|
|
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
fluidmaster junk
I've got three good American Standard toilets in my house - the kind that use a lot of water (thankfully).
They've all been retrofitted with the cheap fluidmaster toilet repair kits. The problem is that they never seem to last that long. They run for like 10-20 seconds, usually in the middle of the night and then stop. Leaking somewhere obviously, but I've replaced all parts inside the tank - including the flapper. I've had to replace them all regularly - like once every three years. When I was a kid, in Illinois, I can't recall my dad ever replacing a toilet flush mechanism. We had those old brass or bronze? mechanisms with the big plastic ball float. Is there a premium, old-fashioned kit for American Standard that I can use so I'm not buying and changing these Fluidmaster kits so often? Thanks.
__________________
2009 E320 Bluetec 117,000 1995 E300D 306,000 Sold 1996 Ford Taurus LX 130,000 Sold 1985 300TD Still 225,000 Sold 2016 Ford Fusion 24,900 |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
I've replaced all of the OEM kits in our toilets with the FluidMaster kits after about seven or so years (or about the age of the house). After that, I too noticed leaks and other issues within two or three years after installing the FMs.
Some of it can be rectified with float adjustments, or an errant hose that worked itself loose, but mostly, the rubber seals in those kits deteriorate a lot faster than the original manufacturer setups. So prepare to do frequent R&R on the flappers and valve mechanisms...sucks!
__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle 2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car 2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver 2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I know. I've replaced them a bunch of times. They're so cheap too.
__________________
2009 E320 Bluetec 117,000 1995 E300D 306,000 Sold 1996 Ford Taurus LX 130,000 Sold 1985 300TD Still 225,000 Sold 2016 Ford Fusion 24,900 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
I don't believe the Fluidmaster kit is the sole culprit here.
In certain environments, the chlorine level in the water is quite high and the rubber degrades at a much faster rate than normal. One house in VA that I'm quite familiar with will need attention to the toilets every two years. However, in NY, the chlorine is reduced and the rubber will last 5-10 years or so. In general, I've been pleased with the Fluidmaster kits. The flappers are typically the first thing to go. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I have Fluidmaster/Kohler units in all 3 of our toilets, plus a spare unit or two. When I put in new toilets they came with Fluidmaster units, so I saved the units I had installed in the toilets.
I think they are great and will agree external factors may have more to do with it. One problem I had, before I put a house filter in, was grit getting into the unit. Grit got caught in the valve and allowed it to leak, you can snap off the top of the unit and check there.
__________________
KLK, MCSE 1990 500SL I was always taught to respect my elders. I don't have to respect too many people anymore. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
They do sell premium rubber flappers that are not in the kits. Also make sure the seat for the flapper is clean and free of gouges or cuts. I replaced the stock Lowe's/Home Depot Fluidmaster flapper with the Korky premium flapper (also from Lowe's, I think) http://korky.com/flappers.html
It sounds like you have the classic slow leak with the mysterious late-night "why is the toilet filling back up?" noise after the float drops a fraction of an inch. Have you also checked for a cracked tank, a bad gasket between the flapper seat and the tank, or some other source of a slow leak? |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
I too, think it's the water additives. My mom has well water and haven't had to fix either of their toilets since purchased in the 90s.
__________________
1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12 1982 380SL 1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing 1987 300 D 2005 CDI European Delivery 2006 CDI Handed down to daughter 2007 GL CDI. Wifes |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Sometimes the surface the flapper rests on can have a flaw that allows water to seep past. I had this happening on one of my toliets. So I got the Korky brand flapper with the "flapper surface repair kit", its essentially a plastic circle that is ringed on top for the flapper to lay on, and you attach it to the old surface with a silicon adhesive. I installed mine a while ago, and now the toliet doesn't leak a drop! No random water-fill sounds anymore.
My other toliet I just installed, replacing the 60 year old unit that was original to the house and sucked at flushing effectively. (an old Briggs) New one is a glacier bay with the dual flush system with buttons on top of the tank. The mechanism in the tank is an engineering marvel. And it has a teflon type gasket that sets on the opening, and is guaranteed to never leak. So far so good.
__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life- '15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800) '17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k) '09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k) '13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k) '01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km) '16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k) |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
X3 on water quality. We use rain water here. The flush mechanisms are good after 50 years. There is no chlorine or any other chemicals added to the water.
I know of people in towns with chlorine in the water that have flush mechanisms fail every couple of years. The new houses are plumbed with plastic pipes instead of copper. The brass taps fail after a couple of years.
__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort.... 1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket. 1980 300D now parts car 800k miles 1984 300D 500k miles 1987 250td 160k miles English import 2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles 1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo. 1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion. Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Its the water quality that gets you, around here they last forever.
Also I find the best place to get plumbing parts is from plumbing supply houses. The stuff you get at the big box stores while it may have the same name on the box is often made a bit cheaper.
__________________
1999 SL500 1969 280SE 2023 Ram 1500 2007 Tiara 3200 |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
If you have a fluidmaster and it turns on for a few seconds and you are sure no water is leaking from the tank, then all you need it one of these Fluidmaster seal
A quarter turn on the black top and it comes off revealing that seal. It's a common issue and a quick fix. The hardest part is getting to the shutoff valve to cut off water to the toilet
__________________
85' 300D |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
If the thing fills in the night, water is leaking somewhere, probably at the flapper. You can get a dye kit/tablet that you put in the tank and you can then detect leakage. Water companies give them out for free sometimes.
__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine) 1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow) Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra |
Bookmarks |
|
|