How to Fix a Stuck Toilet Handle

By Stephen Hallo III
Updated on 06/29/22
Reviewed by
Richard Epstein
Richard Epstein
Reviewed by Richard Epstein
Richard Epstein is a licensed master plumber with over 40 years experience in residential and commercial plumbing. He specializes in estimating as well as design and engineering for plumbing systems, and he works for one of New York's largest union plumbing construction companies.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Toilet handle stuck while being pressed down with hand

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

Project Overview
  • Total Time: 2 mins
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $0

When the toilet's acting up, most people resort to the same, old advice: "You have to hold the handle down." The "stuck" toilet handle appears to occur for no obvious reason, although the cause is remarkably simple.

You can start to understand what is happening if you simply remove the lid from the toilet and watch the parts in action as you depress the toilet handle. When operating normally, the flush arm pulls on a lift chain that lifts the flapper up and away from the flush valve at the bottom of the tank to initiate the flush. But when there is too much slack in the chain, the flush arm cannot lift the flapper high enough to start the flush cycle—unless you hold the handle down. If you don't hold the handle, the flapper drops back down over the flush valve, shutting off the water flow. This creates the sensation that the handle is "stuck," though this is not exactly what is happening.

A different, but related, problem occurs when the chain is too long and gets stuck between the flapper and the valve, so the flapper never fully closes. This causes the toilet to run continuously because the tank never fills. Correcting the chain length will solve this problem, too.

Common Toilet Problems You Can Fix Yourself
Featured Video

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Wire cutters (as needed)

Materials

  • Flapper (if necessary)
  • Chain (if necessary)

Instructions

Materials and tools to fix a stuck toilet handle

The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  1. Turn off the Water

    Turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve, which is usually located near the left side of the toilet tank, where the water supply pipe comes up through the floor or out from the wall. If you don't have a shutoff valve near the toilet, don't worry about it: you can easily fix this problem without shutting the water off at all, though you will get your hands wet. Don't worry; the water in the toilet tank is fresh.

    Shutoff valve being turned to shut off the water supply

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  2. Measure the Chain Length

    Flush the toilet to empty the tank of water. Unhook the chain from the flush arm. There is usually a small clip that hooks onto the arm.

    With the flush arm in the down position and the flapper at rest on the flush valve, pull the chain straight up so there is no slack, and align the chain with one of the holes in the arm. Pinch the chain link nearest this hole.

    Flush arm chain being disconnected for measuring

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  3. Move the Hook

    Place the chain hook onto the pinched link on the flush chain. The hook will provide a small amount of slack for the chain, which will ensure that the flapper will seat firmly over the flush valve.

    Chaim hook moved onto pinched link on flush chain

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  4. Check the Slack

    Check the slack in the chain when you operate the toilet handle. When the handle is depressed, the flapper should lift into a nearly vertical position so you can see the bottom of the flapper. When you release the handle, the flapper should settle down into the flush valve, with just a small amount of slack in the chain.

    Note: If the extra chain is long enough to get stuck under the flapper, cut off some of the excess with wire cutters.

    Turn the water back on (if you turned it off). Let the tank fill back up and test your work. If the handle is still sticking, you can take more slack out of the chain. Don't worry if it takes a little trial and error to find just the right amount of slack.

    Tip

    If the flapper still gives you problems, simply replace it with a new one that fits your flush valve. Flappers cost only a few dollars and are sold at all home centers. Be sure to replace the old chain, too, as these eventually corrode and can break. Typically, when you purchase a new flapper, a chain is included in the packaging.

    Toilet handle pushed down to check the chain slack

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris