- 1). Turn off the water supply to the toilet by turning the shutoff valve under the toilet tank all the way to the right.
- 2). Remove the top of the toilet tank and place it on a towel on the floor to prevent it from being cracked.
- 3). Inspect the handle and latch mechanism and locate the chain that connects the latch to the flapper. Check to see if the chain is stuck under the flapper, preventing it from dropping, or if it is knotted closer to the latch. In a small percentage of cases the latch may become loose from the handle, preventing it from working properly.
- 4). Repair the chain by removing it from under the flapper or by untangling it. Test the latch by engaging the handle to ensure it works properly. The handle should lift the latch, which in turn should lift the flapper from the bottom of the tank. When the handle is released, the flapper should fall easily back over the hole.
- 5). Secure the latch to the handle, if the problem is a loose latch, by tightening the nut that holds the latch onto the backside of the handle. Some handles and latch sets have a horseshoe-shaped clip that secures the latch onto the handle. The clip may have fallen off and may be lying in the bottom of the tank. Place the clip onto the backside of the handle to hold the latch secure.
- 6). Turn on the water supply by turning the shutoff valve all the way to the left. Test the flushing mechanism again with the tank full of water. Replace the top of the tank.
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