In article , Roy wrote:
On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 17:39:59 GMT, Loren Coe
wrote:

x-there was a thread here a few months ago and folks voiced
x-their experience/s w/FluidMaster valve kits. some loved
x-them, some hated them (including me) because of a short
x-life.
x-
x-today i got a letter from them, responding to a "survey"
x-i submitted that included my comments about the short life.
x-they blame it on "Tejas" water(!), too many chloramines and
x-chlorine, and say two years is a very good result for Texas.
x-i am getting 18mos or less.
x-
x-this is a big state but most municipal water is surface, so
x-this makes some sense to me, but i almost never smell chlorine
[....]

I get about 2 or 3 years out of them myself. The biggest problem maker
for me is the flapper valves, no matter what brand I buy only lasts 6
to 9 months MAX. The thing just starts to curl up on the edges and
leaks. I now keep 2 or 3 of them in the shop as spares.

i have been here for 13yrs and never have had to replace the flapper,
well, maybe once, and have tossed a couple. out in NM the flapper
lasted okay but if you didn't stay right on top of it, the seat
pitted and then you had a retrofit job. i had guessed at one time,
1/2 of the rental houses in Alamogordo had the "spontaneous fill"
syndrome. grin --Loren