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I was adjusting the water level in my toilet and I think I opened the float adjustment screw too far. It seems to have come disconnected from something. Now the float falls as far as it will go and the toilet runs indefinitely after a flush even though the float is low. The screw twists but does not move up and down. There is some plastic dust around it - I think from the internal threads, they're likely damaged. For the time being I've wedged something under it and remove it when I need to flush.

I'm at a total loss as to what to do long term. Ordinarily in this type of situation I would try to nudge the screw out or at worst extract it with some pliers. But I'm not sure it actually makes sense to remove the screw in this case.

Closeup of float adjustment screw with float wedged upward Closeup of float adjustment screw with float allowed to hang downward Overview of toilet tank

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    Will probably be faster just to buy a new kit(they are cheap). Fixing might take a day or two if you have the right stuff(glue, tools, time).
    – crip659
    Apr 21, 2021 at 22:06
  • @crip259 I do have glue and tools at least but I'm very much in favour of whatever is easiest. Not looking for a product recommendation per se but could you drop a link to the general type of thing you're talking about? My toilet knowledge extends to adjusting the float and replacing the handle so I'm actually not sure what you mean by a kit.
    – Dylan
    Apr 21, 2021 at 22:33
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    looks like you stripped the threads in the plastic part .... when re-inserting a screw into a plastic component, always turn the screw counter-clockwise until the screw threads drop into the original plastic threads, then tighten the screw ... the screw dropping into the threads can be clearly felt
    – jsotola
    Apr 21, 2021 at 22:36
  • remove the pivot pin lift off the arm, remove the screw and insert it in the opposite direction ... then reinstall the pin
    – jsotola
    Apr 21, 2021 at 22:40
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    In this case, a "kit" would be a fill valve kit, and would replace all the white and blue plastic parts from the bottom of the toilet as well as the float (most new ones don't have a float arm, they have a float captured by or contained in the top of the fill tube.) Under $20 most places unless covid has made the prices crazy.
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 21, 2021 at 22:46

1 Answer 1

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If you opened the screw two far or unscrewed it lift up on the ball and tighten the screw. To me it sounds and looks like you backed the screw out of the actuator.

Fill valve kits that replace the valve and float in my area or only 12-12$ fill master and they come with the needed seals and instructions.

I would lift on the ball and try to tighten the screw to see if you can get it to go back into the plastic actuator.

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