I bumped the tank on the upstairs toilet yesterday morning and one of the 11 year old tank bolts gave up the ghost and the tank began leaking.

Now, on a scale of home repairs, this is about 2/10.

I go to the HRS and get the gasket kit I think I need and a flex supply line. Get home, unbolt the tank, break the supply line connection and lift the empty (mostly) tank. Whoops, I bought the wrong gasket. Who knew "universal" wasn't?

Throne requires an "Elijay" type gasket. Back to the HRS, get the gasket. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that I broke the overflow tube inside the tank sticking my XXL mit in there to hold a bolt head. Of course, the plumbing section guy is AWOL and no one can find anything to replace the overflow tube. Fukit, I will figure something out.

Get back, put the gasket on, mount the tank and snug the bolts. Now in large letters on the gasket package "DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN BOLTS." Yeah, its porcelain, I get that you can break it. So I judiciously tighten the tank bolts and fill the tank. Whoops! Forgot about the broken overflow tube. Let's see, what do I have to replace it. NOTHING! that I can find. So I chip the broken piece out with my knife, flip the remainder of the over flow tube and stuff it into place. Fill the tank. Leaks from the bolt holes. Tighten bolts. Leaks from the gasket.

Break the whole thing down and redo it. AHHH! No leaks. Sit down for a bit of "reading". Finish up and flush the john.

FUCK! Leaks from the gasket.

In short, I must have demounted/remounted that damn tank five times now.

I think I have it sealed up.

Problem:

I'm afraid to use that toilet ever again in my life.

RMD

That sounds really shitty . . .

I never walk into a place I don't know how to walk out of.

This is how anal retentiveness begins...

Prefontaine is the SME in this department.

There are a couple of things to remember about toilet repairs that will make it much easier. First, cells phone pics are incredibly useful. Take the lid off and take as many as you feel like to take to the store with you. Then, remember that one broken toilet part is always followed by the next, domino effect. When you take a toilet apart, you might as well replace all the guts, including the supply line. I did it this spring, the parts at Lowe's cost, in total, about 18 bucks. Lastly, if ya can, buy two sets. Stash the second in a nearby closet. Toilets never leak at a convenient time.

And thus a turd herder was born.

It is always frustrating that something so simple never is.

This I truly believe.

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
There are a couple of things to remember about toilet repairs that will make it much easier. First, cells phone pics are incredibly useful. Take the lid off and take as many as you feel like to take to the store with you. Then, remember that one broken toilet part is always followed by the next, domino effect. When you take a toilet apart, you might as well replace all the guts, including the supply line. I did it this spring, the parts at Lowe's cost, in total, about 18 bucks. Lastly, if ya can, buy two sets. Stash the second in a nearby closet. Toilets never leak at a convenient time.

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
In short, I must have demounted/remounted that damn tank five times now.

Once I finally got mine to stop leaking, I found that it's crooked.

Three years later... it's still crooked. I'm not about to take that darned thing apart again until I have to!

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
I think I have it sealed up.

Problem:

I'm afraid to use that toilet ever again in my life.

I recently went through this with our three toilets (installed 15 years ago). After #1, I learned to get every single gasket that goes in there, plus the flush valve, plus tank to bowl gasket, plus refill tube to tank gasket, and I was finally done. The worst is when it leaks internally (through the tank to bowl gasket). You don't see any water on the outside, but you hear the damn thing refilling every 2 hours or so.
 
And, yes, you can easily crack the porcelain on the tank by overtightening the bolts. I know this from experience. Rubber washers at every point on the tank.
 

I swear that plumbing guy is NEVER available in the big box stores.

I had the same problem with tank bolts leaking. I could have wrote this exact same post several years ago. I ended up calling a damn plumber. Felt like a real idiot.

Standard refrain: I HATE PLUMBING

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
There are a couple of things to remember about toilet repairs that will make it much easier. First, cells phone pics are incredibly useful. Take the lid off and take as many as you feel like to take to the store with you. Then, remember that one broken toilet part is always followed by the next, domino effect. When you take a toilet apart, you might as well replace all the guts, including the supply line. I did it this spring, the parts at Lowe's cost, in total, about 18 bucks. Lastly, if ya can, buy two sets. Stash the second in a nearby closet. Toilets never leak at a convenient time.

This needs to be repeated.

My dad is a plumber, and he always replaced everything in whatever he is working on...because he said that if it's old enough to break,tear,leak..all the other parts are too...

He is the cheapestperson I know. And he will spend money on toilets, sinks, showers....