High Tank Toilet Stopper

Hi everyone,

I have an old high tank toilet that won't flush anymore. The old stopper mechanism--a plastic cylinder that went up and down on a chain that wrapped around a copper tube with cutouts for water flow--ceased working after the copper rusted away. I suppose welding on a new piece would do the trick but this is way beyond my ability. A friend put in a rubber stopper, but, even with a weight, it won't stay down enough to keep the water from flowing. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
-Eric

It would depend somewhat on how big the hole in the bottom of the tank was...you might be able to put in a common flapper valve. This would involve dismounting the tank, and unscrewing the nut holding the flush valve in, then putting in a new flush valve. If you post a picture, someone may have an idea if parts are available to repair or replace the valve you have.

Or, you could do the environment a service and replace it with a modern, HET toilet that uses something like 1.28g to flush rather than the 5-8 gallons that old thing probably uses.

I agree with jadnashua. Consign that old water hog to the land fill and get a Toto Drake. You'll be good for the rest of your life. Service items are common in every hardware store and plumbing shop.