A Job For Middle Aged Man: Fixin' the Necessary

Scenario: Cheap Toilet was flushed too rapidly and the plastic (chain) sheared off of the flapper. I replaced the flapper. Toilet does not appear to be leaking water.

Now...a couple of times per day, the toilet moans/runs very briefly. Not sure if it did this before.

I'm thinking there must be a slow leak around the flapper and that I should put a little more slack in the chain. Otherwise, I'm at a loss on next steps. Thoughts?

It sounds like a little water is slipping past the flapper and causing the ballcock to call for water as the water level in the tank drops. Either the flapper is a poor fit or there is a void in the seat of the flapper. Make sure the flapper seat is free of obstruction and the chain isn't getting between the flapper and seat. Make sure there is plenty of slack in the chain as well. There is no need to rebuild the tank! Good luck, Martin (plumber 23 years)

Investing a couple of $$ in a good flapper (as opposed to the cheapest thing you can pick up) is always a good investment. Might want to check the seat the flapper sits on, run your finger around it: it should be smooth, not rough, else the flapper can't seat on it like it is supposed to. If you have hard water, deposits can get in the way; sometimes if it's not too bad you can use deliming agents on the flapper seat as opposed to a replacement. Good luck!