Toilet Repair? Be Bold And Dive Right In (Well, Not Literally)
Plumbing services such as water heater installation are best performed by professionals. The work itself is more complex and there are possible dangers from electric shock and gas or carbon monoxide leaks, depending on the power source.
However, most toilet repairs are very simple, and can be performed with very little skill and a few common household tools. If you can recognize the problem, you can usually replace a defective toilet part in short time with little expense. If you work inside the toilet tank, the water will be very cold, so you may choose to turn off the supply valve to the toilet, then flush the toilet to reduce the water level in the tank.
Common toilet repair issues
Loose seat or seat replacement
If your toilet seat is loose, or you just need an upgrade, all you need to do is close the seat and look behind it. You will see two plastic caps that cover the large plastic screws which secure the seat to the toilet. These caps may flip up to expose the screws, or may swivel to the side.
You will need a large flat head screwdriver to tighten the screws or to remove them in order to change the seat. don't worry about over-tightening the screws and breaking the porcelain toilet. The plastic screws will break first
Toilet flush handle issues
If you push down the flush handle and nothing happens, simply lift off the lid of the tank and peer inside. The flush handle is connected to the flapper drain cover by a small chain. When the handle is depressed, the flapper is lifted and the water drains from the tank to the toilet bowl.
If the flush handle is depressed too forcefully or swiftly, the chain may become detached from either the handle or the flapper. Simple reattach the chain by using the provided hooks on each end. Leave some slack in the chain to prevent any overly enthusiastic flusher from detaching the chain once again.
However, you can't leave too much slack, or the flapper will not be fully lifted from the tank drain and the toilet won't flush. The flush handle is attached to a plastic arm with multiple holes inside the tank. These holes are provided for the chain hook. If you find that the chain is either too tight or too loose, simply move the chain hook to another hole along the arm. Flush the toilet successfully before replacing the lid atop the tank.
Replacing the flapper
The water in your toilet bowl should resemble a still pond after flushing is completed and the bowl filled. If there are continuous ripples in the water, the flapper is not doing its job of keeping water inside the tank. This can cause your water bills to skyrocket.
A toilet flapper is simply a round flat piece of rubber that covers the tank drain. It can wear out over time, or become covered in mold or other materials that can inhibit its function. You can buy a new universal fit flapper for a few dollars and install it in less than five minutes.
The flapper is attached to the overflow tube that stands vertically in the center of the toilet tank. It has two thin arms that fit over posts on the sides of the tube. To remove the old flapper, you must disconnect the flush chain, then pull the flapper arms away from the posts.
Before installing the new flapper, inspect the tank drain opening for mold or other materials and wipe them away as necessary. You can then seat the flapper over the drain, push the arms over the retaining posts, and hook the flush chain to the top of the flapper.
It's unfortunate that some of the magic of the toilet is lost when you peer behind the curtain, but it;'s a small price to pay for self reliance and saving more than a few bucks on plumbing services.
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