Toilet keeps running

2,708 Views | 24 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by tgivaughn
MrJonMan
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So we have 3 American standard Champuon 4 toilets, and 2 of them are running....they're are only a little over a year old but our water is very hard, so I figured maybe it was from that.

Was going to buy a new flange today but never realized how many sizes there were....decided to come home and check first before buying and discovered that mine liked nothing like the traditional.

So what do you all suggest? Tank fills 1/2" from overflow and there is slack in the chain that attaches from handle to flange.

Still flange?

Potcake
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We had some of that design before, the rubber plunger part can warp and not form a seal. Also make sure your chain isn't getting bound up.
Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno
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Potcake said:

We had some of that design before, the rubber plunger part can warp and not form a seal. Also make sure your chain isn't getting bound up.


Yup
txag2008
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on an unrelated note, do you pee in your upper toilet tank??
MrJonMan
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Potcake said:

We had some of that design before, the rubber plunger part can warp and not form a seal. Also make sure your chain isn't getting bound up.


Checked the chain, it's not binding...will check the flange
MrJonMan
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txag2008 said:

on an unrelated note, do you pee in your upper toilet tank??


See the part where I said "hard water". All the tanks look like this

And I would say I need to drink a lot of water if my pee was that color
MrJonMan
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I wonder if I can replace just the flange or if I will have to replace the whole set up
Gary79Ag
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MrJonMan said:

I wonder if I can replace just the flange or if I will have to replace the whole set up
Just replace just the valve seal and see if that resolves your issue.

American Standard Champion 4 Flush Valve Seal Kit

BTW, how do you like the toilet? Reason I ask is we purchased 3 last year during our home renovation and I installed the initial one and wasn't crasy about it since you have to hold the handle down momentarily for it to flush correctly. I installed the second one thinking that there was something wrong with the first but it works the exact same way. I contacted American Standard and they had me adjust the length of the chain to take out the slack and it works a little bit better but still have to hold the handle down momentarily. Appears to me it needs to have a styrofoam float on the chain to hold the flapper up during the flush cycle but tht's my engineering opinion. I'm 60 yo and never have had to do this on any toilet I've ever used before so I returned the third one that was going in the master bathroom for store credit for a different toilet that works correctly. Total BS if you ask me!
The Fife
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I, too had a purple bathroom once upon a time ago.

The flapper probably has some buildup where it seals with the hole at the bottom of the toilet, or it could be on the mating surface. Wiping both of them with a paper towel or rag usually takes care of it, otherwise a new flapper runs under $5 at your nearest friendly big box store.
MrJonMan
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Gary79Ag said:

MrJonMan said:

I wonder if I can replace just the flange or if I will have to replace the whole set up
Just replace just the valve seal and see if that resolves your issue.

American Standard Champion 4 Flush Valve Seal Kit

BTW, how do you like the toilet? Reason I ask is we purchased 3 last year during our home renovation and I installed the initial one and wasn't crasy about it since you have to hold the handle down momentarily for it to flush correctly. I installed the second one thinking that there was something wrong with the first but it works the exact same way. I contacted American Standard and they had me adjust the length of the chain to take out the slack and it works a little bit better but still have to hold the handle down momentarily. Appears to me it needs to have a styrofoam float on the chain to hold the flapper up during the flush cycle but tht's my engineering opinion. I'm 60 yo and never have had to do this on any toilet I've ever used before so I returned the third one that was going in the master bathroom for store credit for a different toilet that works correctly. Total BS if you ask me!



I too adjusted the chains, taking out most of the slack, big even though it said it can flush a bucket of golf balls at once, it seemed like a weak flush. Still not as easy as a quick push to flush, but as you said removing the slack seemed to help.
03_Aggie
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Your username does not check out on this one.
Satellite of Love
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THEN YOU BETTER GO OUT AND CATCH IT!!!!!!!
MrJonMan
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03_Aggie said:

Your username does not check out on this one.


Ha....I see what you did there
MrJonMan
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The Fife said:

I, too had a purple bathroom once upon a time ago.

The flapper probably has some buildup where it seals with the hole at the bottom of the toilet, or it could be on the mating surface. Wiping both of them with a paper towel or rag usually takes care of it, otherwise a new flapper runs under $5 at your nearest friendly big box store.


Wife wants a purple half bath then you have a purple half bath....ugh
The Fife
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MrJonMan said:

The Fife said:

I, too had a purple bathroom once upon a time ago.

The flapper probably has some buildup where it seals with the hole at the bottom of the toilet, or it could be on the mating surface. Wiping both of them with a paper towel or rag usually takes care of it, otherwise a new flapper runs under $5 at your nearest friendly big box store.


Wife wants a purple half bath then you have a purple half bath....ugh
Anything purple or green I think are the two colors people would get tired of the fastest.

This bathroom came that way in 2004, I'm not sure if the previous owners of that house had a kid or what. The walls were light purple with some big dragonflies made out of something similar to wallpaper border material put on the wall at random. Kind of this color scheme.

Josepi
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I had an American Champ toilet that would run sometimes and not others. It drove me nuts. I spent hours checking things, replacing things, etc... and nothing seemed to help. It was a new toilet, about 6 months old. It wasn't supposed to run. I replaced the flap. Messed withe the chain. Nothing helped. About 1 day a week, it would just run.

Anyways, I figured out that the float was sometimes binding up, and not going all the way to the top in order to shut the water off. If I put my finger under the float, and lifted just a tiny bit, it would shut the water off. And I meant lifted a tiny bit (like 1/4 of a pound).

I bought a pool noodle. Cut off about 1/2". Sliced it down the side so it would open up, and slipped that under the float. The toilet has worked perfectly now for about a year. That little section of noodle under the float is providing just enough lifting force to keep it from binding.

I have no idea if this is your problem, but it is the same toilet you have, and i was pulling my hair out before i devised a solution. Maybe it will help.
UnderoosAg
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Gary79Ag said:


you have to hold the handle down momentarily for it to flush correctly. I installed the second one thinking that there was something wrong with the first but it works the exact same way. I contacted American Standard and they had me adjust the length of the chain to take out the slack and it works a little bit better but still have to hold the handle down momentarily. Appears to me it needs to have a styrofoam float on the chain to hold the flapper up during the flush cycle but tht's my engineering opinion. I'm 60 yo and never have had to do this on any toilet I've ever used before so I returned the third one that was going in the master bathroom for store credit for a different toilet that works correctly. Total BS if you ask me!

Wipe the bottom of the seal to get any of the hard water boogers off. You can also try smearing a layer of vaseline on the underside of it. If it looks warped, spin it around and see if it will sit better. Think rotating tires.

Maybe I'm just nuts, but I swear I remember something about my toilets being a poor man's dual flush. If you just goose the handle, you get a quick flush, to dump the four pints of Dos Equis. You have to get on the handle in order to get the full Monty to dump the four pints of Dos Equis and the two plates of baby back ribs.
CapCity12thMan
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Quote:

Just replace just the valve seal and see if that resolves your issue.

I had to do this...it was 20+ yrs old and hard as a rock...I just replaced the whole tank guts.
Gary79Ag
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Quote:

Maybe I'm just nuts, but I swear I remember something about my toilets being a poor man's dual flush. If you just goose the handle, you get a quick flush, to dump the four pints of Dos Equis. You have to get on the handle in order to get the full Monty to dump the four pints of Dos Equis and the two plates of baby back ribs.
Hilarious analogy UnderoosAg! Thanks for the laugh...
MrJonMan
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Both valve seals had little bumps on them, but not hard water deposits, almost looked like they were part of the seal mold and were just faulty
tgivaughn
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If you can't remember changing the Flapper, then get something like this designed to resist chlorine, etc. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014E3YC0C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I think I saw one for $7 in Tractor Supply recently (College Station).

When you turn off the water to make this exchange, take time to clean inside the tank, something with Clorox, e.g. Kitchen/Bath cleaner and wipe down the flush hole rim very well, make it smooth, = fewer leaks.

Then fun part - adjusting chain to proper length.

If that's not it, then the water supply assembly needs a plumber.
Agmechanic
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That is the nastiest bunch of water in a toilet tank I have ever seen. Please tell me you are on a well.

If not you may have a runner up to Flint, Michigan for the worst treated water
MrJonMan
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No well, just hard water
MrJonMan
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double post
Counterpoint
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MrJonMan said:

No well, just hard water
Hard water or upper decker?
tgivaughn
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Amazon & local sell flappers that are better at resisting chlorine than others.
Once found, go the mfr website to see which one fits your toilet
simple replacement

If not that, then make a whole house list for a plumber's visit, one to consider would be THE plumber who installed all that (call the builder for name)
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