I feel the same way about mobile phone/camera/ipod chargers. There should have been a law when the first one was invented that they should ALL BE THE SAME!
Here’s what you do- more work than just removing the flapper, but much cheaper than hiring a plumber.
- Turn off the water at the valve under the tank.
- Flush the toilet.
- Hi, Opal!
- Use a sponge or paper towel to remove the rest of the water from the tank.
- Unscrew the brass bolts holding the tank to the bowl flange.
- Remove tank.
- Remove the rubber bushing from underneath the tank surrounding the hole to the toilet.
- Unscrew the ring holding the whole pipe assembly inside the tank, to which the flapper is attached.
- Buy any standard tank fill assembly.
- Follow instructions inside box.
- Turn on water.
- Begin flushing with nary a worry about a leaky flapper.
Total cost- about $11 and one hour of your time.
crap, if you go to home depot you can replace the entire toilet for that nuch, in an american standard that everybody has parts for…
I was going to post this. It’s really easy.
In the purest capitalist system, you’d either pay a cadre of white-jacketed, genuflecting attendants to catch Monsieur’s leavings in an ornately embroidered velvet bag, or you’d get fitted for a white jacket.
This is closer to feudalism. Capitalism being focused on economic efficiency, the wisdom of paying those people would come into question mighty fast.
I still don’t understand why the OP is squeamish about removing the flapper and taking it to the hardware store to find an exact match.
It is in the tank of the toilet and not in the toilet itself!!
Sympathy? I’m jealous. I only got to play conventional instruments like clarinet and trumpet.
I realize that. But it just seems like putting underwear back on the shelf after trying them on. Also, I had to cut off the ring, because the fill tube is too large for the flapper I bought.
As to why not use the old flapper…
It too was a replacement part that didn’t fit perfectly. In hindsight, I should have just left it in.
As for Corkboard’s suggested actions, I’m hesitant. I have only the one toilet in my house, and if I SERIOUSLY screw it up then I’m really hosed.
As it is now, I can operate the mechanism by taking the top off and pressing down on the current flapper with a stick long enough to fill the tank and flush. But taking the tank off and attempting repairs could put me in a worse situation.
You should be able to find the right replacement with a search somewhere. We have a toilet we had to special order the flapper for. Even with that, it still leaked until I put marine caulking around the bottom of the toilet to fix the seal. The guy who owned the house before us fancied himself a handyman, but always bought the remaindered stuff and never got closet doors hung just right. I’ve fixed up a lot of his work.
If you’re brave enough to attempt a flapper replacement, you’re brave enough to replace all of the toilet’s guts. They really are just a “nuts and bolts” job.
Outside of pressure-assisted toilets or the weird low-rise Kohler designs, the $20 “Flusher Fixer” kit will work in pretty much any toilet out there. If things go seriously pear-shaped, you still have the option of calling a plumber.
Which is better? To spend $20 to learn that you can’t fix a toilet or to spend $200 and never know if you could fix a toilet or not?
What I’m really concerned about is having to go to the bathroom in between learning that I can’t fix a toilet and the arrival of a plumber.
How do you feel about copper clappers?
That’s your own fault. Clean your bathroom!
Well, there’s your problem; you got it in backwards.
But think of how much money you’ll save on your water bill!
Good God, man, can’t you read? The poor man hasn’t been able to use the toilet! That’s bound to make even Jesus want to kick puppies.
:rolleyes: Shut yer flap!
Seriously: Locke Plumbing
Ex Tank, thank you for that link.
Clicking on Eljer products leads to a page with photos of about 30 kinds of Eljer toilets. I’ve got it narrowed down to about 12.
I’m hoping there’s a savant whose specialty is toilet identification reading this thread somewhere…
You rang? I recently had to look up/research parts for a busted recliner sofa, and got way too adroit at spotting minute details.
How do the internal fiddleybits differ between the 12 models? Or are they like Cylons: look different on the outside, all gooey on the inside?
If it’s not too personal, and you can get the proper angularity without exposing yourself to too much of your bathroom floor, why don’t you post a pic of your toilet (a good front and side shot would be helpful), and let’s see if we can’t narrow this down a bit, and get you, uh, back in business.
We did exactly this last month, and it worked great.
However, the OP may also consider that now is the time to go ahead and get a pressure-assist toilet. No more double-flushing, unless you’re some sort of mutant.
You could buy a new goddamn toilet for that price.
ETA: …as aruvqan already mentioned. d’oh!
You don’t need to have the tank to flush the thing. Have a bucket or pot containing about two gallons of water and steadily pour into the bowl. The toilet will flush, provided it isn’t clogged.
IOW, don’t panic whilst pursuing, or perusing, repair.
More the reason for urgent offshoring.