seems like it should be so easy but I couldn't come up with one to keep the pressure needed on the fill valve. What is actually broken is the little plastic piece where the rod attaches. So I can reattach it somewhat but only one side... so when there is water against the float it floats lopsided and takes the pressure off. As I said the water is mostly off so it is running but not full force like it normally would so hopefully won't be a huge amount of extra water used by Monday. Seems to me that the plastic piece that broke(that the float arm screws into) is fairly cheap and possibly breaks pretty easily over time? They were out just a few weeks ago because toilet ran then, I'm assuming they made same adjustment I tried to and put stress on it then as well. So it was probably just time... hopefully they won't be too upset that I broke it and now I think will need to have the whole fill valve assembly replaced. Still shouldn't be a huge expense or task for them though and I would imagine it probably needed it anyway if the running problem would keep coming back every few weeks.

You've got some good help so far. I made a temporary cradle from a heavy duty coathanger when I was waaay out in the woods. Bend the ch over the tank rim and hold the float arm up. When you need to flush, slide the hanger down the rim until the arm drops and then back up when full. I hate toilet stops that are multi turn, now I only use 1/4 turn ball valves.