Flapper balls for toilet tanks

[hvn_nbr_2]

I think they're called flapper balls, maybe just flappers. The thing that lifts when you operate the flush handle, that lets the flush water flow and then it drops to hold water in the tank.

Every time that I have to replace an old one because it starts leaking, I end up buying four or five of them before I find one that doesn't leak right from the start. Is there some secret to picking the right one, or is there a brand that's better, or some secret incantation that I should recite before I put it in?

[AlCzervik]

1. Do you take the old one with you to the store?

Thats what i do.

[many a good man]

2. Its probably your fault, not the flappers

Speaking from experience, it can be hit or miss whether you installed it good enough to get a good seal. If its off center just a tiny bit you'll get leakage. You have to play with it until its perfect. Sometimes the chain will snag it just a little bit on the way down when you're not looking. Make sure the opening is clean, not slimy or gritty. Never use those chlorine tabs in the tank, they'll eat the rubber and shorten its life.

Incantations help, but the Toilet gods prefer animal sacrifices.

[hvn_nbr_2]

4. But if the positioning is that sensitive, it'll change with every flush.

They're rubber, sometimes with plastic parts. They're not welded into place or anything, and the little hooks that connect them to the upright stem aren't very fixed in place either. Every pull on the chain will exert a little different force and let it fall back down in a slightly different position. That's why they have a fairly wide flat part that sits on top of the opening, I presume. Am I missing something?

[many a good man]

6. Sweet spot

It'll move a little, but only within a small range if you do it right. The rubber is a little forgiving-- that's why I like the ones with a thin, pliable bottom. Gravity and pressure lets it expand a little.

Oh, and when you buy one off the shelf, eyeball it first. Like all mass produced products some are machined badly or slightly warped from storage. Try and visually inspect it before you take it to the cashier. Rip it out of its plastic if you have to.

[Warpy]

3. Flap valve

Taking the old one with you is a good idea, just shut the water off, flush, reach in and pull it out. They're generally easy to remove.

The incantation consists of the four and seven letter words and combinations thereof that turn the clearest air blue, and should be applied when you're seating the new valve.

It's not rocket science, and other than bending the arm of the float to get the toilet to quit running all the time, it's the easiest and cheapest toilet repair out there.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I have to admit ...........

...... I took what turned out to be the easiest ***and*** most expensive way out last time I had a leaky flapper.

The toilet in our basement bathroom was leaking badly. I'd fix it and a few weeks later it'd start to leak again.

I went to Lowes and bought a new 2.6 GPF toilet for cheap. Nothing fancy, just your basic porcelain throne. But designed to work to the new low water rules.

No more leaks and it actually flushes! Old toilets that get new (low water) guts never work right. You wind up flushing two or three times to get it clear. They should make proper replacement parts.

Installing a new toilet seems intimidating, but its pretty damned easy. Easier, actually, than futzing around getting that damned flapper valve to work right!

In my case, the repair paid for itself two times over in a single 3-month water billing period. Our water bill had skyrocketed to over $400 for two quarters - all due to that damned toilet. I replaced it and the water bill next quarter was under $50.

The new toilet was about $125.