Toilet Repair Tips

DIY Toilet Repair – Fixing A Damaged Flange

If you're even mildly handy and want to tackle this task, you can do this DIY toilet repair project – fix a damaged flange for your toilet. During the course of removing your old toilet fixture, you may find a damaged flange. The flange is one way a toilet may mount onto the floor. If the cracks on the damaged flange are not severe, you may be able to perform DIY toilet repair by using a simple repair tab.

The repair tab fits right under the lip of the damaged flange. You simply insert the closet bolt through the repair tab, tightening the tab against the flange and securing the toilet bowl in place.

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Nine Steps To Removing An Old Toilet

Are you getting rid of your old toilet fixture, but not sure where to start? The process needn't be difficult. All you have to do is follow our how-to guide to removing an old toilet:

1. Before you start removing an old toilet, turn off the water supply, usually located on the supply valve below the left side of the tank.
2. Flush your old toilet fixture and remove any remaining water from the bowl and tank with a small plastic container.
3. Disconnect the old toilet fixture from the supply line. If you plan on installing a new supply line, you can remove it from the supply valve.
4. Remove the top of the tank and set it aside in a safe place where it won't fall and where you won't trip over it.
5. Where the bowl meets the tank, you will find a pair of bolts. Remove the tank from the bowl by unscrewing these bolts with a wrench and lifting the bowl off the gasket. You can use oil if the bolts have rust.
6. Remove the bolt caps and closet bolts from the base of the toilet fixture.
7. Release the bowl from its wax gasket by rocking it back and forth. You can use a large trash bag to contain the bowl and loose wax particles.
8. Plug the drain hole with a rag to keep gas from entering the room. Be careful to ensure the rag does not slip into the drain line.
9. Using a putty knife, scrape the remaining wax off the floor surface. Once the surface is clean and level, you can install a new toilet fixture.

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New Toilet Purchase Checklist

If you're in the market for a new toilet, you're going to need some items before you can put in a new fixture. To make sure you've got all the items you need, follow our new toilet purchase checklist.

• Naturally, your new toilet purchase will include a new fixture. However, keep in mind that unless you're buying one of the newer one-piece models, you're going to have to purchase a bowl as well as a tank.
• Most tanks will come with an installed flush valve assembly, but double check that this comes with your tank when you make your new toilet purchase.
• Get new closet bolts to secure your new toilet to the bathroom floor.
• You'll need a wax gasket for the base of the bowl.
• If the toilet seat is not included, make sure you purchase this as well.
• If you plan on replacing the supply line, the best ones are flexible, encased in a stainless steel mesh – for both appearance and ease of use. You can purchase a plastic supply line to save money and if local building codes allow it.

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Why You Should Consider The Low Flush Toilet

Looking for a new toilet fixture to replace your old one? Consider the low flush toilet. There are two main reasons why you should think about purchasing a low flush toilet.

1. Conserve water. According to William Maas, founder of GreenHomeGuide.com, the average person uses 20.1 gallons of water a day by flushing the toilet. And most folks don't use any sort of water conservation fixtures in the process. If you use a low flush toilet, you'll be using dropping from 27,300 gallons of water use a year to 12,500 gallons a year. That's a pretty significant amount of water conservation.
   
2. A low flush toilet saves money. By using a low flush toilet, you'll be saving a lot of money on your utility bill – potentially more than $100 a month.

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Taking Measurements For A New Toilet

If you're replacing your old toilet with a new toilet, you'll want to take measurements with the existing toilet in place first to ensure you get a good fit. Taking measurements is a quick and simple process that could save you headaches if you happen to get a wrong sized toilet fixture. It might seem logical to just get the size of the toilet area in your bathroom when taking measurements. Although those dimensions can come in handy, especially if you have tight quarters, the best dimensions to get are the rough-in dimensions. Take your existing toilet fixture and measure the distance from the floor flange bolts to the wall of your bathroom. Older homes usually accommodate 10” rough-in dimensions for a new toilet, while newer homes accommodate a 12” rough-in dimension.

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Simple Steps To Toilet Repair

Some plumbing tasks call for a professional, but you can also tackle toilet repair yourself when testing for a leak. Begin testing your toilet for leaks by checking the overflow pipe in your toilet to see if water is leaking into it. It's the middle pipe in your tank with a small piece of tubing attached. If water is filling into your overflow pipe, make adjustments to the fill valve so that the water stops about an inch below the top of the overflow tube top.

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Keeping Foul Toilet Odors At Bay

If your bathroom suffers from more than an unusual dose of foul toilet odors, you may have a problem which needs a simple solution. The trap leading to your toilet carries water that acts as a seal to odors that can seep into your household. When a fixture is rarely used and the water evaporates, foul toilet odors can become very unpleasant. All you have to do is take a bucket of water and pour it into the trap leading to your toilet as well as the sink, shower, and drain in the bathroom. This will prevent the nasty smells from seeping into the rest of your home.

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Five Steps To Installing A New Toilet Tank

So you've taken out your old toilet, put in the new bowl, and now
you're contemplating installing a new toilet tank. Installing a new
toilet tank is easier than you might think. You can do it in five easy
steps by reading our guide.

1. The bottom of your tank has an outlet. Install the large rubber gasket over the outlet.
2.
Next, you need to place the rubber washers inside the tank and insert
the mounting bolts from inside the tank through the bowl's mounting
area.
3. You'll put the new toilet tank on next. Place your new tank in position and secure it by alternately locking the nuts.
4. Check your manufacturer's instructions for specific directions on installing the toilet seat.
5.
Installing the supply line will be your last step if you're putting in
a new one. A flexible supply line will make your job easy. If you
choose a rigid supply line, you'll have to bend it to for a proper fit.

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