Leaking toilet "flapper" seal

[Georgejr]

How do I clean the groove (seat) for the "flapper" seal without taking the toilet apart?

["007"]

Welcome to irv2 Georgejr.
I've been having same problem with one of my two toilets. I used a Q-tip and ran it around the seal with trap open than placed some vasoline around the seal and opened and closed a couple of times. One toilet is fine need to do other again.
Always leave water or anti in winter to keep seal from drying out.

[bdaball]

Either bend an old screwdriver 90 degrees or buy the special tool to clean the grove out. It's cheap. Toilet paper accumalates over time if not completely flushed down the hole.
(You can usually accomplish the same with your finger and rubber gloves)

[BigSkyBob]

I bent a metal coat hanger to clean the flapper groove, with the water shut off of course, and it's worked well. After cleaning I spray silicone on the ball, work it open and closed a few times then hold it open until it dries then turn the water back on. This usually lasts a couple weeks then I repeat the process.

[Vegasdan]

I had the same problem with my Sealand. Could'nt get it to seal to hold water for more than 5 minutes. No amount of cleaning tecniques worked. So I had the seal replaced. Has been holding water now for over 2 weeks(we are not using the coach at the present time).

["007"]

My seals are 7 years old always held water until recently. Didn't notice after trip but no water in bowl allowed seal to dry.
Will follow some of these suggestions like the one's about silicone and the screwdriver will give them a try. Seal has to be soften up to work.

[bdaball]

Quote:

Originally Posted by "007" My seals are 7 years old always held water until recently. Didn't notice after trip but no water in bowl allowed seal to dry. Will follow some of these suggestions like the one's about silicone and the screwdriver will give them a try. Seal has to be soften up to work.

Roger, If we ever "Rally" together again, I'll let you use my factory made special tool. I think it was under $10. I had a slow leak for quite a while until I found a small piece of toilet paper had lodged itsef deeply into the groove. Each time we flushed the paper was getting forced further into the groove.

After a fair amount of thrown-wrenching I got it out. It was almost as hard as a piece of wood. All is well now but I keep the wrench in the library just in case....

["007"]

I'll take you up on that, will be going to Workhorse rally N.C. & MB IRV2 10TH Anniversary in OCT.

[Wayne M]

The tool is cheap, and making one with a screw driver is easy. Just file the corners of the screw driver to keep it from nicking the seal. Just a little bit.

There are two other methods. I have a toilet bowl brush that is round. It just fits in the hole. When it is acting up, leaking, I'll spin the brush a few times and it works for a while.

The other one involves a tooth brush. I'm sure you get the picture. use the DW's, but don't tell her for heaven's sake. Actually,I keep an old tooth brush with that tool I bought, and I'll use it on occasion.

Normally, and with the use of a latex glove, I'll dab a little vaseline on the finger tips and smear it on the bottom and top of the rubber grommet.

DON'T drop either of the took, brush, or tooth brush. And I hope I never do.

[TandW]

Wayne, does she have a waterpic?

[edj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TandW Wayne, does she have a waterpic?

Might work, but how could you ever use the water pic again for its real purpose of cleaning your teeth?

[AFChap]

On my Sealand Traveler toilet, I have never had to use anything other than a toilet brush inserted into the open hole and rotated (don't drop it!!!). Last year when that no longer worked, I replaced the seal. The old one had a lot of hard water crusted and the rubber was getting hard. Replacing the seal was not a big deal ...but just THINKING about it before I did the job was.

[geeksrus]

After cleaning the area between the ball & gasket, I spray the area with Pledge Furniture Polish (with the water off). I found that this works better than silicone or other lubricants.
For the cleaning I have a cleaning 'stick' that came with my unit.

Eh!

[Sleepy]

I have a Sealand toilet and after a while it starts to leak slowly. I tried the toothbrushes and then I found dental tools at big flea markets. The best one is an angled spade-like tool that is stain less steel. I run it around the seal with the flapper closed and I couldn't believe the crud it knocked loose. I think all this hard campground water just collects calcium deposits etc. Dentists use these these things to chip tartar off our teeth so it seemed the right tool. I have an 05 Newmar with the original seal and she's holding water as we speak. The tools are often found at big flea markets (got mine Florida). Also a little regular round toilet brush helps alot...just scrub around the seal while its open. Good luck.