Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Dave Jones. Dave Jones is a Professional Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. In 1992, Jones joined Roto-Rooter as a drain service technician at the age of 18. Since then, he has risen through the ranks into positions of increasing authority. Dave served as general manager of Roto-Rooter’s Charlotte, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia branches before being promoted to Contractor Area Manager and later to Regional Vice President. Dave holds Master Plumber Licenses in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia.
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A flushometer is what is used to flush commercial toilets. These are often found in restaurants, offices, sports stadiums, etc. They usually work really well. However, if you notice that something is wrong, it will be fairly obvious, as the flushometer will constantly be running water into the toilet, causing what is called a never-ending flush. If this is something you need to tackle, here is how to fix it.
Things You Should Know
- To fix a manual flushometer, take the top lid off and clean the sediment out of the gasket. If that doesn't work, buy a replacement gasket.
- To clean an automatic flushometer, shut off the water and press and hold the chrome button. Then, tighten the solenoid.
Steps
Depending on whether your flushometer is facing left or right, there should be a slot for a flat screwdriver on either side. Take a flat screwdriver and use it to turn the screwdriver slot and shut off the water from the flushometer.[1]- You may also need to take a cover off where the screwdriver slot is too.
Take a wrench and screw the top lid of the flushometer off. You only need a wrench to loosen the top lid of the flushometer. After that, the lid screws right off.[2]- It may also be necessary to use a piece of paper when doing so, so that you don't scrape the chrome on the flushometer.
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Take the flange cover off. Be warned that you may make a mess with some water when taking this cover off.
You will now see a gasket, which will have a lot of sediment.- There also may be a tiny weep hole too, which is what is causing the suction to release and the vacuum to seal up, also causing the flushometer to not be able to stop running the water into the toilet.
Take out and clean the gasket, including the weep hole. Clean it really well. You also will want to wash it out too.- Something very tiny in width should be used to clean the port of the weep hole.
Follow steps 1 to 5 in reverse order (skipping the cleaning part, as you have already cleaned) to get the toilet working again, leaving it good as new.
If this solution didn't work, you will need to replace the gasket.
Note: This section documents the fix for the Sloan G2 Optima Plus flushometer. This may not work for other flushometers.
Shut off the water per the first step in the "Manual Flushometer" method.
Press and hold down the chrome button. Hold down with the hand pressing a button, which is used to flush the toilet manually.- Do you hear two clicks two seconds apart? If so, then you need to clean or replace the diaphragm kit. This kit is accessed by taking off the top of the flushometer.[3]
You may have already serviced the solenoid. If that is the case, then tighten the solenoid, and check for any double stacked or missing bowl rings on the solenoid.
Video
Community Q&A
- QuestionHow can I diagnose a problem to figure out why my toilet now runs continuously after being flushed?
Community AnswerAs per the article, shut off the flushometer and take it apart to find the gasket. Clean it out very well, including the weep hole, ensuring you don't expand the size of the hole during this. Put it back together after doing so and try again. If it still runs, replace the gasket. - QuestionIs this the same with a urinal flushometer?Community AnswerYes. It depends on the flushometer you have, but with a urinal flushometer, following these steps should also work.
- QuestionWhat do I do if the toilet leaks when flushing?
AdrianTop AnswererIf it is leaking at a bolt, remove the plumber's tape if the connector has some, and put on new tape. If it is leaking in the middle of a pipe, get a new pipe.
Tips
Warnings
Manual Flushometer
- Be careful when cleaning the weep hole. You don't want to enlarge it. If you do, the toilet will not flush long enough to completely clean the bowl.Thanks
Automatic Flushometer
- Be sure that you are careful doing the repair.Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about home repair, check out our in-depth interview with Dave Jones.
References
About This Article
If the flushometer won’t stop flushing on your toilet, you can easily fix it by cleaning out the gasket. For a manual flushometer, first, take a flat screwdriver and turn the screwdriver slot that sticks out to one side, which will turn off the toilet’s water supply. Then, take a wrench and screw the top lid off the flushometer. Take the cover off and clean the gasket and weep hole since gunk buildup can cause the flushometer to work improperly. After they’re clean, screw everything back into place and turn the water back on. To learn how to fix an automatic flushometer, read on!
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