It looks like I have a leak somewhere. The back of the tank fills, then empties itself, the fills again... this is a fast one.
Any tips on how to isolate the leak? I am so hoping it is INSIDE the toilet and not OUTSIDE in the pipes!
Thanks for any advice
I'll assume that it's not leaking all over the floor or you'd of mentioned that so it's not the tank bolts. So it's most likely the donut between the tank and the bowl. These things kind of disintegrate over time, the rubber gets to the point where it rubs off on your finger. That will cause the tank to slowly leak into the bowl which just slowly overflows down the drain without causing the siphon effect. In the tank the water level goes down to the point that the tank valve opens up and causes the tank to refill. Sound like what's happening?
Replacing the donut is fairly straightforward although the tank bolts have a tendency to get very corroded and can sometimes be a bear to remove. WD-40 helps a lot here. I've had to drill and hacksaw them off before.
If you're going to be a diy'er in your new home it's worth getting a book or three on basic home repair topics. One on plumbing will have instructions on replacing this.
You can get a kit for replacing this at the despot for about $15 and it has pretty good instructions with it.
good luck ml
Also, check that the refill tube isn't too far inside the overflow pipe. That can cause water to siphon out of the toilet.
LL
Is anything holding the flapper from closing at the bottom of the tank? Extra chain, etc... Your leak has to be in the tank itself... it's supposed to hold the water no matter whether there's a leak elsewhere or not.
The chain and/or handle is broken right? The chain is probably heading down the drain and holding the flapper up off the seal. pull the chain out of the hole.
Steve B.
You and the another guy nailed it. Thanks to both of you!
"Brian V" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
Or a bad flapper seat.They get crudded up or rot,also.
You guys are good! I will try to remember your suggestions the next time my toilet acts up. An aside, just heard yesterday that where I live (Vancouver) we will only be able to buy low-flush toilets after September
1st. I have heard that they don't flush nearly as well as the old style toilets. Hope they have improved the low-flush design by now. Des
Put food coloring in the tank and see where the water goes
Most likely a frog got in your tank and is drinking the water. Simply remove the frog and your problem will be solved. Be sure to put said frog in a proper lake or stream or you will be charged with animal cruelty.
Too many IF's for my needs. When I wipe my ass, I wipe till it's clean. If I want fluffy paper, thats what I want to use. A well designed toilet should handle all of that fine, and should only clog if someone uses a whole roll of paper, which is stupid anyhow. The old toilet that came iwth my parents 1950's house would flush every time. except if someone really got carried away with the paper. The plunger dried up and got stuck to the floor from lack of use.
The late 1990's toilet in my present house is a "low water consumption" piece of garbage that plugs at least every other time I use it. My plunger is needed daily. I have to flush at least 3 times after each use. As soon as I find an old used toilet, this one goes in the garbage where it belongs.
He might be using the wrong kind of water !!! Change the water and let us know if that helps.
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