The tank of my toilet fills up with too much water then leaks out. I do not know much about toilets so I have been looking up solutions online but I haven't really found anything helpful. Does anyone know what causes this and/or could please tell me how to fix it ?

Tell me which ballcock's yours and I'll give you instructions on how to lower your tank level. Back to you. Tom

Answer Tom's question, it's a simple float adjustment. However, you mention itleaks out, leaks out where? That's my concern and question, where is the drip

Hey Bob,
I assumed by "leak" he meant down the overflow tube. Cheers, Tom

I am so sorry. I wasn't expecting an immediate answer, I didn't mean to come off as rude I just thought it would take a few days for a reply. It is the second picture though. The bowl and tank fill up fine, the water just doesn't stop until it hits the handle then it drips down the side of the tank for a few minutes.

Hey Carneasad,
You're not rude in the least and sometimes we answer questions as soon as they hit the page. Yours is a simple repair. First I'll tell you where the tank level should be and then instruct you how to get it there.
Your tank level should be set at 1/2" under the white overflow tube.
I set the tank level by adjusting the height of the float ball.
There are two ways to do this, 1) by adjusting the screw on top of the ballcock, **or** 2) (My personal favorite) Grasp the rod just ahead of the float ball, (do not grab the ball itself) with one hand and next to the ballcock with the other.
Bend the rod up to increase the tank level and down to decrease the level. The tank level should be set at 1/2 inch under the top of the white overflow tube. Good luck, Tom

Great answer but you have a second issue. If your water level reaches the handle hole you sure do need to adjust your float but you also need to trim an inch off your over flow tube. Water should reach the tube top long before the handle.

Thank you so much, I bent the rod and trimmed a bit off the tube and it works fine now. I really appreciate your help guys, you have no idea. Thanks again :)

Thanks for the update. Glad we could help, More questions? Were as close as a click. Tom

I am having this same problem now and I also have the second diagram toilet with the ball, my tank it filling passed where is should, and the water is just going onto the over flow tube. To me it feels like there is a really high pressure of water coming into the tank but I have turned it down and it still continues to fill passed the fill line. I have tried adjusting the ball and even the screw, the only thing I haven't tried was to do the grap the rod and bend up. Its like the balls not able to do its just that the water coming up the number 2 on the diagram, keeps it from doing its job or something... if I lift the ball up it stops the water but that's to high. Can someone help me, I don't want to have to call a plumber... I feel its something I can fix myself, it was working fine, About 2 months ago I had to replace the # 2 part, and everything was fine until tonight, now the toilet is just running and running and its frustrating... HELP!!

If you are lifting the ball and the water stops this means that you need to adjust the rod, hold the rod with your left hand close to the valve and hold the rod with your right hand close to the ball now bend the rod down and try, if still need more adjustment try again until the water level is 1/2" below the over flow tube, good luck.

John

Hi Tina and Welcome to The Plumbing Page. At AskMeHelpDesk.com. Let me repeat my instructions from a earlier post.
Your tank level should be set at 1/2" under the white overflow tube.
I set the tank level by adjusting the height of the float ball.
There are two ways to do this, 1) by adjusting the screw on top of the ballcock, **or** 2) (My personal favorite) Grasp the rod just ahead of the float ball, (do not grab the ball itself) with one hand and next to the ballcock with the other.
Bend the rod up to increase the tank level and down to decrease the level. The tank level should be set at 1/2 inch under the top of the white overflow tube.
Good luck, Tom

Tina, adjusting the valve below the toilet will not reduce the pressure or the eventual volume of water in the tank, just slows it down but it will still over flow. If adjusting the float does not fix your issue it could just be a bad fill valve which can be replaced. Let us know how the adjustments goes.

Hi, I also have this problem, but I just replaced the prior leaky ball contraption with the barrel shaped floater on the stem (left hand picture(

I tried turning the screw in both directions and it doesn't help. The water keeps running over and spilling into the overflow tube.

Any tips?
Thanks so much,
Kelly

What brand/model fill valve did you buy? They all are adjustable.

I am having the same problem, but my toilet tank is the diagram on the right (from the first page). Since I don't have a ball to adjust, how do I keep the water from rising high enough to go down the overflow tube? It seems that this problem just started last week for us.

CPJ, take a close look at that small vertical shaft in the diagram on page 1, its labeled water level adjustment. Put a screw driover into the very top of the shaft, clockwise will raise the water level (you don't want that) counterclockwise will lower the level but you must flush and allow it to refill to test the level.

Hi Ballenger, yes, I actually have a brasscraft model 2000 fill valve that allows for "simple" water-level adjustment with sliding a metal clip up and down a small metal bar. (This moves the plastic buoy, which I guess replaces the balloon in other toilet tanks?) I did this and now the water simply rises above the buoy itself and still runs down the overflow tube. After the overflow tube fills, the water stops running; I'm not sure why this is. Any other suggestions?

Move that clip down further.

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I did this and now the water simply rises above the buoy itself and still runs down the overflow tube.

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That sounds like the float is at the max but is not shutting the water off. That could only be because the seal in the fill valve needs to be replaced.

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After the overflow tube fills, the water stops running

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I don't understand that. The overflow tube does not fill up.