Not even has a species at the top of the food chain could we come to a straight convergent conclusion on a toilet tank flapper. I’ve been to HD, Lowes, and Ace and all three have a variety of flappers that give an initial appearance that they might work, but in every case it turns out the slight variations in design ALL deviate from the original design that American Standard used on my Model 4112 toilets.
So, before I break out the Dremel and start grinding something (like my head), where should a man turn in times where his other soapbox isn’t in service? 🙂 Simply put, the tanks are losing water down to the flapper, but not above or below it. AS tells me its the flapper, but AS doesn’t provide email communications.
BTW, how is AS as a fixture company? I replace all four water mechanisms through AS when the originals had problems. Now I am guessing I’ll need to get them to help me replace the flappers, too.
Replies
Nuke,
Just replaced flapper on American standard with the silicone kind of flapper.
I also scraped off the calcium(?) deposit on the plastic part of the pipe assembly the flapper flaps on to smooth it out.
The DW had put chlorine tabs in the tank and it make the old flapper real rough so it wouldn't seal.
By the way, I had to replace the flush valve also. New instructions on the new one said "DO not use chlorine tablets in the tank.
May explain why both our toilets were constantly draining.
Works now.
Pete
Plumbing parts can be a test of your patience. They seem to be designed in funny regional ways. Not real straight forward.
I always get the red flappers if I can. They are supposed to last longer.
Just buy the one you think will work and try it. Are you trying to engineer this?
Silicone flapper may work pretty well. I had two toilets where the flappers leaked and I bought mail order kits that had oversized seats that you glued in place with silicone. That worked real well, but after a couple years, one of them started leaking again. Seems like there could be a better way.
Toliets can also loose water through the refill tube that goes into the overflow tube. It the end is below the tank level it will siphon waterout of the tank into the bowl.
And I don't know what the model 4112 is or what kind of flush valve it has.
Some have larger diameter opening than the older "standard". And some use a cylinder like system.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
The Douglas valve might need to be replaced. That is the tower that the flapper seals against & where the primer tube attaches.