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Son just moved into a rental and his toilet keeps emptying and then it refills up again about 2-3 times per hour. He's had enough of it as it wakes him up at night.

Anyone know how they can fix this? If he does it himself, he can get a discount off the rent. He's pretty handy...

(House built in 1994)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

That sounds like a worn out flap valve. $3.70-$7 at my local Lowe's.

http://www.lowes.com/Search=to...toilet+flapper+valve

Simple fix. To test, just shut the water off and if the tank goes empty the flapper needs replaced. You can also put a couple of drops of food coloring into the tank and if the water in the bowl changes colors before you use it and flush it the flap valve is leaking. Sometimes it can be as simple as wiping the valve seat off inside the tank, but the valves can and do break down over time, especially if you use in tank cleaners like 2000 Flushes which contains bleach and will eat at the rubber parts in the tank.

Common cause is the flapper that does not seal the tank from filling the bowl. It is the part that lifts up in the tank to let the water flow into the bowl during a flush. (Open the tank lid, push the handle to flush and it will make sense)

They wear out and allow some water to seep into the bowl, causing it to refill when it gets low enough. EASY fix, and I always spring for the flapper that costs a buck or two more than the cheapest. They last longer.

Any hardware or box store will have the flapper, but you will need the water turned off to the toilet to do the change out.

Well thank you very much Sparky and Conrad. I think he can do this. Conrad/Sparky, since it's a rental, which one would you get at the Lowe's website you posted? There seem to be so many. Is there a difference?

Any idea what a plumber would charge to do this? It'll make him feel good knowing what he saved!

I personally go for the red or orange Korky ones rather than the black. They cost a bit more, but tend to not get hard or break down as fast as the black. Also they have chains rather than the plastic straps, which I find straps harder to deal with.

Chances are in a rental, it will take the standard flapper, and not the wider spaced "eared" ones some of the Kohlers take. He can measure the distance between the little loopy ears that hook it to the bottom of the pipe. (or better yet, shut off the water, remove the old one and put in a plastic bag and take it with him) then half the repair is done.

Good idea, as Sparky mentioned, to wipe down or even use some steel wool around the valve seat before installing. Hard water deposits can also make the surface rough, and keep a flapper from sealing tight.

As far as cost? It normally would be a handy man or landlord fix in most cases. It certainly would be a plumber's dream however. (Trip charge plus minimal part and less than 5 minutes work.)

I like ones with plastic chains versus metal ones. The metal ones will rust in time. Most of the ones I see today are plastic but I've replaced more than a few metal chains over the years.

Most replacement flappers are universal now. But there should be a model number stamped in the tank if you need it.

Also, I had a metal chain once that I couldnt get the link to hook on the flapper (the tank was recessed in the wall and I was basically installing it blind) so I used a small zip tie to connect the flapper to the chain and it worked great!

Good luck. There are also lots of videos on line that you can watch a flapper replacement.

Interestingly, The ones that I have bought all had little stainless steel chains, and never had one rust? But it might depend on your water system too.

By the way, If he only ends up getting reimbursed for mileage and materials, it is still a really good skill/knowledge to have, and a confidence builder for the next repair.

Hey, thanks Ilvmicki2 - i found a video for him.

And you're right Conrad - good life skill to have. He just has to figure out how to turn the water off.