Handle on Toilet MUST be held down throughout flush

mr_trotta

I had an old flapper in the toilet that was plastic with a rubber seal. It broke and so I replaced it with a Universal flapper made entirely of rubber. I replaced it with no problems, but now when I flush, the flapper doesn't float and stay up while the water drains below. Instead, as soon as I let go, the flapper drops and the water stops draining. Any suggestions so I can flush and not have to hold the handle down?

Ron The Plumber

You might have bought a water saver flapper, install a non water saver flapper, or the chain attached is too long not allowing the flapper to lift high enough to stay afloat.

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mr_trotta

Thanks for the suggestion Ron. You've helped me in the past and I appreciate yet another tip.

I still have the packaging for the flapper. It's a Korky Plus Premium Universal Flapper. They had the water saver ones next to this one, but I wanted to go for simplicity.

I played with the length of chain and shortened it link by link and tested with a flush after each one. I shortened it until it was too tight and it would not close and every test had the same result: letting go of the handle had the flapper immediately fall down.

I know the flapper is manufactured to have air trapped on the underside of the flapper (to help make it float) and it's as if the flapper is still to heavy and won't float - the draining of the water from the tank pulls it right down.

Ron The Plumber

Defective flapper, take it back and get a replacement.

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LHJ1

I have the same problem - have to hold the handle down for the count of 25 to complete a flush. I'm curious to know if getting a new flapper solved the problem.

cjett

Try moving the chain to another hole in the flush arm.

Mike Swearingen

Install a regular non-water saver flapper with the little rubber "ears" hooked onto the L-shaped brackets at the bottom of the overflow pipe in the middle of the tank instead of with the round rubber ring on the flapper (cut that out with scissors)...works better that way.
Shorten the cahin to where it just allows the flapper to close completely.
Should solve the problem.
Good luck!
Mike

geekbsd

Mike this is Michael, WOW never would have though that the cutting the ring would work so perfect. Thanks much, I'm have won the battle against the toilets, not that I wanted to do so much work on a sick day.

AmyD

I also bought the Korky plus Adjustable toilet flapper. I have tried replacing it, adjusting the chain, making sure it was cut properly and I used the protrusions instead of the ring. Still have to hold the handle down through the entire flush. Please help!


Found the answer. I thought having the float high was the correct position to increase flush time but turns out having it all the way down by the flapper did the trick!

Willie T

I never would have thought so, but THIS works like a charm. I have used them for years.

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Willie T

Thurman

Willie- -that one reminds me of the call I had about a toilet not completely flushing as described and I found: That the owner had epoxied a large fishing cork (real cork) onto the top of the flapper to make it rise quicker and stay up longer. I saved that one for some time for "show & tell". David

Willie T

Yeah, except that this one really works... and well. The weight of the water in the attached cup keeps the flapper wide open till after every last drop of water has left the tank. By that time, water dribbling out of a tiny hole in the bottom of the cup allows the cup to finally empty, thus removing the offsetting weight, and the flapper snaps shut.

Really pretty ingenious. And super simple... no moving parts except the regular flapper hinge.

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Willie T

Robbie5555

I want this on my toilets - to be forced to hold the handle down so that I only use enough water as needed. (ie water stops flowing when I release the handle.) How do I change this? I cannot put a brick in the tank (not enough room) and I do not have a dual flush system. Thanks

AllanJ

You can screw a heavy object such as a large fishing sinker onto the flapper. Don't just glue it on; it may fall off and go down into the toilet water passages.

Caution, if you misjudge and don't let enough water into the toilet to flush, then you have to do a second flush and the two flushes combined will likely exceed the water use of one flush that was allowed to drain automatically (without the fishing sinker attached).

Also I am skeptical that the liquid setting of the dual flush will actually do the job. To test whether yours does, put some old fashioned washable liquid ink (not ballpoint or India) in the toilet and stir it up and then try the liquid setting.

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Mr.FixedIt

I was having the same problem! First the flapper wasn't staying up and I had to hold it to drain all the water. I adjusted the chain, but then the flapper wouldn't fall back down! Found some heavy-ish washers with a large enough hole and threaded them onto the chain to sit on the flapper-- worked perfectly!