Bathroom worries over! How to fix a toilet that won't flush or won't stop running, yourself and easily

2 annoying toilet problems and how to fix them yourself like a pro

Has this happened to you? You wake up to find the toilet has been running all night and the water meter spinning, or when you actually need it, it won't flush. A toilet that won't flush or won't stop running is one of the most common household headaches. But before you reach for your wallet to pay a plumber, check the causes and try fixing it yourself with these simple steps.

Case 1: Water keeps running into the bowl and won't stop

This is usually caused by worn parts inside the cistern. Open the cistern lid and check these key points:

• Worn flapper valve: if the rubber flapper is hard, brittle or covered in limescale, water keeps leaking into the bowl. Fix it by turning off the water, removing the old flapper, and taking it to buy a matching replacement to fit right away
• Float set too high: water flows over into the overflow tube. The fix is to adjust the screw on the float arm to lower the water level to about 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube

Case 2: The toilet won't flush, or drains slowly

If it's a basic blockage, such as dirt or a build-up of toilet paper, you can fix it with things you have at home:

• Use washing-up liquid with warm water: pour about half a glass of washing-up liquid into the bowl and leave it for 20-30 minutes to break down grease, then pour in warm (not boiling) water to help dissolve the blockage
• Use a toilet plunger: seat the plunger tightly over the toilet outlet, then push down and pull up rapidly several times to create air pressure that pushes the blockage through

Caution! When should you call a specialist?

Many problems can be fixed yourself, but in these cases don't force it — for the safety of your house and yourself:

• Cracked or broken toilet bowl: broken ceramic is extremely sharp and risks serious injury
• Blocked main drain: if water wells up from the floor drain when you flush, the problem is in the main pipework and needs a drain-cleaning machine or a plumber
• Work that requires breaking up the floor or running new pipes: should be done by professionals to prevent leaks into the ceiling below and damage to the structure of the house