Why Your Toilet Chain Keeps Coming Off: & How To Fix It

There are a lot of people who take their toilet chains for granted; however, if your toilet chain keeps coming off, you understand just how frustrating this can be. It is important for you to figure out why your toilet chain is coming off, so you can make sure your toilet is working properly. What are a few of the most common reasons why your toilet chain is coming off, and how do you fix it?

There are several possible reasons why your toilet chain may keep coming off. Sometimes, the chain simply falls off when the toilet is flushed. The chain may have too much slack, the flapper might be out of place, or the chain itself could be broken. If you can properly diagnose the problem, you should be able to fix it relatively quickly, as toilet chains are not that complicated or expensive.

So, are you ready to figure out why the chain on your toilet keeps coming off? If so, take a look at the results of our research below, and see if you can figure out why your toilet chain keeps coming off. If you are ready to go, let’s dive in! 

Materials Needed To Fix a Toilet Chain That Keeps Coming Off

If you want to fix a toilet chain that keeps coming off, you need to make sure you have the right materials. Fortunately, you don’t need a lot to fix a broken toilet chain.

• The most important tool for repairing a toilet is a set of pliers. You can use channel lock pliers to loosen or tighten any nuts, and needle nose pliers allow you to grab the small clip on the end of the chain without dropping it. These are especially useful for removing the clip that attached the chain to the arm.
• You need to have access to the water supply, as you will need to turn this off before you start working on the flapper for your toilet.
• Then, you need a replacement chain and flapper. Even though there is a chance you might need a screwdriver with you, most of them do not require one.
• You may want to have towels you can place around a toilet that will prevent water from accumulating around the basin as you are working. 

3 Steps To Fix a Broken Toilet Chain

If you are ready to fix a broken toilet chain, there are several steps you need to follow. These include:

Step 1: Turn Off the Water Supply

The first thing you need to do is turn off the water supply. Then, you need to remove the water. You do not want to contend with unnecessary water when you are making repairs on the toilet. Even if you feel like your hands can take the water, you don’t want your floors to absorb this.

Typically, the valve is connected to the wall behind the toilet. Take a look at the back of the toilet, turn the valve clockwise, and make sure you close off the water supply.

After this, you need to drain the water that is already in the toilet. The easiest way to do that is to flush the toilet. You may need to manually lift up the flapper if you are interested in completely draining the water supply. You may need to flush the toilet several times to get all the water out.

After you have drained the water from the toilet, it is time to get started with the rest of the repair process. 

Step 2: Replace the Flapper

Now that the water is gone, it is time to replace the flapper. Fortunately, this step is pretty simple. Even if you have never worked on your own appliances before, this is one of the easiest jobs. All you need to do is unclip the chain from the flapper. Try to avoid snapping if off, but the flapper itself should unclip relatively easily.

After this, you need to replace the chain as well. Locate the area where the chain connects to the base of the toilet. Then, remove the chain as well.

Now that the flapper and chain have been disconnected, it is time to install the new one. Remove the new flapper and chain, work the steps in reverse, and connect the chain and flapper to the toilet. 

Make sure the new chain and flapper are connected securely to the flush lever. That is really all there is to this repair process. It should not take you that long to complete this. 

Step 3: Try Out the New Flapper

Now that everything has been properly installed, it is time to try out the new flapper. Turn the water supply on again, and give the toilet a few minutes to fill up. After it has completely filled up, flush the toilet to make sure it works properly. 

You may want to watch the flapper go down the first time. If it looks like it is not behaving accordingly, you may need to jiggle it a few times to get it to work appropriately. You need to make sure there is not too much slack with the chain and flapper. Otherwise, the new chain could fall off again. 

What About Tightening and Loosening the Chain?

This step is optional, as it depends on the type of flapper you have, the chain you have, and what you saw the first time you flushed it. It may take a bit of trial and error to tighten or loosen the chain. All you have to do is take out the pain located at the end of the flush lever. Then, move it to different locations around the chain. You need to make sure the chain is properly attached to the flush lever. 

Of course, the chain has to be long enough to allow the device to work properly. On the other hand, you do not want to have too much slack, as this could make it hard for the chain to work as it should. Once you have found the proper location for the chain, leave it alone, put the cover back on, and let the toilet do its job. 

Common Reasons Why the Chain Keeps Falling off

Now that you have fixed the flapper and chain, it is time to prevent this problem from happening again. If you can figure out why the problem took place, you can make sure the flapper and chain work appropriately moving forward. 

There are several common reasons why the chain keeps falling off. A few of the most common examples include:

The Chain Has Too Much Slack

One of the most common reasons why the chain and flapper keep falling off is that the chain has far too much slack. You need to make sure the chain has enough slack so it can completely open and close when you flush the toilet. On the other hand, if the chain has too much slack, it is going to have far too much freedom to move around.

Take a closer look at the chain and make sure it is attached securely to the flush lever. You may need to move the chain around a few times in order to get it to the right spot. Remember that you can adjust the pin on the flush lever to make sure it is attached securely. If you need help adjusting the chain, you may want to ask someone for assistance.

The Links Are Broken

Another possible reason why the chain keeps falling off is that there are links in the chain that are broken. If there are broken links in the chain, it is simply going to tumble into the basin, making it impossible for you to flush the toilet. 

There are a number of reasons why the links might be broken, but it is possible that the chain might be too short. If you put too much pressure on the chain itself, the links will eventually snap. If the links are broken, the chain will not work properly.

Therefore, you have to make sure there is some slack in the chain. There is some middle ground between having a chain that is too tight and a chain that is too loose. It may take some trial and error before you figure out the right location for the chain itself. 

There Is Corrosion

Finally, another possible reason why the toilet chain keeps falling off is that there is too much corrosion present. If there is a lot of corrosion in the chain, it will eventually stop working properly. It may even break. Because most chains are made out of metal, they will get rusty eventually. When this happens, they will need to be replaced.

Take a closer look at the chain and see if it looks discolored. If the chain looks discolored, this is a sign that you may need to replace it. Fortunately, all you need to do is follow the steps above. Then, the new change should be installed, and it should start working properly.

If you are having a difficult time finding the right chain for your toilet, you may want to talk to a professional. You can find these parts at your local home improvement store. Therefore, take a trip down to the store, talk to the experts who are there, and find parts that you know are going to be compatible with your toilet.

Fix a Broken Toilet Chain

These are the steps you need to follow if you would like to fix a broken toilet chain. Even though it may be frustrating to see that your toilet is not behaving as it should, remember that it is not that difficult or expensive to fix a broken toilet chain. Instead of trying to repair a broken toilet chain, you are better off replacing it entirely. The parts are not that expensive, and they do not take that long to fix.

Remember that you need to make sure the chain has enough slack. You do not want the chain to have too much slack, but it still needs to have enough slack to do its job. It is going to take some trial-and-error to figure out where the chain needs to be located. Watch the toilet flush a few times to make sure it is in the right spot.