• Toilet with a flapper for water control.Toilet bowl and bidet in a toilet image by terex from Fotolia.com
  
  You have probably experienced a leaking toilet at some point in time. The culprit is most likely a damaged flapper. This easily fixed part (and inexpensive, at that) is what allows the water in the tank to rush into the toilet upon flushing. There are three styles of toilet flappers that should be understood before trying to replace one, all of which wear and tear with multiple uses.
  
  

Rubber Flappers

• This is the most recognized style of flapper on the market today. Because it typically consists entirely of rubber, this flapper is the most inexpensive, as well. The outside frame clips onto the bottom of the overflow pipe and seals the hole inside the base of the water tank. The inner seal is always made of rubber, (giving the flapper its name), but in some models the outside frame is constructed of plastic.
  
  

Tank Ball Flappers

• This flapper style is commonly dislodged and may lead to leaks by simply being out of place. The ball is made of rubber and dangles from a lift wire that is connected to the trip arm. When the toilet is flushed, the trip arm pulls up on the lift wire and the ball raises. Once the water has drained through the tank, the ball drops back into place to seal the hole. If the lift wire is miscalculated, even in the slightest, it can lead to the ball falling at the wrong time or in the wrong position.
  
  

Seat Disk Flappers

• Perhaps the most difficult to repair, the seat disk flapper is equipped with an intricate design and several parts to examine. The seat disk is connected to a tiny cup that has a small amount of water within. When the toilet is flushed, the plastic frame behind the seat disk and the cup begins to tip. As the frame tips back, the water in the cup becomes a counter-weight that pulls the flapper open to release water. The tiny cup has holes in the base that drain the water, pulling the frame back into place, in turn closing the flapper. Once the frame is upright and the flapper closes, the tank is empty and the flush is complete.