Toilet canister twisting

[echo11]

When the toilet is flushed, the canister inside picks up & twists. Only 1 of the 2 toilets does this. So, I'm figuring it shouldn't be twisting. It will twist to the left one time & the next time twist back to the right. I have tried shortening the chain. It doesn't help. Due to the twisting, it sometimes keeps running? Also it is harder to trip the lever when it has twisted to the left side. Do I need to replace the whole canister? Or is there an easy fix.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.

[HiHoSteveO]

By replacing the seal, you'll see how it works and can make any adjustment then, but I don't even think there is any adjustment.

How To Replace The Seal On A Canister Style Flush Valve From Kohler - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-oVbeFsXhI)

If your toilet looks like the one in this YouTube video, it's a real easy job to replace. (Except where he turns the plastic part at 42 seconds) It turns hard and you think you're going to break it. Also for those that are unfamiliar with the cheap plastic water shutoff valve. You turn the water off by pulling the white knob straight out.

Kohler K-GP1059291 Canister Flush Valve Seal

Last I knew was $6.99 at Amazon and about the same price at hardware stores. Make sure you get the yellow one made of better material than the original red one.

[echo11]

Thanks for the suggestion to change the seal. I will purchase & do that today. Will that stop the canister from twisting back & forth with each flush? Or isn't the twisting a problem?

[villagetinker]

I am GUESSING the canister is loose on the center rod, and that is why it is twisting. See what it looks like when you go to replace the gasket and reinstall the parts. I have never seen the twisting before.

[graciegirl]

You beat me to it.

How to replace Kohler Toilet Flush Valve Seal in 2 minutes or less - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6PA6btNRU)

[Yung Dum]

When the toilet is flushed, the canister inside picks up & twists. Only 1 of the 2 toilets does this. So, I'm figuring it shouldn't be twisting. It will twist to the left one time & the next time twist back to the right. I have tried shortening the chain. It doesn't help. Due to the twisting, it sometimes keeps running? Also it is harder to trip the lever when it has twisted to the left side. Do I need to replace the whole canister? Or is there an easy fix.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.
I'm having a very hard time not to make a Chubby Checker reference to this.

[echo11]

Changed out the seal- it seems to have ended the twisting problem. It was easy to change.
Thanks for the suggestions!

[Ralphy]

I also have had a problem with the canister twisting. We have wasted a lot of water. I emailed Kohler over a week ago and I am still waiting for their response. So I took my engineering hat out of retirement and analyzed the problem. Here is my hypothesis. Until now, every toilet that I have owned had a flap valve. I would press the lever which lifted the flap. I released the lever and the flap would stay up until the tank emptied. With these new toilets, the canister drops as soon as I release the lever. I believe that this is the clue. When the canister is lifted, the Coriolis effect causes the water to rotate counter-clockwise which causes the canister to rotate counter-clockwise. If it rotates enough, it will hang-up on the chain. If it rotates but not enough to hang-up the canister, the next time you flush, the chain will rotate the canister counter-clockwise and possibly hang up the canister in the other direction. This can only happen if you press and release the lever quickly. If you hold the lever down, the canister will be held in the neutral position. We now hold the handle down for a few seconds and we have not had a problem since.

[photo1902]

I also have had a problem with the canister twisting. We have wasted a lot of water. I emailed Kohler over a week ago and I am still waiting for their response. So I took my engineering hat out of retirement and analyzed the problem. Here is my hypothesis. Until now, every toilet that I have owned had a flap valve. I would press the lever which lifted the flap. I released the lever and the flap would stay up until the tank emptied. With these new toilets, the canister drops as soon as I release the lever. I believe that this is the clue. When the canister is lifted, the Coriolis effect causes the water to rotate counter-clockwise which causes the canister to rotate counter-clockwise. If it rotates enough, it will hang-up on the chain. If it rotates but not enough to hang-up the canister, the next time you flush, the chain will rotate the canister counter-clockwise and possibly hang up the canister in the other direction. This can only happen if you press and release the lever quickly. If you hold the lever down, the canister will be held in the neutral position. We now hold the handle down for a few seconds and we have not had a problem since.

Thanks for the info. We have two Kohler's in our house. The canister in the one in the MasterBath has to be put back in place every few days. The guest bathroom toilet does not have that problem. Both are used with the same frequency. I had a feeling that replacing the valve seal would not make any difference.

[FlaGrown]

I also have had a problem with the canister twisting. We have wasted a lot of water. I emailed Kohler over a week ago and I am still waiting for their response. So I took my engineering hat out of retirement and analyzed the problem. Here is my hypothesis. Until now, every toilet that I have owned had a flap valve. I would press the lever which lifted the flap. I released the lever and the flap would stay up until the tank emptied. With these new toilets, the canister drops as soon as I release the lever. I believe that this is the clue. When the canister is lifted, the Coriolis effect causes the water to rotate counter-clockwise which causes the canister to rotate counter-clockwise. If it rotates enough, it will hang-up on the chain. If it rotates but not enough to hang-up the canister, the next time you flush, the chain will rotate the canister counter-clockwise and possibly hang up the canister in the other direction. This can only happen if you press and release the lever quickly. If you hold the lever down, the canister will be held in the neutral position. We now hold the handle down for a few seconds and we have not had a problem since.
That does seem to have fixed my problem. But does this indicate that the canister is somehow loose? Should it not be able to turn at all?

[retiredguy123]

[QUOTE=FlaGrown;1408583]That does seem to have fixed my problem. But does this indicate that the canister is somehow loose? ////

[retiredguy123]

I also have had a problem with the canister twisting. We have wasted a lot of water. I emailed Kohler over a week ago and I am still waiting for their response. So I took my engineering hat out of retirement and analyzed the problem. Here is my hypothesis. Until now, every toilet that I have owned had a flap valve. I would press the lever which lifted the flap. I released the lever and the flap would stay up until the tank emptied. With these new toilets, the canister drops as soon as I release the lever. I believe that this is the clue. When the canister is lifted, the Coriolis effect causes the water to rotate counter-clockwise which causes the canister to rotate counter-clockwise. If it rotates enough, it will hang-up on the chain. If it rotates but not enough to hang-up the canister, the next time you flush, the chain will rotate the canister counter-clockwise and possibly hang up the canister in the other direction. This can only happen if you press and release the lever quickly. If you hold the lever down, the canister will be held in the neutral position. We now hold the handle down for a few seconds and we have not had a problem since.
The Kohler toilets being installed in The Villages have a two stage flush. If you push the handle and release it immediately, it is designed to use only a half gallon of water. But, if you push the handle and hold it down, you will use the max, which is about 2 gallons of water. This is the way the toilet is designed to work and to save water.

[Allegiance]

The Kohler toilets being installed in The Villages have a two stage flush. If you push the handle and release it immediately, it is designed to use only a half gallon of water. But, if you push the handle and hold it down, you will use the max, which is about 2 gallons of water. This is the way the toilet is designed to work and to save water.
I prefer the two button system, 1 and 2.

[retiredguy123]

I prefer the two button system, 1 and 2.
I agree. The two button system is better because people understand how it works. I have never found anyone who understands the design of the new Kohler two stage flush, and the builder doesn't explain it to new homeowners.

[Paper1]

When the toilet is flushed, the canister inside picks up & twists. Only 1 of the 2 toilets does this. So, I'm figuring it shouldn't be twisting. It will twist to the left one time & the next time twist back to the right. I have tried shortening the chain. It doesn't help. Due to the twisting, it sometimes keeps running? Also it is harder to trip the lever when it has twisted to the left side. Do I need to replace the whole canister? Or is there an easy fix.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.

I had same problem with one of mine. I changed seal with no help and ended up shorting chain. I do believe the poster who explained the water swirling out of tank twisted the cylinder as I remember holding lever down until tank was empty helping it.

[Realitybreak]

I had the twisting issue on 3 different toilets. I changed the seal to the yellow seal and the problem was fixed. Also, these toilets are dual flush. Push and release the flush handle for liquids only, for solids push and hold the handle until the flush is complete.

[Topspinmo]

WOW, reinvented the wheel. sounds like it needs few engineering design changes to get it to roll right.

[karostay]

Poltergeists?

Naw.... Toilet Trols :D

[Ralphy]

We have been using my suggestion about holding down the handle but occasionally the barrel still rotated. I have now come up with a way to guarantee that the barrel will not be hung up and waste water. After you flush the toilet, any way you like, simple jiggle the handle. If it jiggles, the barrel is not being held up. If it cannot jiggle, the barrel is hung up. When this happens just slowly press down on the handle a little until the handle can jiggle a little. Problem solved! :pepper2: