INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Find the rod attached to a ball that floats on the top of the water and controls the intake of water from the pipes into the tank. This is the floating arm. If you lift up on the arm and the water stops, then your problem is that the water in the tank isn't coming up high enough to turn off and the pipes are getting the message that more water needs to come in, so the toilet runs constantly, or often. A running toilet can cost a fortune in wasted water. While it may seem like a minor inconvenience, a running toilet is a serious and usually easily fixable problem. Sometimes, the floating arm will be bent so the ball will rub or catch on the side of the tank or the tank ball arm. Flush the toilet and see if the arm catches on anything. If it does, just bend the arm gently so it floats freely and can rise to the level it needs to. Sometimes, water will get trapped in the ball, weighing it down and keeping the water from rising as it should. If this happens, dump the water out and replace the ball by screwing it back on. If the ball is cracked or otherwise damaged and allows water in freely, replace it with a new one. If lifting up on the arm doesn't halt the running water and adjusting the floating arm doesn't seem to help, the problem is probably with the flapper assembly, which creates the seal at the bottom of the tank leading to the bowl and connects to the toilet handle by a rod.  Shut off the water and flush the toilet to empty the tank of water. Examine the flapper for signs of wear or corrosion. If you find build-up from the water or other gunk, scour it off with a kitchen pad or a pocketknife and see if you can get the flapper to create a good seal. Also check the opening for the same corrosion issues and clean it. If water still gets through the opening, examine the wire rod that connects to the toilet handle and make sure it's aligned and allowing the flapper to fall freely and plug the hole. Like the floating rod, you should be able to bend it back into place relatively gently, or replace it with a new one. Some are connected with a chain that can become tangled or loose and may need replaced as well. If none of this seems to stop the toilet from running, you'll probably need to replace the ballcock assembly.

SUMMARY: Remove the top of the tank and lift up the floating arm. Check the floating arm for misalignment. If it doesn't seem to be caught on anything, unscrew the ball from the arm by twisting it counter-clockwise. Check the flapper seal.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Most basic car battery chargers will charge at a rate of about 2 amps per hour with most batteries being rated at 48 amp hours. This means that your charger will take 24 hours to fully charge the 48 total amp hours if your battery is completely flat. Fast charging, while tempting, should be considered carefully. The heat created from fast charging can cause battery plates to buckle, or can cause other damage to your battery. These are relatively inexpensive when compared with the cost of replacing flat batteries over time and can be purchased at most automotive or hardware stores. Be sure you read all information provided with your charger so you have a thorough understanding of safe operating procedure. If your battery is flat dead, this step may be unnecessary. However, if you are unsure or want to take extra measures to protect your battery from overcharging, you should check the remaining charge with a hydrometer. A hydrometer is a turkey-baster shaped tool that measures electrical capacity as a function of specific gravity by:  Carefully removing the battery cell cover as directed by your battery instructions. Squeezing the hydrometer bulb to force out air and maintaining this position. Inserting the nozzle of your hydrometer into the battery cell. Taking the reading of the electrolyte fluid drawing from the cell into your hydrometer. Comparing your reading to the normal reading for fully charged batteries, usually between 1.270 and 1.290. The reading for depleted batteries ranges from 1.130 to lower values. Be sure your charger is off before connecting it to your battery. Remove any cap covers from the positive and negative terminals of your battery. Your car battery charger should have clamps at the end of positive (+) and negative (-) leads. Clamp these to the corresponding terminal on your battery. The leads, clamps, and covers are almost always color coded to ensure the correct connection. For most vehicles, red will indicate positive and black negative. Now that the leads are connected, you can turn on your charger and begin charging your battery. Most car battery chargers come with an ammeter which reads the amperage used to charge the battery. Verify the reading on this to ensure you are not charging at too high of an amperage. The starter for most car engines will have enough energy to operate after about 10 - 15 minutes of charging. Once your starter can run, you can start your engine and allow the car to idle. This will allow your alternator to restore charge to your car without the sustained use of your charger. Once you have charged your battery sufficiently for your purposes, you can turn off the charger. With the charger off, you should have no difficulty removing the clamps from the positive and negative terminals of your battery. Remember to reattach the caps that cover the terminal ends of your battery. Corrosion to the terminal can ruin a good battery.

SUMMARY:
Know the consequences of high and low amperage. Purchase a car battery charger. Check the remaining capacity of your battery. Connect your charger. Turn on your charger. Prevent overcharging by minimizing your charging time. Turn off and disconnect your charger.