Do toilet tablets help to clean out your wallet?

Toilet bowl cleaning tablets are a convenient way to clean, reduce stains, and sanitize a toilet bowl; but as with most things in life, there is a trade-off for the convenience. What is the trade-off for this convenience? The plastic and rubber parts inside the toilet will deteriorate much more quickly in a toilet where these products are used than in a toilet where these products are not use.

When the plastic and rubber parts deteriorate inside a toilet tank, it will often lead to the flapper valve leaking and/or the fill valve operating very slowly or not stopping at all. Wasting water and your money. Not only are these my observations, but the use of toilet bowl cleaning tablets will void the warranty of most toilets.

So, if you want to use the tablets what can you expect the trade-off to be? From what I have observed, the use of these tablets will cut the life of the internal parts in about half. In other words, expect to replace the internal parts inside your toilet every five or so years, if the tablets are used. Though prices vary for the replacement parts and labor, expect the rebuild to come in between $100 to $200.

Is the convenience of using the cleaning tablets worth more than the shortened life of the internal parts of a toilet? The trade-off is up to you, but most homeowners don't even realize that the trade-off is even a consideration.