When I flush the toilet the handle stays down and therefore the toilet runs on. How can I fix it?

It sounds like the nylon nut which holds the handle in place is too tight. Try loosening that nylon nut just a little to see if the handle moves easier. Sometimes if they are over-tightened, the handle will be stiff and hard to operate.

Fill the breather hole (1/8" hole) inside the flapper.This is designed to let air out so the flapper will sink. Now it floats longer letting in more water. 25%percent more in my case.

Toilet runs continuously or doesn't flush adequately

Jiggling the handle might work for a while, but if your toilet is always running or doesn't flush adequately, you need to perform these simple fixes that usually can tame a noisy, inefficient toilet.

Check the Chain

The chain attached to the rubber flapper often becomes loose, causing incomplete flushing and/or continuous running. To fix it, remove links from the chain using needle-nosed pliers until it's tight.

Check Water Level

Improper water levels can also cause problems with your toilet. This can be fixed by adjusting the ball ****, which is located next to the overflow pipe, the open tube to the right of the handle. Adjust the ball **** so the water comes to ½ " below the overflow pipe.

Clean the Surface of the Flush Valve

A continuously running toilet can also be the result of a faulty flush valve. Because the valve is made of rubber, it can decompose or warp allowing water to escape from the tank into the bowl. Clean the sealing surface to see if this will improve the seal. If too decomposed or warped the valve may need to be replaced.

Replace the Flapper

Remove old flapper and replace with a suitable replacement. Attach the flapper to the overflow pipe inside the bowl. Then attach the lever chain from the flapper to the handle lever making sure the chain is taut.

This video will help familairaize you with the flushing mechanism and the repair:

I had this issue as well with my toilet. My chain was unattached and had been sucked down the drain under the stopper valve preventing the toilet stopper valve from completely closing and causing the water to continually run. After re-attaching the chain I noticed when I flushed the toilet that the handle did not rise again until I manually pushed it up. After readjusting the chain to a tighter position where the chain was not floating at all but instead holding the stopper valve in place I again flushed to check the reaction. This fixed the issue of the water continually running and also the handle not resetting itself properly.

Here is the steps I took to resolve my issue:

Step 1: Remove the lid off of the tank.

Step 2: Check to see if the chain coming from the Toilet Handle to the Stopper Valve is loose, unattached, or broken.

Step 3: Flush the toilet and check to see if the problem has been fixed. If not readjust the chain to a different position and flush again.

Step 4: If all is resolved replace the tank lid.

Other possible things to check:
Check the Float Ball to see if it's Half-way or more submerged in the water. If it is it needs to be replaced.

I hope this helps!

change and or adjust the flapper valve if the chain is to long flapper wont stay open long enough for the water to drain into the bowl

Which style of flush valve do you have? If it is the dual-flush option (solids/liquids) I do not know how to adjust those. If you have a traditional style, then the flapper or ball is closing too soon. You need to adjust the guide arm (flush ball) higher or shorten the chain between the flapper and the handle. Adjust this carefully or you will have it fail to seat and the toilet will constantly run.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells
(who needed to replace the fill valve and the flapper at her home earlier this week)

The siphon mechanism works on a vacuum principle. If there is the slightest damage to the siphon membrane you will experience the problem you describe. A new siphon is required.

One of two things is the problem. First, make sure that you have a tight chain with little slack. If there's too much slack, the flapper won't catch in the passing air to stay up. Second, the flapper is not correct for that style of toilet. You might want to look into purchasing a new Kolby filter that has a removeable cone in the center. Move that cone to 12 o'clock to allow the maximum amount of water to run through the flush valve. If the flapper you have now is flat, it needs to have a cone in the center on the underside.