How to Fix a Toilet Flapper that Still Leaks, by Korky Toilet Repair on YouTube. 1 min 13 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 13 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Turn off the water supply valve behind the toilet and flush to empty the tank. Soak up the rest of the water with a sponge and cloth.
Lift the old flapper off its pegs and set it aside. Look at the round flush valve seat it sat on.
Feel the seat rim with your finger. Rough, pitted or crusty edges are what stop the flapper from sealing.
Scrub mineral deposits off the seat with a fine abrasive pad or sandpaper. Wipe the surface clean and dry.
If the seat is still uneven or chipped, fit the drain seat repair kit. Follow the kit's instructions to seat the new ring over the old valve opening.
Refit the flapper on its pegs and check that it sits flat all the way around the repaired seat.
Turn the water back on and let the tank fill. Watch the bowl for a minute to see if water still trickles.
Add a few drops of food colouring to the tank water. Wait 15 minutes, then check the bowl. Clear bowl water means the seal is holding.
Tips and common mistakes
Clean the seat before buying parts. Many leaks stop once the mineral crust is gone.
Do not overtighten the kit or scratch deep grooves in the seat, or the flapper will not sit flat.
Check the flapper chain for slack. A chain that is too tight holds the flapper slightly open.
Shut off the supply valve before any work and keep the area dry so you do not slip.
Questions
Do I have to remove the toilet tank to fix the seat?
Not with a drain seat repair kit. It covers the worn valve opening from inside the tank, so the tank stays in place.
How do I know the leak is the seat and not the flapper?
If a new flapper still lets water into the bowl, the seat rim is the likely cause. Run the food colouring test to confirm the leak.
Can I just sand the seat instead of buying a kit?
Yes, if the damage is only surface mineral buildup. Sand lightly, wipe clean and retest. Use the kit when the seat is chipped or pitted.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
