Tips and tricks, toilet flapper chain?

[Eric in North TX]

I've had several of these knot up over the years, not regularly enough to just replace them, just often enough to be an annoyance. I've tried many types, all seem to have some draw-back. I'm looking for product recommendations, modifications, anything anyone has done that worked for years. I can tell you some things that don't work; the rubber straps with the arrow shaped stops (too rigid), the fluid master black plastic chain (worst knotting problem to date, it floats hence the tangles).

[Harry K]

I have never seen a "knotting" problem with any kind. I have had a problem with a link (usually the top one) going sideways when flushing and then not letting the ball fully close. That is simple to correct, just hang a small fishing weight from the link. That ends that problem.

Harry K

[krw]

If the chain is getting knotted up, you have it too long. Shorten the chain so there is just a little slack when the flapper is closed and the handle up.

[Eric in North TX]

Tried that, but I don't get a good flush, it seems to need a little slack for the flapper to work properly. I have maybe 1/4" slack, but the problem occurs when the flapper is up.

[Eric in North TX]

That would likely work.

[Oren]

The flush handle may have several holes to attach the chain; one at the end, one center and one close to the handle. I have made adjustments by selecting a different hole to secure the chain.

-- Oren

"My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

[Jeff Wisnia]

If the other suggestions don't work well enough to satisfy you then just replace the chain with a length of nylon fishing line. Works every time.

HYH.

Jeff

[George E. Cawthon]

Fishing line. I use 30 pound monofilament. The hardest part for me is tying the knots since I'm not a fisherman, so my knots look a bit gross. You need to carefully use the amount that leaves only a little slack in the line when the flapper is down so that you don't have any excess to catch on parts.

I've been using if for nearly about 10 years and never had a problem; no problem with the line but the flappers wear out. Currently one toilet (about 30 years old) has had the same flapper and and fishing line for about 5 years. Newest toilet is a replacement(about 4 years old), and I will certainly fix it with fishing line when it develops a problem.

[Harry K]

It works for sure. Of course on my toilet it took me several _years_ to figure that out. Used to be that toilet would 'stick' about every

2nd or 3rd flush. None at all after I hung the weight from that link. Of course I just replaced that toilet with a "Toto". Wish I had known about those fantastic fixtures years ago. No more double or triple flushes to get the job done.

Harry K

[mgkelson]

Some chains & hooks seem to work well and some don't. With the ones that don't, I've been able to solve the problem by replacing the hook with a tie wrap. This works very well and has solved the problem with 2 toilets that I have tried it with. The problem is that the tie wraps wear through and breaks after a few years. Then you have to replace them.

I like the idea of the fishing sinker. I'm going to try that next time.

[amsterdammer 71]

Cut an irrigation tubing in the length and wrap that around the chain, it should reduce/prevent the "knotting" problem. When cutting the tubing in the length, it looks like a straw. Humphrey P.

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

I sure hope Harry K and the others have solved their toilet chain and flapper problems since this thread was originally started 9 years ago.

[Ken]

How do these old posts get onto a newsgroup? I would think they would be dropped long ago.

[Lee]

replying to Ken, Lee wrote: I'm glad it didn't get dropped, I'm having this problem now, just like Eric said, with that stupid Fluid Master floating chain.

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

So why didn't you just make a new thread instead of perpetuating more stupidity from HomeMoanersHub??

[artbishop]

replying to Oren, artbishop wrote: BEST thought and it earned a good laugh as well!!

[Jim1977]

replying to mgkelson, Jim1977 wrote: Use a plastic tie-wrap. Keep the chain in place, and wrap the tie-wrap around the top of the chain (preferably through an opening) to prevent it from falling down. Then, insert the tie-wrap through every other link in the chain down towards the bottom.

The tie-wrap will stiffen the chain so that it can't tangle up, while still allowing the chain to support the weight of the flapper. So the tie-wrap should never wear out (or at least I won't be around long enough to find out otherwise).