Listening to a runny toilet is not only annoying, but a constantly running toilet can leak money from your budget also, wasting dozens of gallons of water each day. Most of the time, a running toilet results from a problem with the toilet flapper. Over the course of thousands of flushes, the flapper parts become worn out and break down, resulting in a poor seal which causes the water to continually run into the toilet. Replacing the flapper is an easy do it yourself project that requires about an hour of your time and a few basic tools from your toolbox.

1. Water Supply

Begin with your toilet repair by shutting off the water supply to the toilet. The water supply is controlled by a valve usually located on the wall or floor next to or behind the toilet.

2. Drain the Tank

Flush the toilet until all of the water has drained out of the tank and into the bowl. You may need to use a small container to bail out any remaining water so that you can access the flapper.

3. Disconnect the Toilet Flapper

Disconnect the flapper from the hooks that hold each side of the flapper to the overflow tube. Unhook the flapper’s chain from the pivot arm. Lift the flapper out of the toilet tank.

4. Clean the Tank

Mineral deposits, rust and other debris can interfere with the flapper’s ability to seal. Use a clean old t-shirt to wipe down the toilet tank’s outlet where the flapper rests.

5. Insert New Toilet Flapper

Place the new flapper into the toilet tank, setting it on top of the outlet and pressing gently to form a good seal.

6. Attach the Toilet Flapper

Insert the hooks on the sides of the overflow tube into the loops of the flapper. Hook the chain of the new flapper onto the pivot arm. You may need to tinker with the length of the chain so that the flapper stays up for the correct amount of time needed for the toilet’s tank to fill with water. In most cases, the chain needs to have about a half-inch of flexibility.

7. Turn on the Water Supply

Turn the water supply back on for the toilet. Perform a test flush once the toilet tank has filled. Listen for signs of running water that indicate the flapper is not properly sealing. Continue to adjust the length of the chain if the flapper is not sealing correctly or the tank is not adequately filling. If the toilet is still running, you may need to do an entire cistern replacement. Replacing the toilet cistern is a more involved project but is still something that you can do yourself.

8. Toilet Flapper Maintenance

You can extend the life of your toilet flapper by avoiding using chemical treatments in your toilet tank such as the tablets that disinfect the tank and bowl. To keep the toilet bowl sanitized, use a bowl cleaner instead of the tablets or disks that are loaded into the tank. These tablets weaken the rubber portion of the toilet flapper and cause it to fail faster than it normally would.

Punctual Plumbers in Houston provides various services to their customers. Well repair, tankless water heater installation, water filtration systems, and drain cleaning.