On Saturday March 6th 2010 we was called out for a "slow filling toilet that keeps running" for a customer we worked for last year, but this was our first time at this property.
When we arrived we expected the toilet fill valve to be defective or clogged with debris. We replaced the toilet fill valve with a Fluidmaster 400A fill valve and used a Korky replacement flush valve flapper to stop the leaking through the tank.
This toilet visibly rocks and is not secure to the floor, even though it was not leaking down below. Aside from that, the toilet has a set of mild steel tank to bowl bolts that are slowly disintegrating as time moves on and when the black rubber gaskets eventually go bad from chlorine exposure, we recommended replacement of the entire toilet. The toilet's brand name is a Crane, low end toilet that most likely was less than $100 at the time it was purchased.
This follows the "good money following bad" scenario that is designed to give the customers options for what is in their best interest. Meaning, The charges for today involve a fill valve, toilet flapper, toilet supply line along with the labor to make these necessary repairs. Of course, this is normal costs involving the maintenance aspect of any toilet. It's expected. But on the horizon of this one particular toilet the tank to bowl bolts will need replacement along with addressing the issue of the rocking toilet. Given the cost to repair is usually closely matched to the cost of replacement, at some point the quality of the toilet comes into question and a decision be made to understand the long term.
If the toilet has a history of clogging, not doing a good job of removing waste, this is a instant reason to rid the problem and start with another "better" product.
Hopefully the customer gets a substantial time between the next task to be done to the toilet. Cheap toilets are what keeps plumbers in business, such as this one did today with the toilet being relatively new. The fill valve that came with the toilet was of poor quality and the flapper was rippled most likely in combination of repeated exposure of chlorine in the water along with the quality of the flapper itself.
