| Without special training, you may be able to fix some | | | | company in a matter of minutes. Alternatively, you |
| of the common problems with toilets. However, | | | | may do the repair yourself, since flappers generally |
| before starting, you need to understand the | | | | don't cost very much and are sold in most hardware |
| mysterious inner workings of an average modern | | | | stores. Don't delay getting the flapper replaced. |
| toilet. When a toilet gets flushed, the tank water | | | | The toilet won't completely flush if the flapper shuts |
| refills the bowl within a few seconds through the | | | | too fast. Check to see if the flapper is correctly |
| flush valve. This valve is then sealed by the flapper, | | | | hinged over the overflow tube, then look at the |
| or what used to be called the flush valve seat ball. | | | | length of the chain and tug it tightly. Finally, remove a |
| As the tank refills, the weight of the water pushes | | | | single link off the chain and gently reattach it. If |
| down on the flapper and seals it tight. The flush | | | | replacing the flapper doesn't help, the situation may |
| valve is the flapper's ball shape piece which measures | | | | be more complicated so call a professional plumber in |
| two and one half inches wide. The flapper is hinged | | | | your area that has lots of experience. |
| on an upright overflow pipe that is on the side of the | | | | A low flow type of toilet runs 1.6 gallons of water |
| valve. A tiny chain attaches the flapper to a trip lever | | | | every time you flush. Regular flows use nearly 3.5 |
| which you can move with the outside handle. | | | | gallons of water in toilets. Shower heads with low |
| Toilet's most typical problem is the flapper (flush | | | | flow run nearly 2 and 1/2 gallons per minute. That is |
| valve) leaking. This causes the fill valve to run every | | | | instead of the 4 to 5 used by conventional shower |
| so often. At times, there might only be a piece of | | | | heads. |
| foreign material stuck on the flapper or on the | | | | Every year, when an toilet leak gets ignored, nearly |
| discharge opening where it's sealed. You can simply | | | | 80,000 gallons of water may get wasted. Checking |
| wipe the stuck material away and the leak should | | | | your toilet is smart, both economically and |
| stop. | | | | environmentally. Older flush ball valves for tanks are |
| However, rubber flappers do wear out from different | | | | available for homes as well. If you prefer more |
| causes and let water leak into the toilet bowl. You | | | | up-to-date parts, you may use plastic parts with a |
| can have the it replaced by a reputable plumbing | | | | rubber flapper instead. |