Chronically leaking toilet flush valve

I need some help.

The upstairs toilet in my house seems to have a toilet flush valve that chronically leaks and causes the toilet to run at various times through the day.

So, here's the deal: It was leaking last year, I replaced it. This toilet does not have a standard 2" flapper valve but rather one of those stupid 3" Kohler type (like this: https://www.plumbingsupply.com/image...ly-1059288.jpg).

It was good for almost a year and I noticed that I heard the toilet filling the tank here and there. Thought maybe a seal got torn or something so I took the valve off and everything looks good, except there was some gunk (presumably just deposits from inside the tank) on the face of the seal. I wiped it off, put it back together. It was good for 2-3 weeks and then I noticed I was again hearing it running here and there.

I've never had this much trouble with a flusher valve. Is it possible to convert this toilet to a standard 2" flapper valve? If not I guess I'll just have to replace it yet again. This seems like a crappy design IMO.

 

Are you sure it's the valve and not the seal between the tank and base. I had a toilet do this and the fix was to rebuild toilet.

 

If it was the seal between the tank and base wouldn't it be leaking onto the floor? I thought the only way water could leak internally from the tank to the bowl was through the flush valve.

 

A few drops of food coloring in the tank will quickly verify if the flapper is leaking...if the color shows up in the bowl, you know it's leaking.

And make sure the water level in the tank is at least 1/2" below the top of the overflow.

 

Do you use any of those tablets you drop in to the tank for self-cleaning?

I replaced the standard flappers in my toilets with the canister type...and not long after that I started using those drop-in tablets with bleach (which I found out is bad for rubber). A few months later the toilet developed a slow leak...just enough where it'd run for a few seconds every half hour or so. Initially I would adjust the canister assembly but it kept leaking. After discovering the issue with the bleach and rubber, I changed the canister flapper again to have an all-new unit and quit using the tablets. It's been about a year now and no issues.

Just a thought...

 

It can also be leaking into the bowl below the valve where it seals to the tank. If you turn off the water (don't use the toilet during this test) and start with a full tank, it will leak down to the level of the leak. If it stops at the flapper, then you know the problem. if it goes lower than the flapper, then you need to address the valve body or its seal to the tank. Don't forget to turn the water back on when you are done diagnosing.

- Peter

 

Seal between tank and bowl will leak to bowl, not necessarily to the floor.

 

I don't use any sort of tank tablets, no.

I'll have to try some of these methods then I guess...I honestly think it's the poor design of this particular flush valve that is allowing it to leak. The seal that holds the water in the tank is very thin and I have a feeling it's moving out of place and allowing water to leak past.