Honestly, you’re not wrong—some of these older tanks just have their quirks, and dialing in the half flush is trickier than it should be. I’ve found that even after adjusting the water level, it’s still a bit of a gamble whether it’ll actually clear everything. Sometimes I wonder if the mechanism just wears out over time or if it was never really designed for precision. Either way, you’re definitely not alone in this. It’s a weirdly common issue, especially with American Standard models from a certain era. At least you’ve got the noise under control... small victories, right?
Yeah, you’re definitely not the only one running into this. I’ve had a handful of units with those older American Standard tanks and honestly, even after swapping out flappers and messing with the float arms, half flush is still hit or miss. Sometimes I think these things just weren’t built for any real precision—especially after a decade or two of use.
Have you checked if the dual-flush button or lever is actually engaging the right part of the mechanism? I’ve seen a few where it gets a little sticky or misaligned over time, and then you’re basically just getting a weak full flush instead of a true half. Even new parts don’t always solve it, which is frustrating.
Noise control is something, at least—small win there. But yeah, sometimes you just have to accept that “half flush” is more of a suggestion than an actual feature on these old tanks.
I’ve run into the same thing on a couple jobs, especially with those older tanks. Even after replacing the button and making sure the rods line up, sometimes the half flush just doesn’t do much. Did you ever check if the seal under the button is worn out? I found one where it was barely hanging on, and it made the whole mechanism unreliable. Also, I always wonder if messing with the water level too much can make things worse instead of better... anyone else notice that?
Yeah, I’ve had that happen too, especially with those dual flush setups from the early 2000s. Here’s what I’ve noticed:
- Sometimes the half flush just isn’t enough, no matter what you do. I’ve tried new seals, adjusted rods, even swapped out the whole mechanism.
- Water level tweaks help a bit, but if you go too high, it messes with the full flush and can cause leaks.
- Once found a tank where the float arm was slightly bent—fixed that and suddenly the half flush worked better. Go figure.
- Honestly, some of those older designs just never worked right from the start... feels like a design flaw more than anything.
If you’ve already checked the seals and alignment, it might just be one of those things you can’t fully fix without replacing the whole setup.
Honestly, you’re not missing much. Those early dual flush systems were finicky at best—lots of trial and error, and sometimes you just end up chasing your tail. I’ve seen folks spend hours fiddling with the float or seal to get a halfway decent half flush, only for it to go back to being weak a month later. If you’ve already checked for obvious stuff like warped rods or dodgy seals, sometimes it’s just the design itself holding you back. At a certain point, swapping out for a newer valve is less hassle in the long run. Some of those old setups just never really worked right, no matter what you did.
