“Dad! The toilet handle is broken and it won’t flush!” Probably an easy fix I thought to myself. Better check it out to be sure.
I removed the cover from the toilet tank and saw that the lift chain connecting the handle to the flapper valve had broken. It was 5 years old and not surprising. A new flapper valve and lift chain costs about $5 and installs in minutes.
In this photo, the broken plastic lift chain is obvious. Don’t worry about the brown sediment on the bottom of the tank, it’s minerals that have precipitated out of the water over the years. The tank contains clean uncontaminated water.
Broken Lift Chain
Detailed Repair Photos
Also see How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve for detailed photos and instructions of the toilet working parts and repair.
Materials and Tools:
- Korky 1.6 Flapper Valve, includes the lift chain. Cost is about $5. Widely available at hardware and home improvement stores.
- Pliers
Installation:
The Korky installation manual is available here in addition to the following photos and tips.
The new flapper valve and chain for a 1.6 gallon per flush toilet.
New Korky Flapper Valve
Step 1: Shutoff the water supply valve to the toilet.
Water Supply Valve
Step 2: Remove the old flapper valve by slipping it off the mounting arms. Remove what’s left of the broken lift chain from the lift arm.
Old Flapper Valve and Lift Chain
Step 3: Adjust the lift chain by moving the metal clip to take out the slack when the lift arm is down with flapper valve is closed. I adjust the clip such that there is one extra link of slack. This avoids leaks and provides for a positive flushing action. Too much slack will allow the chain to kink and interfere with the flapper valve.
Adjust New Lift Chain
Step 4: Open the water valve to fill the tank. Flush the toilet to check for correct operation. If needed, readjust the lift chain by moving the metal clip up or down a couple of links. When you’re satisfied, cut off the excess lift chain to prevent it from getting tangled. I like to leave an extra 3 links in case a later adjustment is needed. Replace the tank cover.
Cut off Excess Lift Chain
Hope this helps.
Bob Jackson
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I replaced the toilet flapper because the old flapper wouldn’t stay up long enough to flush all the water out of the toilet. I still have the same problem even with the new flapper…it stays up for a second and then flaps down and the toilet hasn’t flushed, so need to continue to hold down the flush lever for a count of 10. What’s wrong? anyone? help
It could be caused by too much slack in the lift chain. When the flapper is closed, the lift chain should have about 1 link of slack. Too much slack means the flapper isn’t raised high enough and closes before the flush cycle is complete.
If adjusting the chain doesn’t solve the problem, try the Korky Premium Adjustable Flapper. It has a movable float on the lift chain to adjust the flush volume.
Your broken flapper valve was the exact same as mine. I had no idea how to change it, but followed your advice verbatim, and now the toilet is working fine. Thanks buddy
Considering I am a 19-year-old girl living in a crummy apartment with a room mate of the same variety, this kept me from jumping of my balcony. ilu!!!!
You’re very welcome! Glad my article helped.