The Fix-It Playbook — Running Toilet Flowchart | Free 1-Page PDF | 2026 Edition

Toilet hissing, or refilling on its own? That can waste 200 gallons a day, and it's almost always one part.

Two questions sort it. Is the leak inside the tank — water at the floor or a slow bowl is a different problem. Then the dye test: food coloring in the tank, wait 15 minutes. Color in the bowl means the flapper; a clear bowl means the fill valve or float, three steps each.

The sheet also carries the water-level quick-set (1 inch below the overflow tube), and a plain line on when to stop and call a pro.

One page. Print it or keep it on your phone. Free instant PDF download, yours to keep.

If the tree sends you deeper: How to Fix a Running Toilet ($6) adds the tank diagram, the exact water-level line to set, brand-matching tips, and the full troubleshooting table. All five bathroom guides come together as the Bathroom Repair Kit ($14), and all 24 year-round guides are in the Core Library ($49).