What’s the flap about flappers? No, we’re not talking about the women of the Roaring 20’s who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair and listened to jazz music.

We’re speaking about the flapper found in most toilets — an essential part that helps deliver water to the toilet bowl. Flappers are part of the flush valve, which is the complete system responsible for making sure that the toilet flushes again, and again, and again! The flapper is actually a moving part of the flush valve, sealing water into the tank and allowing that water to exit the tank when you flush.

“If there are no chemicals added to the water in the toilet tank, like from chlorine tablets dropped in, then a flapper can easily last 10 years,” says Adriana Miller with Mansfield Plumbing. “If your home is on a municipal water supply, there can also be chlorine in that water that can reduce the lifespan of the flapper.

“Typically a flapper does not need to be replaced — it’s the seal around the flapper or the chain to the flapper that can break off over time.”

However, if you ever do need to replace your flapper or want to learn more about the flap over flappers, click HERE for easy step-by-step instructions as provided by Tampa Bay Water company.