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I have an American Standard toilet I installed last year. I don't know much about plumbing, but I was able to install this toilet. It seems to function okay, except for what I think is a mechanical problem.

Sometimes when the toilet is flushed, the flapper doesn't close and water keeps running. The handle feels like it's slightly stuck in the up position. I looked inside the tank once when it was doing this, and the chain attached to the handle was slack. I don't understand why the flapper isn't closing. I've tried putting more slack in the chain and loosening the plastic nut that holds the handle on the toilet, but it doesn't seem to be helping.

How can I fix this?

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  • Have you seen this question? Some of the answers there might help.
    – Tester101
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 13:24
  • BMitch's answer to this question, might also be helpful.
    – Tester101
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 13:27
  • Valve not sealing.
    – hookenz
    Commented Jul 11, 2013 at 21:25
  • It's being chased?
    – DMoore
    Commented Jul 12, 2013 at 5:52

2 Answers 2

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Check for any debris around the flapper and its hinges. It is the flapper moving back to the original closed position that puts the handle back in the correct position, not the handle that moves the flapper (when closing, obviously when you flush the handle opens the flapper). You have the right idea with adjusting the chain to ensure there is always slack.

There are usually a couple positions for the chain to attach on the handle itself - try a different position.

If all else fails, try replacing the flapper.

enter image description here

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  • I'll check the flapper. I don't see why it'd need replacing on a toilet that's not even a few months old. Everything in the tank still looks brand new.
    – churnd
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 16:15
  • You never know - could have be a manufacturing problem or something like that.
    – Steven
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 17:37
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Many American Standard toilets use a specialized flapper valve:

toilet valve

These are a bit less forgiving than other valves. There is a chamber that fills with water and holds the valve open until that chamber drains through a hole near the bottom. Make sure that hole is clear.

The pivot pins and the retaining flanges are also rigid plastic and need to be clear.

Sometimes the problem is as simple as the chain getting hung up on another mechanism in the bowl, such as the float valve or one of its parts. Usually you can shift that valve to one side or the other, or you can bend the handle extension that holds the chain to avoid entanglement.

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  • Thanks, I'll check those things. I don't think the chain is getting hung up. I'm not sure of a chamber that fills with water. There is a small tube with a clip on the end that squirts water whenever the toilet is flushed. I wasn't sure where that is supposed to go so I clipped it to go into a tube that sticks up in the tank. Is that the chamber?
    – churnd
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 16:22
  • That tube with a clip is supposed to go on the upright tube. It causes water to flow around the edges of the bowl. That is not the one that fills with water. Does your flapper look more like the one in this picture or the one in Steven's picture? If like mine, the chamber is the angled black tube to which the chain is attached. If it looks like Steven's, my explanation about the chamber does not apply.
    – bib
    Commented Jul 31, 2012 at 16:58

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