Plumbing/toilet question?
Question:I need to replace the flapper in my toilet. It seems simple enough to do, but the first step on there is to turn the water off. Going by the looks of the existing flapper this has not been done in a very very long time, I tried turning the valve but it won't budge. How disastrous would it be if I tried swapping them out without shutting the water off? :D
Answers:
no problem if you don't mind getting wet. first flush the toilet
depending on the mechanism you will have either a rod & ball float or a tubular float of some type. hold them up to stop water from refilling the tank wedge them in some manor. the flapper is usually attatched to two nubs at the bottom of the overflow tube
if this is an old flapper USE A RAG TO AVOID THE NASTY BLACK GUNK the old flapper will have on it. use the same rag to wipe out the hole to insure a good seat for the new flapper
if u take the flapper out the water will go into the toilet... the water in the tank is the water that flushes the crap down so it wouldnt do anything really just be quick just incase the water does over flow ...which i doubt
Just the flapper? Should not be too bad.
There is a valve inside the tank that turns the water off when the water level reaches the proper level -- either an arm with a plastic ball at the end, or a plastic cylinder that floats up and down on a post. Use a wire to hold this up while you are working to keep water out of the tank.
yes you can do this w/o turning off the water. I have done it a thousand times. Have the new flapper ready to go and remove the chain end first from the flush lever. Have a hand towel handy to wipe your hands in case any of the black neoprene gets on your hands from the old flaper, remove the old flapper and toss it in the trash. Quickly install the new flapper and adjust the chain length.
The water would just run into your comode until you attach the other flapper..But if you replace the whole insides you best to cut the water supply off...It is simple enough to replace the flapper that a woman can do it...
While the repair to the flapper is easy without shutting off the water.Your next question really should have been,"How do I loosen up the the valve handle so I can shut off my water?"The real problem isn't the flapper.It's the fact that if your toilet cracks or overflows,you have no way to cut off your water and have big problems. Try some WD40 on the valve and let it sit on there for a few hours.Try some very light tapping on the handle and see if you can get it loosened.If you can't do it then call a plumber or get a good do-it-yourself book and replace the whole valve.
I don't turn the water off to change the flapper.
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