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You will need to replace or repair the toilet fill valve. Replacing it is easier and cheaper than repairing most times. Since you are repairing the toilet you just as well replace all of the toilet parts that are easy to replace. (namely the fill valve and the flush valve stopper or "flapper") You can obtain these parts at home depot. I recommend Fluidmaster brand you can get all of the parts in one kit for about $10.00. Follow the instructions in the kit - -it will take you about 1-1 1/2 hrs to do this on your own. I also recommend replacing the tube from the wall to the toilet. You will find the braided hose type in the same area of the store and they are easy to replace.
There are several types of tank "drips". There is the kind a bad flapper makes when water seeps past. There is the kind that the ballcock makes when it's not adjusted correctly and there's the kind that you hear when the tank's filling. Can you tell me which sound it is? Let me help. When you put your hand in the tank and push down on the flapper does the drip stop? Back to you. Tom
Maybe Flappers make dripping noises in Florida- - but in the rest of the world dripping noises "in the tank" is usually the ballcock. Regardless what the drip is caused by replacing the ballcock and flapper is cheap and fast. If you have ever replaced a ballcock you will know that often the supply tube needs to be replaced as well. It really sucks to get the whole thing nearly back together only to find that the supply tube leaks or is otherwise deficient. For another $2.00 I stand by my advice to replace it. This is not a major remodel- - Spend the $10-12 repair everything and know that it's all good for another 3-5 yrs.
MJ85 I do not intend t o get into a agree/disagree battle with anyone but when a flapper leaks, even in IL, you can hear the drip and it sounds like it is coming from inside the tank, its actually immediately below the tank. I have replaced hundreds of fill valves and often do use Fluidmaster but I have almost never found a need to replace a supply line. Semi rigid cooper/chrome lines align with the new valve quite easily and braided flex lines are are breeze to move over and reuse. Tom has installed and repaired toilets for 60 years and I have done way less in 40 years. Are you a plumber or can you tell us how you gained your knowledge/experience with plumbing?
MJ85491 disagrees: The correct solution is to repair the whole toilet AS I INDICATED. the best way to fix this problem is to fix the whole problem INCLUDING replacing the supply as part of the fix.
A toilet has a dripping sound. A plumber would first ascertain the source of the leak and either repair or replace the faulty part but you would replace every part in the entire assembly except the toilet seat to repair it, including the supply to the tank from the angle stop. I guess this tells us why you're not out there doing plumbing repair calls. The one thing I will not tolerate on this page is misinformation. If you're gonna parade your plumbing ignorance on anybodys site go over to AnswerWay to do it. Don't do it here and don't quit your day job!!!
I am a licenced Plumber w/ 15 yrs exp. And of course I recognize that sometimes the flapper can leak which sometimes sounds like it is in the toilet. BUT I still stand by my solution which is to repair the whole toilet. IF I had been called to this house to fix the toilet I could do all the repairs I mentioned in less than an hour. Since I am billing an hour minimum I attempt to give my customers the best value possible. I would repair the entire toilet and know that it was all good for the same price as some Phoney that forgot his pants. What if this toilet is 20 yrs old and the ballcock is not leaking today? If you only repaired the flapper you could be back in two weeks trying to explain to the homeowner that it is a new issue even though it looks like the same problem. So are you going to warrantee the problem because you were too lazy to spend a few minutes to do it right or are you going to swindle the homeowner out of another service call because you are too dishonest to admit you should have identifyed and fixed the problem initially? This is not rocket science! Give the homeowner what you would want if you were in their position. I am not advocating fixing problems that do not exist --absolutely not- -but this is the difference between giving the homeowner the full benefit of your time or just trying to scab something together so you can get back to your cozy truck. I recommended the solution that was the best fix. This is not a major remodel or even a major repair. This is a minor problem which can be fixed by the homeowner for under 20 Bucks. NOW YOU have spent more time trying to justify the wrong solution than I would have spent fixing it. You want to waste everyones time so you can inflate your ego. I just want to help fix a problem.
You advised me not to quit my day job which is the only sound advice you gave. I will continue to serve my customers and PROTECT them from hacks like you who obviously spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world. I hope you have a long and prosperous career here givig people BAD advice- -it will keep ME in business! - -
I came back and edited the end of this. I didn't know speedball had cancer. I hope you do live long and prosper. You have obviously been giving advice here a long time. I hope it continues for a while. But don't be afraid to let the next generation step up and help. I gave good advice and you know it. If you think someone left out something it is helpful to mention it but attacking someone because you would approach it defferently is bad form. In my business I have a saying "IF you failed to train your replacement, you trained your replacement to fail" Train your replacement Tom. It will go further than tearing them down.
OH and if I happened to encounter a nearly new toilet in good condition with a stopper only problem. I would generally just replace the stopper for free. It only cost me 5 minutes and a buck-fifty and it does wonders for future business and referrals. (which is where I get most of my work)
Well, we scared off TTERE with our BS didn't we? This site's set up to assist the asker, not for experts to be sniping at one an other. TTERE, if you're still out there click on back and I'll help you repair that pesky drip. Tom
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