Fix a Flapper on a Toilet

A toilet that constantly runs or that doesn’t flush well is a big annoyance, as well as a waste of precious and expensive water. The good news is that most flushing mechanisms are easy to fix. While toilet flushing systems can vary, most toilets use a flapper system to control the flush. Keep scrolling after the jump to learn how to check and fix a toilet flapper.

Steps

  1. Lift the top off the tank of the toilet carefully and set it somewhere where it won’t get broken.
  2. Look inside the toilet tank.
    • You should see a white plastic tube called an overflow tube in the tank.
    • Attached to the tube will be the flapper guides, two arms that hold either side of the rubber flapper. This sits near the bottom of the overflow tube.
    • Attached to the guide arms is the flapper, a round piece of rubber that is supposed to fit tightly in a hole in the bottom of the tank.
    • Attached to the top of the flapper will be a chain or metal rod.
    • The chain or rod is hooked to a bar at the top of the tank, which is generally attached to a mechanism on the overflow pipe near the top.
    • There is another rod in the toilet that turns on and shuts off the flow of water into the tank. The level of water can be controlled by a float ball on a rod or by a mechanism that turns like a dial.
  3. Flush the toilet as you watch what happens inside.
    • When you push down on the flush handle the bar at the top lifts, pulling the flapper out of the hole.
    • The flapper floats for a moment but as the water drains out of the tank it should settle back into the hole, closing it off.
    • After the flapper closes the hole the toilet fills with water to the top of the overflow tube, when it should stop.
  4. Replace the chain or wire on the lift bar if the flapper doesn’t lift off the hole and you can see they are unattached. Generally they hook into holes in the rod. Use the middle hole first. Try another if the flapper doesn’t seal right.
  5. Untangle any kinks in a flapper chain if it isn’t fitting back into hole after a flush.
  6. Adjust the length of the flapper chain so that it doesn’t flop into the hole with the flapper, preventing it from sealing. There are 2 ways.
    • Move the hook on the chain to a different hole on the bar.
    • Move the hook on the chain further down to shorten it.
    • The chain should be fairly straight between the flapper and the bar when the flapper is properly seated in the hole.
  7. If it's a wire, move the wire connected to a flapper to a different hole in the bar to see if that corrects the problem. Otherwise you can straighten the wire and bend it back a little shorter.
  8. Flush the toilet again to see if the problem is solved.
  9. Adjust the float adjustment screw if the flapper does fit into the hole but water rises over the overflow tube and continues to trickle over it.
  10. Turn off the water to the toilet if none of the above fixes the problem. There should be a turn off valve below the tank. In some cases you may need to go into a basement beneath the toilet to find the valve.
  11. Flush the toilet to empty the tank after the water is off.
  12. Lift the flapper and clean the edge of the hole and just inside it, first with a cloth, then lightly with a scouring pad.
  13. Turn the water back on and flush the toilet to observe your work. You may need to turn it off and try again.
  14. If the flapper ball continues to let water leak after adjustment, you will probably need to replace it. This is a simple job. Just follow the package directions.

Tips

  • While the water inside a toilet tank can look grungy it is clean water. Don’t be afraid to put your hands inside.
  • Toilet flapper replacement kits can be found in any hardware and usually have complete, easy to follow instructions.

Warnings

  • Be very careful not to crack the ceramic lid or tank when adjusting a toilet flapper problem.

Things You’ll Need

  • Screwdriver
  • Pliers

Related Articles

  • Replace the Flush Valve Seal on a Mansfield Style Toilet
  • Adjust Toilet Tank Handles

Sources and Citations

  • Readers Digest- Household Hints and Handy Tips, Pleasantville, N.Y., Readers Digest Association Inc, 1988. pg 116-117
  • Philbin, Tom, How to Make Your House Behave, New York, NY, Golden Press, 1976. pgs 126-127.
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