Does anyone have any help or recommendations on toilet bowl flushing mechanism repair?
The toilet sounds like its constantly running, so I asked my father (rather handy, but not a pro) for his thoughts.
His diagnosis was that the 'flapper' was getting old and leaking, leading to the constant, quiet, running sound.
I figure that since these bowls are from 1973, I should just replace everything in there, because it is probably more efficient anyway.
They are both 6.0/1.6 American Standards. Does anyone have any recommendations of what brand of kit I should buy?
Also, are there any necessary preparations to do before hand, such as shutting off the main water line and what general or specific tools I may need?
Thank you for any help!
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
I think those fixtures are pretty standardized. Just pick up a kit from your local hardware store - shouldn't cost more than $20-$30 for everything. I just replaced a flush mechanism, no flapper, for about $10-$15. I tend to get one notch up from the cheapest one they have there.
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
There may (should) be a water turn-off just below the toilet. It's less of a hassle to just turn off water there, rather than the whole house. Other than that, I have no advice since I haven't had to do this repair yet.
Oh, by the way, you're making repairs in the toilet tank. The bowl is the other part.
--Mel
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
as was mentioned previously you can turn the water off at the toilet. There should be a valve (usually oval shaped) near the floor behind or next to the toilet.
You should be able to buy a standard flapper kit from home depot (or the local version of a home repair store). You could always try walmart as well. Rather than just buying a flapper, you might buy a kit that also has a seal, and silicone gel to reseal the area between the flapper and the tank.
You should not need any tools...other than maybe a pair of scissors to open the package of the flapper kit.
It is VERY easy and the package should have instructions. I just changed out my flapper and it took about 2-3 minutes.
The one advise I would give...is get one with a real chain, not those stupid rubber "chains" that some of the newer ones have. They say they don't rust...but I have not had a problem with metal chains rusting...and they are much easier to set up.
Posted by Lostinspace (Member # 11633) on :
Definately do not get the cheapest one! Know the make and model of your toilet and talk with the guy who knows plumbing at Lowes or Homedepot, you would be suprised but sometimes the universal kits will not fit all models and makes of toilets! And this link should give you some good step by step advice:
I just replaced my first toilet flapper this past week. It's easy. Turn off the water at the toilet and flush once or twice to reduce the level of water in the tank. Then, it's an easy matter of reaching into the tank and removing the old flapper and placing the new one in position.
Posted by RivalOfTheRose (Member # 11535) on :
Thanks for the tips and link!
Posted by Lostinspace (Member # 11633) on :
No problem, Handyman advice means I get to use all my links and books!
Posted by Glenn Arnold (Member # 3192) on :
quote:Know the make and model of your toilet and talk with the guy who knows plumbing at Lowes or Homedepot, you would be suprised but sometimes the universal kits will not fit all models and makes of toilets!
Especially since the toilet you're repairing is from the '70s. Modern toilet flapper valves are weighted and vented to close earlier, because they are only supposed to allow 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Older toilets used 7 to 9 gallons, and the shape of the bowl simply will not flush with 1.6 gallons. I'm not even sure that you can buy a flapper that works on the old ones anymore.
Posted by RivalOfTheRose (Member # 11535) on :
I begin my repair adventure today... I got the $20 Universal Korky Plus Repair Kit. My tank claims it is a 6.0/1.6 gpf, so we will see!
Posted by Lostinspace (Member # 11633) on :
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