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Short Summary
Main recommendation: If a toilet keeps running, replace the flapper (the rubber valve in the tank), since this is an inexpensive, do-it-yourself job that can avoid a plumber visit. Before buying, identify the right replacement flapper by checking the toilet's manufacturer and model number, and inspect the flush valve seat for damage, since a damaged seat means replacing the whole flush valve assembly.
Key Points
- The flapper is lifted by the handle's chain when you flush, which opens the tank and lets water flow into the bowl.
- A flapper that feels soft or rubbery, or looks chlorine-eaten and black, suggests chlorine in the water is deteriorating it.
- Flappers attach in different ways (ears, metal clips, slip-on around the overflow tube, or other styles), so the replacement must match your toilet's design.
- The speaker warns against buying a flapper without a match, noting that many styles look similar but do not seal or flush properly.
- Plumbers he has worked with have broken tank lids, so handle lids carefully.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Turn off the water at the angle stop (the shutoff valve under the toilet).
- Flush the toilet to drain as much water from the tank as possible, so you work in a dry tank.
- Remove the tank lid carefully and set it aside.
- Unhook the chain from the handle arm, then disconnect the flapper from its ears, clips, or tube and pull it out.
- Run a finger along the flush valve seat (the lip where the flapper seals). Feel for nicks, cracks, cuts, or rough spots. If any are present, the whole flush valve assembly should be replaced.
- Choose a replacement that matches the old one. If the old flapper has a round piece, the new one needs one too, so it slides down the overflow tube. If it has metal clips, get clips; if it has ears, get ears.
- If the flapper has a cork float, position the cork just below the top of the overflow tube. Set the water level around the middle of the cork so the cork does not sit on top of the water. Loosen the plastic lock, slide the cork to the desired height, and lock it back in place.
- Attach the flapper, then adjust the chain so there is a little slack when the flapper is seated and the handle is in its resting position.
- Turn the water back on and let the tank fill. Water should stay at least about half an inch below the top of the overflow tube.
- Flush several times. Confirm the flapper rises fully (touching the overflow valve), stays up during the flush, and the bowl gets a full flush.
- To find the right flapper, look inside the tank lid or on the tank front and bottom of the bowl for the manufacturer and model number, then contact the manufacturer or buy a matching replacement.
- If you have doubts about the seat, buy the entire flush valve assembly, since replacing the seat requires a separate procedure the speaker covers in another video.
- The speaker says the job is inexpensive and that any homeowner can do it. He adds that renters who may not want strangers in their house can also do this themselves by getting a flapper from the hardware store.
- A cork that is too low or incorrectly positioned can prevent proper flushing. He says a plumber who worked for him threw away a cork flapper and the toilet did not work correctly, requiring the job to be redone.
Bottom Line
Replacing a worn flapper is usually a low-cost fix, but the right match and a sound flush valve seat determine whether it works.
