| I don't know how many times I have walked | | | | feeling. Replace with a new one and put the |
| down the plumbing section in home depot and | | | | tank back on the bowl. Tighten the new tank |
| some poor guy or girl is standing there | | | | bolts in place, again alternating to keep the |
| trying to figure out how to repair their | | | | tank even. Now too tight or you will crack |
| toilet. There are only a few things that can | | | | the tank or the bowl. Put the supply tube |
| go wrong with your toilet. You get plug it, | | | | back into place and turn on the water. Check |
| but that is for another article. It could be | | | | for leaks, tighten slightly if there is some. |
| leaking. There are leaks from a number of | | | | You are done! That's another $150.00 you just |
| places. | | | | saved yourself. |
| | | | |
| Leaks can come from: | | | | The connection from the supply tube: |
| | | | |
| The wax seal | | | | This one is easy, simply turn off the water |
| | | | and remove the supply tube. Pick up a new one |
| The connection from the tank to the bowl | | | | and put into place, turn on the water and |
| | | | check for leaks. Savings this time $120.00. |
| The connection from the supply tube | | | | |
| | | | Leaking inside the toilet from the tank to |
| Leaking inside from the tank to the bowl | | | | the bowl: |
| | | | |
| Leaking inside from flowing over the overflow | | | | This is a very common toilet repair, this is |
| tube | | | | just the seal from inside the tank. Called |
| | | | the flapper. American Standard has their own |
| There are other toilet repair problems, but | | | | kind of flapper, but the rest are the same. |
| these are the most common. | | | | Put a few drops of food coloring into the |
| | | | tank and wait an hour or two. If there is |
| The wax seal: | | | | food coloring in the bowl you know you have a |
| | | | leaky flapper. Buy a universal flapper from |
| Often the toilet will either have water on | | | | the hardware store. Turn off the water, and |
| the floor or through the floor to the ceiling | | | | remove the old flapper. The rubber may be |
| below. To fix this you need to get a new wax | | | | giving off a black film, this will stain your |
| ring and t-bolts. Turn off the supply water, | | | | floor so make sure to wrap it up right away. |
| flush it, sponge out as much water as you can | | | | To remove the flapper, take the chain off the |
| from the tank and from the bowl, loosen the | | | | lever, and remove the flapper from the two |
| t-bolts off, loosen off the supply tube, lift | | | | hooks at the bottom of the overflow tube. |
| the toilet off the floor, turning it upside | | | | These hooks are rubber and attached to the |
| down beside you, scrape off the old wax seal | | | | flapper. Now install the new one, and turn on |
| from it and from the floor, remove the old | | | | the water. Flush the toilet. If the toilet |
| t-bolts, put in new t-bolts, and wax ring, | | | | does not flush well you will need to adjust |
| set toilet down on top of the flange, press | | | | the chain length from the lever to the |
| gently to the floor allowing the wax to | | | | flapper. Then flush again and you are done! |
| create a seal, tighten t-bolts, go from one | | | | Savings $120.00 |
| bolt to the other 5 ¼ turns each, DO NOT | | | | |
| OVER TIGHTEN, hook up the supply tube, turn | | | | Leaking inside the toilet by flowing over the |
| on water, flush toilet, check for leaks. | | | | overflow tube: |
| | | | |
| That's it, normally I would charge about $150 | | | | The second most common toilet repair. If the |
| for coming to someone's place to do this, so | | | | water is flowing over the overflow tube, or |
| you just saved that money. | | | | if it is running from the fill valve tube to |
| | | | the overflow tube you need a new fill valve. |
| The connection from the tank to the bowl: In | | | | Fill valves come in two styles, one with the |
| this case you might need a new spud washer | | | | big float ball and arm, the other with the |
| and tank bolts. Or in some cases this happens | | | | float on the valve itself. Both are |
| and the tank or bowl has cracked over time. | | | | interchangeable with each other. Buy a new |
| The first thing you need to do is find where | | | | fill valve. Turn off the water, and |
| the leak is coming from. Does it leak all the | | | | disconnect the supply tube. Flush it and |
| time or only when the toilet is flushed? If | | | | sponge out the water in the tank. Loosen the |
| it leaks all the time the tank may be | | | | nut under the fill valve on the outside of |
| cracked. These are quite often hairline | | | | the tank. Remove the old fill valve. When |
| cracks, try and wipe dry the tank, then feel | | | | installing the new one check the height of |
| with your hands where the water is coming | | | | the fill valve. If you bought the type with |
| from. Sometimes it might be condensation as | | | | the float on the valve you can raise this by |
| well, if this is the case you will need to | | | | twisting the valve. Don't go too high or you |
| line your tank with a Styrofoam insulation, | | | | will have to start over. Now put the valve |
| you can buy this at your hardware store. If | | | | into the hole at the bottom of the tank, |
| you find water is coming from a small crack | | | | tighten on the nut on the outside of the |
| you will need a new toilet, if it is newer | | | | tank. Put on the supply tube, and turn on the |
| you might be able to get the matching tank | | | | water. Check for leaks, if need be tight the |
| still. | | | | nut a bit more, being careful not to over |
| | | | tighten. Take the tube that comes with the |
| To change the spud washer and tank bolts you | | | | new valve and connect from the valve to the |
| will need to shut off the supply water, and | | | | overflow tube with the connector in the |
| flush the toilet. Now loosen the bolts under | | | | package. This allows the bowl to fill after |
| the tank that connect to the bowl, usually | | | | you flush so that sewer gases do not come up |
| two sometimes three. Loosen the supply tube | | | | out of the sewer. Savings $130.00 |
| and remove. Remove the tank and remove the | | | | |
| washer the is at the bottom of the tank, | | | | These are the most common toilet repair jobs, |
| normally a rubber type washer with a spongy | | | | there are others just not as common. |