The Genius Pool Noodle Hack That Can Help Fix A Running Toilet In A Pinch

Running toilets can sometimes let you know if you need to replace your toilet flapper, but in other cases, you may have an issue with the chain. When the chain connecting your toilet handle to the flapper is too long, it can get wedged underneath the rubber and cause the water to continue running. Other times, the chain may make the flapper close very slowly. This will make the toilet run for longer than it should, but probably not constantly. If you're certain your flapper chain is causing your running toilet, attaching a piece of pool noodle to it can fix the issue in seconds. Because the foam floats, it will prevent your chain from falling too low and getting stuck. 

Additionally, you can adjust where the noodle is on the chain to get the flapper to close more quickly or slowly, depending on your needs. This ingenious pool noodle hack you probably never thought to use around the house is perfect in a pinch, as it should only take a minute to complete and will get your toilet to stop running as soon as it's installed. Rather than letting the water bill keep going up while you find a replacement chain for your toilet, a small chunk of pool noodle can solve the issue quickly.

First, identify that a long flapper chain is the issue causing your toilet to run. Unfortunately, a pool noodle won't be able to help if the flapper itself has a broken seal or if the chain is too short to allow the flapper to fully close. Slice a disc about an inch thick from the end of your pool noodle, then cut out a small square piece. If you have pool noodle scraps from other projects, one of them will also work. Now, use one scissor blade or another sharp, thin object to create a hole in the center of the foam.

Once your piece of pool noodle is ready, you'll need to attach it to the flapper chain. Remove the end of the chain from where it connects to the handle arm inside the tank. Pull out the entire chain and flapper for easy access and slide the foam over the end of the chain. Install the flapper and chain back into your toilet how it was before and test the flush. If it's too slow or fast, try adjusting the position of your pool noodle up or down on the chain to get the perfect flush. This will mimic commercial flapper chains that include flotation devices. With just a bit of pool noodle foam, you can quickly and easily fix your running toilet problem.