Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have an idea of what a toilet flapper is and you think yours is not functioning properly. Thank goodness you found my website! I can help you with any plumbing issues, especially toilet flapper ones. I understand that if you just don’t know, you just don’t know and that’s where this article should help clear things up for you.
A toilet flapper needs to be replaced when the flapper is not sealing properly after flushing the toilet. You will know this is happening because water will still be flowing into the bowl. Toilet flappers should also be replaced when they start deteriorating. Over long periods of time, the rubber that the flapper is made out of can deteriorate.
It’s great to be proactive and change out a toilet flapper because someone happened to notice that tiny pieces of rubber are loose either in the toilet tank or in the bowl after a flush. Chances are that most of the time, toilet flappers will get changed out when the toilet is running for no apparent reason. Well, there’s a reason for that – it’s because the flapper is not functioning the way it should anymore.
In this article, we’ll talk about how you know the flapper needs replacing along with a few other tidbits of information you should know. Let’s get to it!
How Do You Know if You Need a New Toilet Flapper?
This is the magic question. I briefly explained above how you would know. Let’s get into more detail, though. There are typically a few reasons this situation comes up.
- Over time, some flappers will start to break apart. This can happen because the rubber isn’t as good in quality as it should be. It can happen also if the water has a higher than normal mineral count, usually when the toilet water is sourced from a well.
- You will notice small little rubber chunks, most likely in the toilet tank and sometimes in the bowl right after a flush.
- Most homeowners probably wouldn’t change out the flapper at this point, however, I would suggest being proactive at this point if you notice deterioration because not too long after that you’re going to run into the next reason for knowing if you need a new toilet flapper. Read on.
- It’s been called ‘ghost flush’ or run on. When your toilet sounds like it’s randomly running every so often, that’s a ghost flush. Just like everything else in life, toilet flappers get old and don’t work as well as they once did.
- Flappers can start to warp or what I call, wave. It’s when the rubber starts to misshapen, and what ends up happening is there is no seal after flushing and the water keeps running into the toilet. Usually, it’s only for seconds at a time but it could be for longer if left for long enough.
- Depending on the hardness of your water, minerals can attach to the underside of the flapper and the lip of the flush valve where the flapper sits. This will cause an uneven surface and that means water will keep trickling into the toilet bowl.
- You can try to scrape the crust off the flapper if you want. I have always found it just as easy to install a new one. If the flapper is that old that minerals are attaching to the rubber, then it probably needs to be replaced anyways.
There are a few likely culprits for identifying when a toilet flapper needs to be replaced. If you find yourself in one of these situations, I suggest replacing the flapper ASAP. I don’t like listening to the toilet running at night and I am sure you feel the same.
What Does a Flapper Look Like in a Toilet?
Luckily, it’s easy to identify the flapper in your toilet. If you open the toilet tank lid and look right in the middle of it, there will be a tube that has a rubber attachment on the bottom of it.
If you go ahead now and flush your toilet, you will see that the rubber thing (toilet flapper) lifts up to allow the water to flow into the toilet bowl. When just about all of the water in the tank is gone, the flapper drops back down onto the base of the flush valve that it is attached to.
Some are black, some red, it all depends on the manufacturer. One thing that is always the same is the flush valve sits in the middle of the toilet tank and the toilet flapper attaches to the flush valve.
Can You Just Replace the Flapper in a Toilet?
Luckily yes, you can just replace toilet flappers. This is excellent news because if you had to change the whole flush valve, you would have to take the tank off the bowl to do so.
I recommend you take a picture of the flapper in your toilet tank and write down the name of the toilet for example, American Standard, Kohler ETC.
If you go to a place like Home Depot, you should be able to replace the flapper easily even if you use a universal model. It doesn’t have to be the same manufacturer. It just has to be the same size and style.
Toilet flappers are very easy to detach from the flush valve then replace it with a new one. You can do it. Just make sure to turn the water off to the toilet then flush the toilet to get most of the water out so you can work in the tank easily.
How Do I Know Which Toilet Flapper?
I recommended in the previous section to take a picture. This will help you select the correct flapper.
Having the picture should be good enough. The only other issue is whether it’s a 2” or 3” sized hole that the flapper needs to seal between flushes.
If you are in North America, you probably need a 2” size, however, some newer toilets do come with a 3” hole. The best way to figure this out is to measure the diameter of the hole where the flapper sits or turn the water off and take the flapper off (and with you) when you go to purchase a new one. Then you can’t go wrong.
Most packaging will state which manufacturers toilets the flappers are good for so that’s another place to check once you get to a store.
How Often Do Toilet Flappers Need to be Replaced?
It’s really hard to say how long a toilet flapper will last. I would say most should last anywhere from 6 to 10 years easily. There are different conditions placed on our toilets, however. How often is it used, what kind of water is running through it, etc.
For most people though, I would expect changing out the flapper once every 10 years is more common.
How much does it cost to replace a toilet flapper? Again, this will depend on where you are located. I live in Canada and if I do it myself the flapper itself is going to currently cost me about $10 or $12. They really aren’t that expensive and if replaced, can save you money on your water bill.
If you have to hire someone, it shouldn’t cost more than an hour’s worth of labor and the cost of the flapper.
This is a job a handyman can do, by the way. I say that because calling a plumber to come out and do this will be very expensive for a 10-minute job and a $12 item.
How Do I Get My Flapper to Go Down in My Toilet?
I saw this question online and thought it would be a good fit for this article.
If the issue is that your toilet is running periodically by itself, then I would refer to everything I have given you in this article above.
If the flapper seems to be in good condition but for some reason it’s not dropping properly onto the flush valve, it could be because there is air in the flapper. Just turn the flapper upright to check and allow any trapped air out.
It could also be because it’s a newly installed flapper and somehow it is too tight to the flush valve. I would recommend taking it off and reinstalling.
Conclusion
To sum things up, I just wanted to point out that if you are having issues with a toilet flapper, it’s very easy to turn the water off and troubleshoot. I have given you some great information in this article on how to do so.
And if you’re just not sure if you should replace the flapper or not, I would suggest that when in doubt, just change it out.
Hopefully, this article has been of help to you. Thanks for reading and good luck.
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