Tried fixing a toilet flapper for 3 hours before I saw the real problem

Last weekend I kept hearing water running in my bathroom. I swapped out the flapper, adjusted the chain, even tightened the fill valve. Still wouldn't stop. Turns out the overflow tube had a tiny crack I missed because I never looked close enough. Total time from start to fix: 3 hours for what should have been a 15 minute job. Has anyone else had a simple home repair turn into a whole afternoon because you overlooked something obvious?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.kevin21h ago

Oh man, "never looked close enough" is basically my life story with home repairs. I've done the same thing with a leaky faucet where I replaced every single o-ring and cartridge inside the handle before realizing the supply line itself had a pinhole leak under the sink. Three trips to the hardware store later I finally saw it when I actually took the flashlight and looked at the copper feed directly. My advice is always stop and stare at the whole thing for a full minute before you touch anything. Grab a flashlight and get your face right in there because the obvious stuff hides in plain sight every single time.

diana5519h ago

Read somewhere that most leaks are actually in the first place you ignore.