The toilet flapper is specially designed to prevent water from leaking while flushing. If you ever see that water leaking from the tank you should replace the toilet flapper. And, we are happy you can know here how to replace toilet flapper. A flapper is made for letting out extra water into the bowl. So that whenever you flush it will help to prevent leakage. If there isn’t a good seal between this, water will eventually leak down continuously and cause huge water wastage.
The best thing is it is very easy to replace the flapper. Whenever you need to replace it, you don’t have to call a plumber. It is very easy to replace the toilet flapper than the other material. You have to follow the steps below to replace the toilet flapper.
Shutting off the water supply
The first thing you have to do is turning off the water supply. As the toilet flapper is located at the end of the toilet tank for this, if you want to reach it, you have to turn off the water supply and empty the tank. Start this procedure by closing off the water supply. It’s not that much hard because you have to simply turn the shut-off valve at the back of the toilet clockwise. After turning it off, flush the toilet to get rid of the remaining water in the tank. Gently hold down the flush handle for a few minutes to drain the extra water as much water as possible.
We all know that, when we repair the other toilet guts, we have to remove all the remaining water in the tank using a sponge and bowl. But when it is about flapper replacing, it is not mandatory to do the same while replacing a flapper. After flushing, the area should be easily accessible enough. So, it is not necessary to squeeze the whole water out.
Remove the damaged flapper
The second step is to unhinge the damaged flapper. Carefully unhinge this by pulling it out on either side of the attached flush valve. After that unclip the flapper from the flush handle arm and carefully remove it together with its chain.
Replace with a new flapper
In this step, you have to be very careful while selecting a replacement. First, you have to choose the best flapper for you. If it has microban technology, go with this one. This basically refers to the capability of the flapper to prevent bacteria growth on its surface. This kind of flapper gives a longer service life because bacteria can’t cause damage to it. Now let’s move on to the second phase.
Carefully select a flapper that is designed specially to handle a similar amount of water per flush. For example, toilets made before the 90 usually release 3.5 gallons of water per flush. For this kind of toilet, a 3.5 GPF toilet flapper is highly recommended. Toilets made after the ’90s are more efficient and effective which can release either 1.6 or 1.28 gallons per flush. So you have to choose according to the model. Buy the suitable flapper and proceed to the next steps.
Connecting the new flapper to the flush handle arm
Now the next step is to connect the flapper’s chain to the flush handle arm. You have to adjust its length according to the right level so that it does not hang freely inside the tank. A loosely hanging chain can cause a huge disaster. It can get caught up in other parts of the toilet tank easily and possibly damage them as you try to flush.
Opening the water supply
Remember that you had turned off the water supply? Now it’s time to reopen the water supply and filling up the tank. Here is a small tip for confirming the leakage. Just pour in a few drops of food color to the water in the toilet tank and wait for some time. If you find the toilet bowl is having clean water, then the flapper is working correctly. But, if you find colored water in the toilet bowl, you might have to clean the surface and do the process again. Make sure that the screws are well tightened.
Flushing
It is important to check the whole procedure. Flush twice or thrice and carefully identify if there is any leakage or not. If you find any leakage try to restart the whole process. If not, you are ready to use your toilet again!!!
A toilet flapper is very important to keep your toilet safe from any kind of leakage problem or water wastage. So if you find something odd, try to check the flapper. If the flapper is worn out, buy a new one as soon as possible. Follow the above steps to replace the flapper. Check the whole process and flush again. Hope the problem will be solved easily. You don’t need any other instruments or tools to replace it.
