The plumber fixed a leak in my kitchen sink yesterday. The toilet in my bathroom was working fine except that very near the end of the tank fill, there was a 2 second hesitation and then it finished and was fine. I asked the plumber to look at it. He knew what was causing the issue and said essentially there was nothing structurally wrong and said it was just a "sound issue." I said leave it, then. But then he looked at some of the mechanisms in the tank and said they were old (and the flapper really looked terrible), and he replaced a bunch of stuff, including the flapper. Thing is, after he left, the tank started making little whiny noises. I took the top off the tank and saw water running from that top cap assembly (in the attachment) and leaking a tiny amount into the bowl (the other attachment).

I told the plumber. He said the new flapper was not sealing properly. (Our communication was via text and video.) He said I needed a new tank. He said I could take a rag and try cleaning the area where the flapper sits, which I did. But the water still leaks. (Granted, my cleaning was pretty slapdash as I was holding the lever down while I was doing the cleaning. If I do it again I'll shut the water valve off first.)

I'm feeling kind of sick about the whole thing because the toilet was working fine, and I'm sure this will be at least another couple hundred for him to come out and replace the tank.

BTW I am not particularly good at DIY stuff, but is there anything somebody like me can do to stop this leakage? Perhaps a better way of cleaning where the flapper sits rather than just wiping it with a rag? Thank you.


Leak inside tank. Water dropped from the top cap assembly and streamed down the pole beneath it.

From where arrow is pointed a tiny stream flows into the bowl.

 

Try adjusting the floating (floats up and down( part under the top cap so the water shuts off before the float has risen so high. Just to see whether the trickle of water into the bowl is over the overflow hole high up near the dead center or center rear of the tank and not from the flapper down below.

You need another picture taken from standing further back, to get a wider view of the toilet tank. And try taking an additional picture with the exposure compensation plussed several notches (to brighten up the picture overall so the darker components below the water surface show up better).

 

You do not need a new tank. Tell the plumber the leak is caused by the parts he replaced because the tank has nothing to do with the water route from the tank to the bowl and you want it corrected. In the future, consider using a different plumber.

 

The new flapper valve is leaking, as you already know. The moral of the story is often you shouldn't "fix" something that is not broken.

What should your photos be showing us? Is there another problem you didn't mention?

You can try wiping around the seal underneath the flapper but that rarely works. You do not need a new tank or toilet. That plumber is trying to take your money so get them to replace the flapper at no charge. If they won't do that then never call them again.

If a new flapper leaks usually you need to replace it until you find one that doesn't leak. Unfortunately many replacement flappers these days leak so it can be frustrating to fix. Luckily they are super easy to replace. It doesn't require any tools, and can be done in a few minutes. There are numerous videos online that show you but just looking at what's in there you can probably figure it out without much trouble.

 

AllanJ Thanks. Pics. Water (see arrow) is dripping down from that white cap and down the pole beneath it as the tank fills. In other words, it when it does its hissing and leaking, it leaks down that pole and when it fills. I checked it when it fills and took a pic at the top. Water does not go down that center post.

 

beelzebob Thanks.

Pilot Dane No. The first two photos show where the water is leaking after the flush has completed.

I put the old flapper back in and it leaked even worse. So I know how to replace the flapper but how to get one that doesn't leak?

 

If the plumber replaced the flapper seat, it could be the cause of the leak and not the flapper. It could be deformed or have a indentation somewhere in the circular sealing area.

 

Judging by the deposits built up on the overflow tube it looks like the flapper assembly was not changed. The plumber probably only replaced the rubber flapper.

If the flapper valve is leaking that will cause the fill valve to open slightly (leak) to keep the tank filled. Start with fixing the flapper first because you may find that the fill valve is OK.

If you do have to replace the fill valve they are inexpensive and it's a repair that almost always works. The flapper valve is the problem one and my require trying different flappers to get one that doesn't leak. If you can't get it to seal then I'd replace the whole flapper assembly. The whole assembly is pretty inexpensive but it will require removing the tank from the toilet to install. But, you do NOT need to replace the tank which opens a whole new can of worms.

 

Thanks Dane. Thanks all. A new flapper did the trick! The home depot guy suggested soap and water to clean the hole first. Then he said this flapper was wider than the standard 2" flapper and hence the water would exert more pressure on it. I followed his advice and the toilet no longer leaks. Many many many thanks, and I am on the lookout for a new plumber.

This is the flapper that worked for me.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fluidmas...2P21/100206743