Leaky toilet?
Toilet leaks can be quite expensive to fix if you get them repaired by a professional plumber. Seeing that we are currently faced with tough economical times, many have been trying to cut back on their expenses where ever possible. As a result, many have started to work on things themselves. Trying to fix a leaking toilet is not as complicated as it may look. As long as you have the right set of tools and know what to do, you are guaranteed to be able to solve your problem without having to spend more than a $20 bill.
You can find yourself with a leaking toilet in two cases. Both of which are quite common. Depending on which problem you have, the approach to fix the leak will vary quite significantly. We will take a look at both of these situations separately.
Fill Valve Leaks
Finding a leak at the fill valve location is one of the most common scenarios that one can find them self in. The fill valve is usually located at the bottom of the of the toilet tank. This is the place which leads to the main source of water supply which is usually fitted in the wall. If you are suffering from a leak from the fill valve region, make sure that everything is tightened properly. Start off by tightening all the little bolts so that they are firmly in place. Dry the area that is leaking then try looking to see if you can see or at least feel the leak. This will help make you realize as to whether or not the leak is coming from the valve or not.
After making sure that it is the fill valve that is leaking, we can move on to solving the issue. Start off by turning off the main source of water supply to the toilet tank. After having done so, flush the toilet to make sure that there is no water left in the tank. If necessary, use a towel or a sponge to soak up the remaining water. After having done that, using a wrench, disconnect the tube coupling nut. Slowly take out the gasket and washer. Look to see if it is damaged or needs repairing. If that is the case, simply replace it with a new washer and place it back into the toilet flush. Tighten the tube using a wrench once again and that should sort out your problem.
Flush Valve Leaks
Suffering from leaks at the flush valve is another common scenario that you can be faced with. Follow the same steps to dry the water tank as mentioned above. After having done so unscrew the tank and take it off from the connecting seat. Lay the tank on its side and carefully remove the flush valve. Try cleaning the old parts and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn’t fix the problem, only then should you replace any parts that need fixing.
Photo Credits: Titanas
Originally posted 2010-03-23 03:34:53.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 8, 2010 in
How to Fix, Plumber, toilet
Got yourself a leaky toilet?
Although most people don't know this, some toilets can leak water even when you're not doing anything. If you've inspected your toilet before in order to see if it was wasting any water, only to notice that no water was wasted, this article might have the solution for your water wasting problems: your toilet may be inefficient - and even leaking - while you sleep! If you want to make your toilet more efficient and stop wasting water
through either a leak or through simple inefficiency, this article is for you.
The first thing you can do to detect a leak is to place a drop of food coloring in your toilet bowl. If water is leaking anywhere, you'll instantly detect it because of the changed color, so be sure to drop in plenty. Check the toilet tank to see if anything has leaked from the bowl - if there has, you're looking at a very hard-to-detect toilet leak that you've only seen because you've taken the time to look it up.
In order to fix this leak, you'll have to check in a number of places. Check common areas like the flapper. If there are any problems, you may have to replace an individual part of your toilet. In order to do this, try and find the most appropriate part - the same part, if possible - and buy it online or at your local hardware store.
What about a toilet that doesn't leak, but has simply started to become inefficient? If ecology is a major issue in your toilet flushing needs, you can always replace the unit itself in order to have a consistently low flush. But if you simply want to upgrade your current toilet so that you're losing less water each time you flush, you can simply replace the flush valve! You don't always need to get a new toilet in order to flush less each time.
If you're tight on money, you can simply replace the flush valve in order to make your toilet more efficient and lest wasteful. You can also fix the toilet by replacing an individual part if there is a leak and one part is causing the error. Remember to keep mental pictures of all of the repairs and upgrades you make in case you ever have to treat another toilet that has become inefficient. Next time, you'll be ready, and you'll know exactly what to do!
Photo credits: pokpok313
Originally posted 2009-12-17 03:16:50.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on July 10, 2010 in
Bathroom, Handyman, How to Fix, toilet
Water damage.
Let's face it - with all of the economic and financial issues troubling us these days, the last thing most people need is another expense that will add more frown wrinkles to your face. So when you realize that you're paying way too much for your water usage, are you prepared to actually go ahead and fix it, or do you simply sigh and try to find the extra money for this month?
Sigh no more. Let's take a look at some ways you can fix those high water costs and bring them back down where they belong.
First, let's start with a simple trick. Your toilet fills with water during every flush, including in the toilet tank. But once your water gets up to a certain level, it stops. If you want to displace some of this water volume, fill up a water bottle and place it in the toilet tank. Since this displaces water, you'll start saving water after each and every flush. Just make sure that you know how a toilet works, or else you might end up doing more harm than you originally intended. (By the way, if you have a toilet flushing more than 1.6 gallons per flush, it's time for a new toilet).
Next, remember that a lot of the water you use in your house goes through your washing machine. You may think that you drink a lot of water, but it's nothing compared to the amount of water you might be using for clothes. You can cut down on this water by simply doing less loads of laundry. Don't be wasteful with this water, so only wash clothes that actually need to be washed - make sure that you wear some clean clothes more than once and that you don't end up washing too many clean clothes. This will cut down on the amount of loads of laundry you have to perform every week.
Also, be sure to monitor the water that you waste. If you keep a bucket of "greywater" around, you can dump the water you didn't drink from a glass in there and use it to water plants.
There's plenty more to learn about fixing your problem with high water costs. The most important thing is to look at your individual situation, find out where much of your water usage comes from, and work to optimize your own water expenses.
Photo Credits: thirteenthbat
Originally posted 2009-10-21 03:03:42.
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Posted by Fix Handyman on May 19, 2010 in
Handyman, How to Fix, appliances, toilet, water
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