Gerber Toilet Thread Update - Toilet Would Not Stop Running

[Kate]

Well, after I got one of the plumbing partners back here two weeks ago, he never made one slight adjustment to it. He simply told me he hated Kohler toilets (I have never had a problem with them) and I needed a Gerber toilet. This is after three months of messing with it, including three visits to my home. He installed two new Fluid Masters which included the ballcock and flapper, both times.

I need to give credit where credit is due, thanks to all of you that helped. Several people told me that the next time the toilet continues to run, to take the tank lid off and see what happens. If the water continues to drain past the hole, it is a flapper problem. This is exactly what was happening.

I called the plumbers back, and luckily got the one that I really liked, and I told him I was certain I had a faulty flapper, yep, this would be the third one. I told him what was happening. Before he got there, last Saturday, I took my hand and felt around the flapper to be there were not rips, cuts, etc. in it. I also wiped around the tank floor in case there was something holding up the flapper.

He installed another new flapper and I am happy to report it has been working ever since. It will be a week tomorrow, and I have used it heavily. I even instructed my company to use it. LOL

I find it hard to believe that it could have been three faulty flappers.

I hope I am not celebrating early, but right now it appears to be good to go.

Happy New Year everyone, and thanks so much for all of the great help. This group rocks!

Kate

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Flapper chain needs adjusstment properly. Maybe first plumber was lazy bugger. What a waster.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Thanks for the update. Did he put in some off brand cheap flappers? Unusual that three would be bad that fast.

[bob_villa]

What Tony said was probably the case...the chain was too long keeping the flapper from sealing. Not the flapper...it looks better to change the part out!

[Tekkie®]

Kate posted for all of us...

Nothing wrong with Kohler terlets. They have their own line of parts, unlike Fluidmaster which I see complaints on occasionally in here.

I would get a new plumber.

Thanks for the resolution.

[Jerry.Tan]

Some years ago, I bought a flapper from an old rural hardware store, and paid too much for it, but it saved driving 50 miles to the city. It was a name brand (cant remember the name). It refused to seal. I returned it, got another one, and that one leaked too. I carefully drained the water and polished the seat with a fine emory cloth. It still leaked. I got a 3rd one, same problem. Yes, I did adjust the chain properly each time.

I had to go to the city anyhow, so I bought another from a home repair center. Problem solved.

I did compare the one from that old hardware store and noticed the rubber was much more stiff. I came to the conclusion they were on the shelf too long and became brittle. The guy gave me a refund after I explained the problem, but they are still on the shelf (probably even the ones I returned).

I should mention that I have bought both JB-Weld and some Epoxy from that store, and both of them were hardened in the tubes. I also bought a bag of hose washers that crumbled when I pushed them into the hose end.

Apparently the stuff stays on the shelf forever or until someone buys it. Needless to say, I no longer buy stuff there, unless it's something that dont go bad from sitting on a shelf, like a piece of steel pipe, box of nails, bolts, steel hardware, or a metal tool. And I only do that to save driving a long distance, because it's still over priced.

The last time I needed JB-Weld, and did not want to drive to the city, I bought it at the local auto-parts store and it was fine. (thats the only other local place that sells it).

It's likely you had the same problem. OLD RUBBER.... too stiff to seal.

[CRNG]

On Sun, 11 Jan 2015 21:21:27 -0600, [e-mail] wrote in

Probably a lot of other people feel that same way. That's why the stuff on the shelf is so old.

The big box stores are killing the local mom/pop places.