The toilet tank is leaking a slow drip of water into the toilet bowl. About 2 weeks ago I attempted this repair and sought help on this site. I've tried all the advice that weekend (got tired of it and locked the room for 2 weeks) and finally decided to try again today.

Please help!!

I've already tried...
1.) Replaced flapper w/proper slack in chain... still leaked
2.) Replaced refil tube assembly, gaskets, and bolts... still leaked
3.) Replaced ball assembly with a Fluidmaster floating thing (yes, used the clip to hold the tube on the refil tube)... still leaked.
4.) Checked the level of water in tank.. it's properly below refil tube.
5.) Checked the gaskets... seem fine. After this last repair, I tested the gaskets by manually pouring water into the tank, being careful not to get it up to the level of the flapper. I thought I was getting somewhere because there was no leak... bowl was dry. However, once bowl was completely full above flapper the leak reappeared.
6.) I'm at my wits end on this repair. I've disassembled and reassembled this tank 7 times!!

It seems to leak only when the tank is full (above the flapper part). Even when the water supply is cut off... so it's not the water pressure as someone earlier had suggested. It's a Fluidmaster tank assembly with a Fluidmaster flapper so it should be compatible stuff.

Anyone have any more ideas of stuff to try?

Maybe you should replace the tank or the entire toilet. It sounds like you've done everything else. Maybe it has a hairline crack or a defect in it. I'm not joking. I had a similar problem with a hotwater heater and it almost drove me crazy so I got rid of my problem. I probably spent as much as it cost to replace it in time and parts trying to fix it.

Hey MOM:

Are you telling me that you replaced the entire tank guts.. including the tank to bowl kit... the entire kit?

Did you take toilet tank off toilet bowl and replace all parts including the entire flush valve (see pic.)... and you still have a dripping?

If so... let me know... If not, need the complete toilet tank replacement kit by fluidmaster.

Get back to us... Mark

Yes, I've done it all... everything shown in your diagram and more... the bolts and washers holding the tank to the bowl too. The only part I haven't replaced is the ceramic tank itself.

I've taken the tank off the bowl 7+ times and reattached the flush valve assembly at least 5 times now over the past month. I've tried 2 different new flappers.

So... I've turned off the water supply to save on water (my bill went down $100 just by having this toilet out of commission for the past 3 weeks).

Well then... exactly what igottagonow said... time to replace that toilet tank or time to call a plumber.. ;)

How old is toilet (did not see in this post? )?

The toilet is 11 years old. I am the only owner of the home... bought new 11 years ago. All toilets in the house are the same and have never been replaced. The two upstairs are working fine.
Thanks for helping out. Looks like it's plumber time.

Your time is money too, Mom. Please let us know result. Mark

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Depending on how tenacious (stubborn) you are and whether you want this toilet to get the best of you, here is one more thing to try. Looking back at you previous post I believe that the way your tank bolts are installed the tank is still sealed when you remove it from the bowl. Remove the tank one more time set it on a set of saw horses or something where you can see under the bottom of it. Fill the tank with water (add cake coloring or dye if you wish) and look under the bottom to see where the leak is. If it is coming out of the over flow you will know that it a poor seal of the flapper valve. If it is coming out around the overflow you will know that it a poor seal between the overflow and the tank or a cracked tank. Did you try siliconeing the overflow pipe in place. What started this leak anyway.

Quote:

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Replaced flapper w/proper slack in chain... still leaked

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First off, toilet bowls and tanks do not wear out. The innards may but the bowl and tank remain the same.
One thing about a flapper. You will see where the old flapper hooks onto the base of the white overflow tube. On a older type with no hooks the flapper has a ring that slips down over the overflow tube to the seat. If your tank has hooks, take a sharp knife or scissors and cut the neoprene ring off on the marks provided and hook the flapper on the hooks. Leaving the ring on will interfere with the flush and will cause seepage. I realize this is a long shot but you've tried everything else. Good luck, Tom

hkstroud - I'm pretty stubborn and frugal too. Filling the tank off the bowl is a great idea, but I already tried something similar while I had the tank off the bowl earlier yesterday. I had to plug the hole in the tank where the float is attached to do it. I only filled the water up to the top of where the flapper sits, because I didn't have the flapper on it at the time. I waited and no leak, so I reattached the tank to the bowl. I wish I would have filled the entire thing up and added food coloring.

I did try adding food coloring at the onset of this issue and the next morning the tank was low and the bowl had colored water. I tried it again last night before I went to bed and have checked it this morning... there doesn't seem to be any color in the bowl this morning. I'm going to try putting a piece of toilet tissue at the rim in the back center of the bowl where the little channel leads to the tank water just to see if there is anything wet there when I return from church. If it's dry then and not blue, then I think by golly it may be fixed. Keep your fingers crossed.

Speedball - there was no ring to cut off. This was a Fluidmaster kit that had the flapper already hooked onto the flush valve assemble. It's detachable, but it has only hooks.

Massplumber - time may be money, but I have more time than money so it's worth the continued effort.

OK! If the flapper's seated properly and the seats not nicked then there's only one place left for it to seep through. The spud washer on the flush valve isn't tightened down tight enough. That's all that's left. There just ain't no more. Mom, I hope when you get back from church the leak's all gone but I don't believe in miracles and leaks don't fix themselves. Let me know Regards, Tom

Oh well, thought it was good, but there was dye in the bowl again after church. I went to a different home supply store and looked at what was available. I saw a flapper kit from Korky that had a black ring that you put in place over the flapper opening using the silicone in the package. I thought since it narrowed the opening a bit it might do the trick, and I had yet to try silicone as one had suggested eariler so I gave it a shot. Still leaks...
I may be stubborn, but even with big wrenches I must not be strong enough to get it right. I'm calling in backup (either plumber or stronger neighbor) later this week. Thanks so much for all the ideas.

Sounds like everyone has put in an opinion so let me say what I have to say. If the tank is eleven years old it could be that the over flow stand pipe is made of copper and if it is copper it is screwed into the base (douglas valve) with fine threads. These threads weaken the stand pipe and I have seen them develop holes at the thread level or have even seen them that are cracked.
When you do find out the problem let us all know what it was, I am sure every one would like to know.

I know this is a few years too late, but I found an answer on my toilet. A siphon was being created when my fill tube was placed below the water line. It needed a bubble of air after reaching fill height to stop the process, which it couldn't get when it was pushed too deep. Hope this helps someone.

W@e thank you for your input, n Tom