Well, I can already tell that the water level is sinking. That's why it's dripping -- in an attempt to keep the bowl full. Does that help or should I continue with the tests?

I think your flapper is leaking, close your angle stop flush your toilet, check your flapper for any distortion or waveyness, check your hand if it turns black, check the seat where the flapper set for codition, take your flapper to a plumber supply get the same one install turn on the water and check, thanks.

Jon


Continuation of my post #22

It sounds like you have a bad flapper or the tank water level is too high. Check the following.

Check the "critical level" Mark at least an inch over the top of the white overflow tube.

Check the tank water level, it should be at the mark in the tank or 3/8 to 1/2" below the top of the over flow tube when the tank is filled and the ballcock shut down

Feel around the flapper flat edge. If it's wavy or you feel rough spots replace the flapper,
The linkage between the flapper and the flush lever should have 1/4" play when the tank is filled, good luck.

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abbyqueue

I have no idea what a "toto toilet" is... all I know is the brand, which I've already reported. There is a port on the fill valve that does look like it should have a fill tube attached to it, and it does look "drilled out." There's a space inside it. Does that help?

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Sorry about the confusion. I was posting at the same time as you and your post showed up first. Toto is a brand of toilet, I thought that you may have had that brand, but once I submitted my answer I saw that you had a different brand.
Unless water is pouring over your overflow tube, it definatley sounds like a flapper problem.

Mygirldad,

You are correct some of the new Toto toilets and the Sterling toilets has now fill tubes, see the link which in my post #18, and I agree with you his problem is with flapper, Thanks.

John

I finally got around to replacing the flapper tonight and that, apparently, is not the problem.

I replaced it, then flushed, made sure it worked properly, and waited to see if the toilet would start dripping. Sure enough, it is. In fact, it's gotten worse -- water's now coming in a constant stream from the top of the flush valve (the big blue piece that sits on the black pole). The good news is that the stream makes less noise than the drips, but of course the bad news is that it shouldn't be dripping at all.

Again, to sum up, when I flush, the tank fills fine. But you can hear a leak somewhere, and when the water in the tank gets low enough, water starts dripping (or streaming) from the top of that flush valve blue thing. What next?

You know what else might be important to note? There's a little sticker on the overflow tube that says "water line." Of course, it's about to come off because it's been sitting in water for two years, but it's hanging on. It's about an inch or so below the top of the overflow tube. When I flush, the tank fills all the way up past that line to the very top of the overflow tube WITHOUT leaking into it. It's amazing how closely the thing is calibrated, actually. Then the water starts leaking into the bowl and when the level gets down far enough, the flush valve starts dripping. I don't know if the incorrect water level has anything to do with it, but I thought I'd mention it.

Why not simply replace the ballcock since that's apparently the culprit? Cheers, Tom

Yes I agree with tom change the ballcock and adjust the water level accordinly and you will be OK, Thanks.

John

OK, so now I go buy a ballcock and replace it... how do I "adjust the water level accordingly"?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abbyqueue

OK, so now I go buy a ballcock and replace it... how do I "adjust the water level acinstructions.cordingly"?

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Instructions should come with the ball cock but depending upon which ballcock you purchase,(see image) if you need help tell me what you have and I'll tell you how to set the water level. Here are some general instructions.
Check the tank water level, it should be at the mark in the tank or 3/8 to 1/2" below the top of the over flow tube. The linkage between the flapper and the flush lever should have 1/4" play when the tank is filled. Also, check the small tube coming out of the top of the ballcock and make sure it's connect to and draining into the white overflow tube. More questions? I'm as close as a click. Tom

If you read the previous posts, you'll see which kind of system I have. As I've said, I don't have a refill tube.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abbyqueue

If you read the previous posts, you'll see which kind of system I have. As I've said, I don't have a refill tube.

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You were advised to replace that ball cock. Did you change your mind? Tom

I was previously advised to replace the flapper, not the ballcock.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by abbyqueue

I was previously advised to replace the flapper, not the ballcock.

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Yes that is true we thought that you had problem with the flapper, you changed that and did not solve your problem, Tom aske you in his post #27 to change the ballcock and I agree with him, Just Fallow Tom's instruction and you will be OK, Good Luck.

John

I was planning to -- just got to give me a little more time than a few hours. :)

I'll try to get to it this weekend and let you know how it goes.

OK, I bought a ballcock today at Home Depot, but the only kind they had came with an entire flush/fill (whatever it's called) valve and all that. Should I just replace the whole system?

I believe you bought the fluidmaster complet kit, which has the fill/flush valves and the flapper.
I don't think you would need to replace the flush valve at this time, just replace the ballcock (fill valve) at this time and see what happens.

I bought the one that has the fill valve, but no flapper -- right on the brand, though.

However, when I went to replace it, I couldn't even do the second step -- twisting off the stupid thing that connects the water supply to the toilet. It's too tight. This is exactly why single women hire people to do things -- not because we can't figure out how to do it, but because something ridiculous like being unable to loosen something stifles us.

Anyway, while fuming over this, I decided to do some more detective work. I got out the food coloring and all that. I thought, if water's leaking into the bowl, that means it has to be coming from the hole under the flapper, right? Sure enough, when I reached into the tank and pressed down on the (new) flapper, the dripping sound stopped. Water seemed to stop leaking into the bowl. So it HAS to be the flapper, right?

I put my old flapper back on, which is made of a heavier rubber than the cheap plastic one I bought a few days ago, and the leaks don't seem as bad. Argh! How can I possibly fix this if neither flapper works?

Anyhoo, does that sound like a flapper issue to you? Or something else still?

Hi Abbyquene,

Check the flush valve. Most likely the new flapper is not sitting against the old flush valve assembly. We almost always replace flapper AND flush valve assembly at the same time to reduce chances of call backs!

Click on the link below it will tell you step by step how to change a ballcock /fill valve, a flapper or a flush valve, good luck

http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/17646/

To change the flush valve would need the tank removal it be a bit more job, you may need a plumber to do it for you, good luck.

John