Comments on: Repairing a Toilet

by: debby

Tue, 13 May 2008 17:28:58 +0000

My toilet is leaking from the under the tank .it is the white round ring.We don’t have a flex house it is a long metal thing. How can I fix this? It is driving me nuts leaking in the pail. the metal thing connects to the water valve shut off. Please help me Thanks Debby

by: Linda

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:55:10 +0000

My toilet makes a sound as though it is going to flush but it seems as though it partially flushes. One day this happened time and time again for about 4 hours. Also, I notice movement in the toilet water as though someone were blowing water on its surface. What could this be?

by: Yvonne

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:04:35 +0000

I should have added that we turned off the shut-off valve in the hall bathroom toilet last week. We are only using the other toilet. Both of the toilet’s metal disks that fit against the wall are extremely rusty. The hall bathroom toilet water supply line is very rusty. The other toilet’s water supply line is covered with an odd greenish-blue color. I think it may be “pre” rust. We urgently need advice ASAP. YVN We urgently need advice ASAP. YVN

by: Yvonne

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:35:59 +0000

When we moved into this house several years ago, we were under pressure to leave the former house. I had to make a quick decision although I was immediately aware of many problems, especially the two bathrooms since neither had a window. Soon, we realized that the hall toilet bowl semi-flushed several times a day and night. I thought the cause was a worn flapper. I had learned many years ago how to replace flappers. Unfortunately, I found that I could not replace the flapper because the sink and counter is once piece, and the counter is over the toilet allowing only a two-inch space. There is barely enough space to slide the tank top off. My daughter and I cannot unscrew the toilet bowl, and lift it out to replace the flapper, and since we did not have the money, and still do not have the money to call a plumber, we had to accept the problem. Two years ago, I became aware that water was leaking at the
bottom of the tank and was dripping at the back of the toilet seat. We placed the cardboard core of an empty towel roll behind the toilet seat, and a plastic container on the floor. I cut out an area of the top. I cut out a section of the plastic snap on top and when the cardboard core was wet, the water would drop into the container. This “repair” lasted for a short time, however, probably because the heat/air-condition does not work I noticed mold forming on the water shut-off valve, and the metal disk that fits against the wall. I cleaned that, but during the past winter months,
rust formed on the water supply line, the shut-off valve, and the wall disk. We are terrified that if we try to replace the two parts, the shut-off valve and the water supply line, that when we unscrew it, the parts may come apart, and if that does not occur, then when we replace the two parts, we may not be able to screw them tight enough which would cause more of a leak. No. We still cannot remove the toilet bowls. Both bathroom toilets have rust in the same place, and the two screws on each of the toilet bowls are covered with rust. We are also terrified that the rust will eat through the supply line, which will allow water to burst through the entire house ruining everything. We can afford to purchase the supply line and the shut-off valve, but we cannot afford a plumber. What can we do to fix the current problem? Will our wiping the rust off cause a major problem? Is there a glue or tape that we can put on the supply line over the rust to prevent it from breaking? Please help. YVN

by: Ben Erickson

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:57:10 +0000

Don,
One possibility is that the hole in the tank for the handle might be lower than the top of the overflow tube, causing water to run out around the loose fitting handle. I noticed this on my toilet the other day. While I fixed it by lowering the water level in the tank, I probably should cut the overflow tube down lower than the handle hole just in case.

by: Don

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:12:10 +0000

Sorry - meant to say I ran a short toilet `snake’ through the toilet. Tks

by: Don

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:09:04 +0000

I seem to have experienced the perfect storm of toilet problems. I just completed installing laminate flooring in my house and two days late,awoke to ½ inch of water everywhere so I’m looking at a complete replacement. The toilet apparently overflowed after a nighttime flush and the only thing I can think of is that 2 things happened at the same time: 1) the float valve stuck open and 2), the toilet got plugged up simultaneously. Otherwise the overflow tube should have handled the continuously running water from the stuck valve, right? In my catastrophic haze, after shutting off the toilet water valve and cleaning most of the water out, I did try flushing the toilet and it didn’t see to flush right so I ran a short toilet hrough the toilet. I turned the water back on and that’s when I found the float valve didn’t shut off. Ever heard of this combination of events and what if anything can I do to stop it from recurring? Thanks

by: Claudia Jadavi

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:35:54 +0000

Me again I to had a plumber come out and he does not know whats going on either, other than the thin red gasket is a joke unfortunatly the toilet didnt run and lose water when he was here ha ha

by: Claudia Jadavi

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:31:06 +0000

I have an American Standard toilet upstairs. We dont have a flapper type toilet. It is a long plastic pole and when the water in in the tank i leaks out slowly which in turn makes my toilet run. After a while i couldnt get water to fill the tank. Figured that out but like i said the tube sits on a thin red gasket.I replaced it( the thin red gasket) and it works for a few flushes then it will leak again and i have to turn the toilet water intake off so i dont waste water and have a big bill (TO LATE). i really think who designed this type of seal must of not thought it out. Any suggestions. I dont know if i can change the inners to a flap type seal.It’s only a few years old so i shouldnt have to buy a new toilet Thanks

by: Susan Mundis

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:50:13 +0000

To Kent, If you don’t have sewer, maybe your drain field is clogged. A lot of people in our developement had to have their drain field dup up. We didn’t, because we are soon getting sewer. Our basement camode sometimes overflows from doing laundry and if it has rained a lot.