That cheap toilet rebuild kit failed after 4 months

I replaced the fill valve and flapper in my bathroom toilet back in April with a $9 kit from the hardware store. Now the flapper is already sticking and the fill valve whistles like a tea kettle. Anyone else have these knockoff kits crap out way faster than the OEM parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenniferwells2d agoMost Upvoted

The "whistles like a tea kettle" bit is exactly what happened to mine. But here's something I noticed that nobody talks about. Those cheap kits use a rubber compound that's way too soft for the water pressure in most homes. The flapper gets deformed from the constant pushing and ends up sealing crooked. I pulled mine out and the rubber had actually warped into a wave shape after a few months. The OEM part I put in last week has way stiffer rubber that feels like it'll hold its shape.

fionagibson2d ago

Honestly I used to think a valve is a valve and why pay double for the brand name, but after what you just described I'm totally with you now. My cheap kit did the exact same warping thing and I just assumed it was bad luck or I installed it wrong. When I pulled the flapper out it wasn't even flat anymore, it had this permanent curl on one edge like a potato chip. That rubber is junk and it's not even about saving a few bucks because now I have to buy a new one and do the whole job over. The OEM one I just put in has rubber that feels way more solid and actually snaps back into shape when I bend it. Makes you wonder how much water got wasted with that cheap flapper not sealing right for who knows how long.