Hard water can definitely mess things up, but honestly, sometimes it's just the quality of the rubber seals themselves. Had a similar issue a while back, and even after switching to silicone grease, I kept having problems. Eventually swapped out for higher-quality seals (the red ones, can't remember the brand), and that finally did the trick. So yeah, mineral spirits might haunt some houses...but sometimes it's just cheap parts causing the curse.
Had a similar issue last year—thought it was hard water buildup at first, but turned out the flapper valve itself was warped. Switched to a heavier-duty one (Korky red flapper, I think?), and it's been smooth sailing since. Silicone grease helps, but if the seal itself is flimsy or warped, you're just delaying the inevitable... Learned that the hard way, lol.
"Silicone grease helps, but if the seal itself is flimsy or warped, you're just delaying the inevitable..."
Yeah, totally get that. I tried silicone grease when mine started acting up, hoping it was a quick fix... nope. Ended up swapping out the flapper too. Went with a Fluidmaster this time—was cheaper than Korky at my local store, and so far it's holding up great. Fingers crossed it stays that way... definitely don't wanna deal with another midnight bathroom flood anytime soon, lol.
Fluidmaster's decent, but a heads-up from experience:
- Check your water pressure—high pressure can kill even good seals fast.
- Consider adding a water alarm sensor near the toilet...cheap peace of mind.
Better safe than sorry at 2am, trust me.
Good points above, especially this bit:
"Check your water pressure—high pressure can kill even good seals fast."
Had a tenant once whose toilet kept failing every few months...turned out the pressure regulator was shot. Swapped that out, problem solved. Worth checking into before replacing parts again.
