Replacing Flappers (When Toilets Turn Themselves On)

Article by: Jim Muckle

One of the most frequent problems I am called on to solve at the apartment , Ceramic Tile Underlayments - The Basics complex is toilets that turn on by themselves. The tenant will say, "It keeps turning itself on."Â

What's happening here is the toilet is slowly leaking around the seal of the flapper, and it's draining the tank. In order to maintain the water , Bad News Critters - Beware of Animals in Crawl Spaces level in the tank the toilet turns itself on, so you get this on and off again syndrome. It's easy to determine if this is the problem by looking into the toilet bowl. The water , Sheetrockers Secrets in the bowl should be calm and smooth, but if you see tiny little ripples of water , Get Organized then your flapper needs to be replaced.

So, how do you replace a flapper?

1. Reach down by the base of the toilet (on the outside , How Closet Organizers Can Simplify Your Life: Getting the Most From Your Intimate Space of the toilet) and find the water , Thatch Roofing Shingles supply to your toilet. It's usually on the left hand side. Slowly and carefully turn the faucet valve to the right. This will turn the water , Installing Ceramic Tile in a Shower off. I say slowly and carefully because many of these faucets are old and cantankerous, and you don't want to spring , Time To Replace Shingles? a leak in your faucet.

2. Remove the lid of the tank and gently set it someplace out of the way. Sit down on the toilet seat facing the tank. You'll notice that the handle for flushing the tank is attached to a bar that runs above the water , My Dishwasher is Not Starting - What Can It Be? line to about the center of the tank. At the end of this bar is a chain that runs down into the depths of the tank and is attached to the flapper. This is where your problem is. If you press down on the flapper you may be able to stop the leaking. (I've tried cleaning them off where they seal, so as not to have to replace them, but I haven't had any luck with this, so I always replace them with a new flapper).

3. Your hard plastic , Air Cleaner Filters flapper is removed by gently lifting up on the ears that are attached to the pegs on the pipe that your flapper is attached to. If your existing flapper is a soft rubber type then pull the ears off of the pegs from the side. Remove the flapper and detach the chain from the handle bar.

Now here's some good news. The cheapest flappers work the best. The ones I use are blue , Static Shock and made of soft rubber. (They cost around $3). Even if your flapper is made of hard plastic , Drapery fabric enhances your window architectural style in any room in your home it can be replaced with a soft blue , Hidden Causes of Water Damage in the Home rubber one, and if your old flapper had a flotation device on the chain you don't have to use it on the new flapper. Just the chain and the rubber flapper are all you need.

4. Reattach the flapper ears to the pegs at the base of the pipe and reattach the chain to the handle bar. (A new chain comes with each new flapper). When you reattach the chain leave a little slack in it so that the flapper easily closes all the way, but you don't want to leave too much slack or it won't pull the flapper up enough to drain the water , Learn About The Different Types Of Mattresses out of the tank, and you'll get an abbreviated flush. The way to get the correct balance is to experiment flushing the toilet over and over, and readjusting your chain length.

5. Turn your water , Bamboo Flooring for the 21st Century back on slowly and gently. Don't put any more strain on these old pipes and threads than is necessary. Let the tank refill and then try flushing. Your flapper should open, stay open for a few seconds and then as the water , Tips On How To Care For Your Ceramic Tile Floor in the tank drains about two thirds of the way the flapper should plop back down and seal the hole. It's magic.

6. The chain length adjustment is sometimes tricky to achieve, but I assure you it does exist. Also you may have to move your chain on the handle bar to one of the different slots. On the handle bars there are three different holes you can put the chain through to perfect your adjustment. A combination of the correct slack in the chain and the positioning on the flush bar are going to bring you the results you want. Each toilet is unique in its requirements for balancing the chain length.

Flush the toilet and look into the bowl. After a minute or so the water , Bamboo Flooring for the 21st Century should settle down and be as still and placid as a pond. , Tools - Choosing A Handsaw If after several minutes you continue to see ripples your flapper is still not sealing well. If this occurs try cleaning off the lips of the base where the flapper seats itself. Readjust your chain so there's more slack and try flushing it again.

You'll get it.

In review, here are the seven steps to replacing your flapper:

1. Shut water , What is X10 Home Automation? off.

2. Remove lid from toilet tank.

3. Remove flapper, chain and float from handle bar.

4. Install new flapper and connect chain to handle bar.

5. Turn water , Tips for Creating the Perfect Kitchen back on.

6. Test flushing. Make adjustments to chain length and location , DIY Homes In The UK if necessary.

7. Check water , Self Molding Chairs in bowl to make sure there are no ripples.

Replacing Flappers is one of many articles from Jim Muckle's booklet: The Property , Tips On How To Care For Your Ceramic Tile Floor Manager (managing and maintaining an apartment , Bad News Critters - Beware of Animals in Crawl Spaces community). You can order his booklet by visiting his web , Self Molding Chairs site at Booklets From Jim Muckle or: http://hometown.aol.com/jimmuckle/myhomepage/business.html

Thanks!

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