[DeanFL]

Been in our TV house for 4 years now. Both toilets have begun to occasionally 'run to fill' for a few seconds. Kohler toilets, very good quality with a very nice flush mech with the vertical canister valve and rubber seal. I have cleaned the seat around the rubber seal in the tank, but did little good. Seals needed replacement - $6.99 @ at Lowes. Just installed and both original rubber seals were somewhat brittle and certainly the cause.

1. why are they not made of silicone and available? And last almost forever would assume, and only a buck or so more...but they make money on us/plumbers, so...

2. why did they deteriorate? Googled - probably due to the bleach cleaner tablets my Lady puts in now and then.

This is a no-no, may be common knowledge, but not really here. She has now been "informed".

Here's the dope via Google>


Given the dirty nature of bathrooms, and toilets in particular, all homeowners want to find fast and easy ways to clean in these spaces. That’s why many choose to use the drop-in toilet cleaners that often come in the form of bleach-chlorine tablets. These tablets may seem like simple solutions, but they are often more trouble — and damage-causing — than they are worth.

If you use drop-in toilet cleaner tablets, we recommend you change to a different method for keeping your toilet bowl clean. You may like the fresh blue look of the water when using in-tank tablets, but you are actually damaging your toilet — and the long-term cost of repairs and replacements to your toilet far outweigh the short-term ease of dropping in a cleaning solution.

This makes sense when you consider that bleach tablets are alkaline. Many of your toilet’s parts and materials corrode in high-alkaline water, which is why the rubber pieces become brittle and other portions of your toilet begin to age before their time when the drop-in tables are in use.
The Places Where Tablets Attack Your Toilet
Plastic and rubber parts, such as the gaskets and washers, were highly susceptible to corrosion and wear. Eventually, toilets leaked or didn’t flush properly due to the damage caused by the in-tank tablets.

The longer a tablet sat in a tank without a toilet being flushed, the quicker the damage to parts occurred. While homeowners would drop in these tablets and leave, assuming the tablets were doing good work, those tablets were actually slowly destroying the toilets they were meant to clean.

How should you proceed then? It’s better to clean the toilet manually on a regular basis, directly in the bowl, with cleansers and a brush. If you have especially hard water that leaves a dark ring in the bowl, a spray-on anti-lime cleanser will further help keep the bowl clean — but don’t put cleansers in either your tank or bowl and let them sit.

[retiredguy123]

Don't put cleaning tablets or chemicals in the tank, only in the bowl. And, when you replace the rubber seal in the tank, use the Kohler yellow ones, not the red ones.

[thetruth]

Originally Posted by DeanFL

Been in our TV house for 4 years now. Both toilets have begun to occasionally 'run to fill' for a few seconds. Kohler toilets, very good quality with a very nice flush mech with the vertical canister valve and rubber seal. I have cleaned the seat around the rubber seal in the tank, but did little good. Seals needed replacement - $6.99 @ at Lowes. Just installed and both original rubber seals were somewhat brittle and certainly the cause.

1. why are they not made of silicone and available? And last almost forever would assume, and only a buck or so more...but they make money on us/plumbers, so...

2. why did they deteriorate? Googled - probably due to the bleach cleaner tablets my Lady puts in now and then.

This is a no-no, may be common knowledge, but not really here. She has now been "informed".

Here's the dope via Google>


Given the dirty nature of bathrooms, and toilets in particular, all homeowners want to find fast and easy ways to clean in these spaces. That’s why many choose to use the drop-in toilet cleaners that often come in the form of bleach-chlorine tablets. These tablets may seem like simple solutions, but they are often more trouble — and damage-causing — than they are worth.

If you use drop-in toilet cleaner tablets, we recommend you change to a different method for keeping your toilet bowl clean. You may like the fresh blue look of the water when using in-tank tablets, but you are actually damaging your toilet — and the long-term cost of repairs and replacements to your toilet far outweigh the short-term ease of dropping in a cleaning solution.

This makes sense when you consider that bleach tablets are alkaline. Many of your toilet’s parts and materials corrode in high-alkaline water, which is why the rubber pieces become brittle and other portions of your toilet begin to age before their time when the drop-in tables are in use.
The Places Where Tablets Attack Your Toilet
Plastic and rubber parts, such as the gaskets and washers, were highly susceptible to corrosion and wear. Eventually, toilets leaked or didn’t flush properly due to the damage caused by the in-tank tablets.

The longer a tablet sat in a tank without a toilet being flushed, the quicker the damage to parts occurred. While homeowners would drop in these tablets and leave, assuming the tablets were doing good work, those tablets were actually slowly destroying the toilets they were meant to clean.

How should you proceed then? It’s better to clean the toilet manually on a regular basis, directly in the bowl, with cleansers and a brush. If you have especially hard water that leaves a dark ring in the bowl, a spray-on anti-lime cleanser will further help keep the bowl clean — but don’t put cleansers in either your tank or bowl and let them sit.

Our home like yours is four years old. We do not use toilet tablets and our seals failed in about a year.

There is an issue with the Kohler seals. The original ones we had were pink in color. The PROPER QUALITY from Kohlaer will be YELLOW. When, I bought the replacements some stores were still selling the PINK ones. Some stores hand OFF BRAND parts. For me not worth the trouble to try off brand stuff.

Replacing the seals was very easy. JUST DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING-IT IS ALL PLASTIC.

[cchase]

Yep, yellow ones. Cheaper on Amazon

[New Englander]

The seals will deteriorate with or without using those tablets in the tank. The tablets just speed up the deterioration process. I replaced the seals in both my toilets because they were filling up on their own. I got the "Yellow" ones at Ace hardware in Wildwood. Ace is right near the Wildwood post office.

[DeanFL]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Don't put cleaning tablets or chemicals in the tank, only in the bowl. And, when you replace the rubber seal in the tank, use the Kohler yellow ones, not the red ones.

1. Perhaps what I'll do is take the toilet bowl tablets by mouth, a few hours before 'going' then I preserve the rubber and plastic in the john, and will have a "tidy bowl" too. Shouldn't harm the urinary tract either... kidding folks.

2. Yep $6.99 each for the Kohler brand yellow seals. Of course a HUGE markup on all ends - probably make for .25. And if they made silicone, they would last 15 years - and the entire chain would lose that ongoing revenue stream... planned obsolescence.

3. Yes easy fix/install - wonder how much a plumber would charge for install of 2?

[Buffalo Jim]

To the OP and others who commented : Very informative . Thanks for sharing and for posting about the correct replacement seals .

[Paper1]

Originally Posted by New Englander

The seals will deteriorate with or without using those tablets in the tank. The tablets just speed up the deterioration process. I replaced the seals in both my toilets because they were filling up on their own. I got the "Yellow" ones at Ace hardware in Wildwood. Ace is right near the Wildwood post office.

The yellow cylinder seal is fairly easy to change but the bowl to tank gasket is a bear. We used to use bleach tablets also.

[Villagevip]

Residing in T.V. a year now, single, and no guest...RIDDLE ME THIS.. Master bath toilet clean as a whistle....But, but the guest toilet no one uses, has black spots ringing the water line..Tired many times to remove spots to no avail...Really looks nasty..

[Nucky]

We installed Ferguson's. They were highly recommended by Al Bundy about 20 years ago. Ba-Whoosh! Mrs. Nucky is a bleacher. Nothing is truly clean unless it has been overbleached.

[Dan9871]

Originally Posted by Villagevip

..But, but the guest toilet no one uses, has black spots ringing the water line...

Go to Ace Hardware and ask for a pumice stone for cleaning toilet bowls. It the only thing we have found that removes that ring.

Pumice stone sounds like it will scratch the bowl but it doesn't... it's made specially for toilet bowls.

[DeanFL]

Originally Posted by Villagevip

Residing in T.V. a year now, single, and no guest...RIDDLE ME THIS.. Master bath toilet clean as a whistle....But, but the guest toilet no one uses, has black spots ringing the water line..Tired many times to remove spots to no avail...Really looks nasty..

VV - Google is my best friend - here's some info on your ?>>> (don't read while sipping your morning coffee if you have a weak tummy...)



Black Rings Inside a Toilet Bowl

Black rings around the toilet not only look disgusting, but they may be a buildup of toxic materials that smell bad and can potentially put your health at risk. A constant shift between wet and dry conditions inside a toilet bowl makes the perfect breeding grounds for dirt and mold. Knowing what type of stain you are trying to remove will help determine the proper cleaning solution.

What Creates Black Rings Inside a Toilet Bowl?
Hard Water Deposits: Anytime a surface that comes in contact with your home’s water supply on a regular basis such as faucets, shower heads, and toilet bowls, it becomes susceptible to an accumulation of residue. Water flows from the toilet tank and into the bowl through series of small holes or ports located under the rim. Over a period of time, hard water deposits will begin building not only in the ports but also around the port openings and the rim of the toilet. When this happens, residue provides a non-slick coating for waste and other grime to collect where it will not wash down the drain after each flush.

Mold and Mildew: Your toilet is its own enemy when it comes fighting off mold and mildew. Both fungi require a moist environment to stay alive. Because water deposits build-up under a toilet’s rim, it can take only 24-48 hours for colonies to start breeding. As it grows, you will see what looks like black debris or rings inside the bowl. This can cause respiratory problems for people as the mold and mildew release tiny spores into the air.

Sewer Organisms: These are living things, not visible to the naked eye that feed off waste in sewer systems and drain pipes. During hot and humid weather, they may pass through a toilet’s trap and make their way into the bowl. Once this happens, they will live under the rim and release a smell similar to a sewer after each flush.

Get Rid of those Rings!
Commercial cleaners and bowl scrubbers alone will not entirely get rid of the black ring in your toilet. For hard water deposits, add ½ cup of vinegar into bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes before adding ½ cup of baking soda. You will notice the ingredients in the water will begin to fizz. When this happens, oxygen is being released and starts to breakdown the stain. Use brush to remove leftover residue. To clean, sanitize, and eliminate mold/mildew stains or sewer organisms use bleach. Flush toilet before cleaning. Apply 6 oz. under and around rim to coat the inside of bowl. Scrub entire surface and allow solution to sit for 5 minutes for sanitizing; then flush. Do not allow anyone or pets to access the toilet during this time. Because your safety is our top priority, please use proper safety measures when addressing these stains! Use rubber gloves and safety glasses when cleaning.

NOTE: Never mix cleaning solutions! When certain chemicals are combined, they will release a toxic gas that is extremely dangerous or fatal when inhaled.

[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by Dan9871

Go to Ace Hardware and ask for a pumice stone for cleaning toilet bowls. It the only thing we have found that removes that ring.

Pumice stone sounds like it will scratch the bowl but it doesn't... it's made specially for toilet bowls.

Yep.

A pumice stone for toilets (not one for pools) is the only thing I've found that will take care of the hard water ring stain...that inevitably shows up in the bowl.

[CFrance]

Our seals failed the first year. I had used 2000 Flushes in the tanks of every home we had since 2000 Flushes hit the market, with no problems and great results. Then we find out that the seals in the tanks are different in TV (maybe everywhere, because our last house was built in 1997) and the chlorine in 2000 Flushes erodes the seal.

We had multiple cats living to be 17 and 20 on 2000 Flushes potty bowl water (what can I say) , but a seal fails in a year???

One thing that helped prevent the ring in the guest room bathroom john was leaving the top lid open at all times and flushing the john daily... which I took care of because that bathroom was closer to the living room than the mbr bathroom.

[Villagevip]

Who knew, I certainly did not...Want to thank all, who gave me the wonderful, great advice for the solutions of ridding me of the nefferious toilet bowl black spots mystery...I was about to unnecessarily purchase a new toilet, THANKS AGAIN!