Faulty toilet valve

[jcdammeyer]

My wife has been complaining that the toilet has been making a squeaking noise. With my poor hearing, and even with the hearing aids I kinda heard it but the lazy part of me was pretending it wasn't there.
However, there were other noises I couldn't ignore.

After a bit of thinking I decided it must be something with the flapper valve leaking ever so slightly and that caused the fill valve to open ever so slightly with the slight squeak.

Well... Turns out the MOEN 5304 flapper valve is crap.


Clearly the white plastic molded over the translucent rubber is crap. The ring isn't centred and there is a rough area at the left side.



Well I happened to be at the RESTORE place the other day and spotted a complete toilet rebuild kit with the long arm and ball float for $10. Along with a replacement flapper valve. Seeing what the MOEN looked like I trimmed the flapper to fit the current arrangement and installed it.

I will have to check with SWMBO to make sure it doesn't make that noise but I think it's fixed.

Such a simple solution.

 

[Susquatch]

However, there were other noises I couldn't ignore.

I can easily imagine that......

Toilets are a pain in the ass.....

Joking aside.

Why can't they make a decent one?

One high enough so your knees are not around your ears?

One deep enough so the boys and the boss don't go swimming with the kids?

One that flushes the first time every time?

One that doesn't add to the normal bathroom noises?

One that mice can't jump out of before you flush them down?

One that doesn't calcify and look like crap?

One that doesn't leak?

One that doesn't cause condensation?

One that doesn't get me killed when I secretly dump one of the wife's green meals?

One that doesn't break the flush mechanism after a guest takes a crap?

And the list goes on!

 

[jcdammeyer]

I can easily imagine that......

Toilets are a pain in the ass.....

Joking aside.

Why can't they make a decent one?

One high enough so your knees are not around your ears?

One deep enough so the boys and the boss don't go swimming with the kids?

One that flushes the first time every time?

One that doesn't add to the normal bathroom noises?

One that mice can't jump out of before you flush them down?

One that doesn't calcify and look like crap?

One that doesn't leak?

One that doesn't cause condensation?

One that doesn't get me killed when I secretly dump one of the wife's green meals?

One that doesn't break the flush mechanism after a guest takes a crap?

And the list goes on!

That's only 12. Where are the other 30?

 

[Gennady]

One that doesn't cause condensation?

That one is solved already 🙂 some have styrofoam insert to prevent condensation on porcelain. I foolishly suspected it is to reduce amount of water being flashed, but no, not a conspiracy this time 🙂

One that doesn't break the flush mechanism after a guest takes a crap?

That one can't be fixed - it is derivative from the Murphy's law

 

[whydontu]

As in most things, you get what you pay for. Contractor-grade vs. designer-grade. Toto toilet is $100, Japanese toilet is $2000.

 

[Susquatch]

Toto toilet is $100, Japanese toilet is $2000.

Wow! That's like the difference between a Deckle and a Busy Bee machine!

I asked my bride if she has ever seen a Japanese toilet. She said yes, and they are nice, but we are not getting one. Apparently, I would be taking a hot bath AND then a shower to rinse off the bath water everytime she is in the mood. Isn't there something in between?

 

[trevj]

My wife has been complaining that the toilet has been making a squeaking noise. With my poor hearing, and even with the hearing aids I kinda heard it but the lazy part of me was pretending it wasn't there.
However, there were other noises I couldn't ignore.

After a bit of thinking I decided it must be something with the flapper valve leaking ever so slightly and that caused the fill valve to open ever so slightly with the slight squeak.

Well... Turns out the MOEN 5304 flapper valve is crap.
View attachment 69243

Clearly the white plastic molded over the translucent rubber is crap. The ring isn't centred and there is a rough area at the left side.

View attachment 69242

Well I happened to be at the RESTORE place the other day and spotted a complete toilet rebuild kit with the long arm and ball float for $10. Along with a replacement flapper valve. Seeing what the MOEN looked like I trimmed the flapper to fit the current arrangement and installed it.

I will have to check with SWMBO to make sure it doesn't make that noise but I think it's fixed.

Such a simple solution.

Y`'know, given the depth of the part, vs. the short distance between the pivot and the actual plug, I'd gravitate towards the 'wrong'(crooked), rather than the right.

Prolly less to do with it being off center, that about a failure to seal as may be accounted by a great many reasons...

 

[trevj]

I can easily imagine that......

Toilets are a pain in the ass.....

Joking aside.

Why can't they make a decent one?

One high enough so your knees are not around your ears?

One deep enough so the boys and the boss don't go swimming with the kids?

One that flushes the first time every time?

One that doesn't add to the normal bathroom noises?

One that mice can't jump out of before you flush them down?

One that doesn't calcify and look like crap?

One that doesn't leak?

One that doesn't cause condensation?

One that doesn't get me killed when I secretly dump one of the wife's green meals?

One that doesn't break the flush mechanism after a guest takes a crap?

And the list goes on!

Yer supposed to throw a mouse against the floor to stun it before you try to flush it! LOL!

As to the knees issue, some folks push the idea that the ideal position to have a dump, is with yer knees up around yer ears... They even sell steps to sit in front of the commode to put your feet up on. Search out Squatty Potty!

Personally, my ex bought an actual adult size toilet, likely by total accident, which we installed during a bathroom reno. I'll walk out of the master bedroom and use that, instead of the one in the en-suite! Glacier Bay brand. I'd buy another!

 

[jcdammeyer]

Y`'know, given the depth of the part, vs. the short distance between the pivot and the actual plug, I'd gravitate towards the 'wrong'(crooked), rather than the right.

Prolly less to do with it being off center, that about a failure to seal as may be accounted by a great many reasons...

It came as a kit. I removed the tank. Washed it out with the hose outside. Bolted in the drain assembly when the tank was bolted back to the toilet seat. Never even looked at the underside of the flapper valve.

Might not be clear from the photo but the flapper is very defective. It's that white coating over the translucent rubber (Plastic?). Anyway, it's the white covering that is off center and has overspray and roughness. At first I thought it was a calcium deposit. We'll see if MOEN replies and replaces.

Funny thing is the kit I bought at RESTORE for $10 has the more normal black rubber flapper.

 

[Susquatch]

That one is solved already 🙂 some have styrofoam insert to prevent condensation on porcelain.

Ya, that prolly works in less humid parts of Canada, but here in the rust belt, I still regularly get condensation under the tank and wherever the foam doesn't fully cover (valves, pipes, top edge, bottom surface, etc). There are even days where the whole toilet is dripping - the thermal mass of the tank serves as a heat sink wicking heat transfer behind the foam. To fully solve my problem would require that the tank itself be made of an insulating material - eg space shuttle re-entry heat tiles.