We have a toilet running and it's probably a flap ball that due to age doesn't seat properly after you flush and lets just a little water pass by. Any of you have a tip for me that I can continue my cheap (er... I mean frugal) ways?
Thank you,
Jim in FL
Replace the flap, they don't cost that much and look at the money you are sending down the toilet by letting the water run. (04/07/2005)
By
Definitely replace the flap. The whole assembly cost me $7.95 at the local home improvement place and took about 5 minutes to install. I saw the water bill go down dramatically, immediately. (04/08/2005)
By Jen
My husband does a lot of plumbing jobs and this is what he has found:
Many times the whole assembly does have to be replaced. Yes, $5-7 for cost.
Periodically to check if your toilet is leaking: turn off the tap behind your toilet. Check where the water level in the toilet tank is at. Leave it for a few hours or overnight and recheck the tank. Has the water level dropped at all? If so, you need to replace the flapper.
Even after a new assembly has been installed, check the water level again by turning the water off. Sometimes the new ones do not work or seat properly, better to double check then to still have a water leak.
Also, you do not have to hear water leaking from your toilet in order to have a leak. If you do hear it then your water bill will be really high. A slight leak and your water bill will be just a little bit higher than normal. It costs nothing to check the toilet, just your time and effort.
P.S. We run a water utility company and this past month one of our customers had a leaking toilet. I called her to let her know that she would be getting an extremely high bill (about $1300 CDN for 3 months of usage) and she told me that she just hadn't gotten around to getting someone to come in and fix her toilet. She would have saved herself SO much by buying a $5 assembly and having it installed by herself or a plumber. But... procrastination. (04/08/2005)
There's not really a way to save on this one. I did read somewhere not to use bleach tablets in the tank because it would deteriorate the flapper, so I stopped using those immediately. This is a very annoying problem for all of us! (04/10/2005)
By suzi homemaker
Have you tried wiping the flapper with Bleach? A plumber gave me this tip. Continuous water contact with flapper causes a slimy stuff to form which prevents it from sealing properly. Worth a try B4 buying a new one. (04/12/2005)
By Jukea
In my case the chain was too long and was getting under the flap every time I flush and preventing it for sealing properly. I just had to adjust it to make sure it's long enough to operate the flap but not too long to hang and run under the flap after you flush. Give it a try, it only took me one minute and cost nothing. (05/20/2005)
By Heryck, NY
My problem has to do with the float: it seems to sink after a while and not come back up which causes water to run continually. (02/12/2006)
By Mike
Usually the float can be unscrewed from the rod which holds it. I'm pretty sure you can just buy a new one. You also could try to find the leak and patch it with a waterproof glue or caulking. Make sure it is good and dry before you put it back on. If for some reason it doesn't unscrew you may need to replace the whole assembly. Hopefully it will. (02/12/2006)
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