Photo from Popular Science
While your American Standard toilet is designed to give you many years of excellent service, the occasional problem does arise. One common issue that you'll have to deal with regularly is when your toilet runs continuously.
This is a severe issue because your toilet will be wasting a lot of water. When a toilet starts to behave like this, it shows that some toilet parts could be damaged. One such part is the toilet flapper. This hardworking toilet part is prone to frequent breakdowns, and in most cases, you have no other option other than replacement.
How a Flapper Works and Why Replacement Might Be Inevitable
The flapper is located at the bottom of the toilet tank and is connected to a chain that hangs from the flush handle. When the toilet is flushed, the chain raises the flapper, enabling the used water to flow to the toilet bowl. When the water tank empties, the flapper drops down and seals the valve allowing the tank to refill.
A flapper can fail to perform its functions if it's not set correctly on the flush valve opening as it'll allow water to flow into the toilet bowl. You'll then notice that your toilet runs constantly.
When you consider the number of times that the average toilet is flushed in a day, you appreciate the hard work that the flapper performs. Since it's permanently immersed in water, the flapper could also get damaged by mineral deposits in the water. When a flapper fails to work appropriately because of dirt deposits, you could clean it, but replacement is the ideal solution in most situations.
Replacing an American Standard Toilet Flapper Replacement
To remove the old flapper, you need to remove the lid from the toilet tank.
Follow these steps:
1. Turn Off the Water Supply to the Toilet
To help you work comfortably, you should not let water flow into the tank, and you can do this by turning off the water supply. Find the shutoff valve and turn it clockwise until the water flow stops.
2. Flush the Toilet to Empty the Toilet Tank
When the tank is empty, you'll be able to work without obstruction and find out the flapper's actual condition. If you notice that the flapper moves smoothly and seals the flush valve well, you'll know that your flapper is sound, and you should look elsewhere for the cause of the running toilet. Should the flapper be damaged, you'll move to the next step.
3. Remove Old Flapper
The flapper is held in place by a chain attached to the handle lever and pegs
located on the overflow valve. Begin by unclipping the chain and then carefully pull the flapper to remove it from the pegs.
4. Install the New Flapper
Some flappers are made for specific toilets, and before purchasing yours, it's essential to confirm that it's compatible with your toilet. This is not to say that you should look for a flapper of the same brand, but you should get one with similar or identical features to the one you're replacing.
Photo from Lowe’s
To correctly install the new flapper, you'll need to slide its holes over the valve pegs and then clip the chain to the toilet handle lever. Test to confirm that the new flapper will seal the flush valve properly by lowering it.
5. Confirm Chain Length
Sometimes the problems with constantly running toilets are caused by the chain that connects the flapper to the toilet handle lever. The chain should therefore be neither too short nor too long. When the chain is too short, it could make the flapper fail to seal entirely, and when too long, it could get under the flapper when the toilet is flushed.
6. Turn the Water Supply on and Let the Tank Fill
Before replacing your toilet tank lid, you should test the working of the flapper by filling up the tank. Confirm that the new flapper closes correctly and does not allow water to flow into the bowl. Conduct two or three flashes to assure yourself that the flapper is working satisfactorily.
Conclusion
To avoid trouble with your toilet and potentially expensive repairs or even replacement cost, it's essential to replace your flapper and other American Standard toilet parts as soon as you notice a problem. While you can make some of the diagnoses, it never hurts to consult a professional plumber.