Repairing Toilets

It has been 13 years and some odd 165 shows that I have done helpful hints on KODE channel 12. May was the month I did my first show. I have only missed one show. I dedicate this show to all those who have put up with me over these years.

The first show I did was about repairing toilets. Since that time there has been a lot of changes made in toilets. So this show is about repairing toilets.

All new toilets now will flush only 1.5 to 1.6 gallons of water. You must have a 3-inch or 4 inch vent pipe for these toilets to flush properly. The air has to get out of the sewer line fast for the waste to flow through the line with only half the amount of water as before.

When resetting a toilet use some of the wax from the old wax ring and put it around the mounting bolts to keep them standing up straight. Place the wax ring on the bottom of the toilet not on the floor over the flange. To help see the bolts when setting the toilet over the bolts lay two flashlights one on each side so you can see them. Or use short soda straws over the bolts so you also can see them.

Check the flapper in the tank to see if has deteriorated to the point that it is leaking. Rub you hand over it and if any residue comes off on your hand it need to be replaced. If water is on the floor around the toilet several things could be happening.

1.After you flush the toilet and water comes from underneath, your wax ring has gone bad and it needs to be replaced.

2. If there is water on the floor just underneath the tank, it could be condition (sweat). You have to insulate your toilet tank on the inside with Styrofoam. There are kits you can buy to do this.

3. If water appears under the tank when you flush it, the tank to bowl gasket is bad (the rubber gasket between the tank and bowl). It needs to be replaced. Be careful when tighting the bolts down. Tighten each bolt a little at a time alternating from one to the other. If you tighten one down too far you could crack the tank.

4. If you have water on the floor all the time under the tank in the area where the tank mounting bolts are, the mounting tank bowl gasket is worn out and needs to be replaced.

Toilet not flushing properly You flush the toilet and the water does not go down, it swirls around and stays in the bowl

1.Something might have been dropped in the bowl and is stuck in the gooseneck of the trap in the toilet. It has to come out the same way it went in. Try a toilet auger that is specially designed for unclogging toilets. If you can't get it out you have to pull the toilet and push it out from back.

2.Check all the drains in the house to see if they are running slow. This means the main drain line could be stopped up. It could be tree roots, if you once had the drain cleaned out for tree roots and did nothing after that, they will grow back. You need to continue treating for tree roots once you have them. Copper sulfate granules (sometime called blue virtual) is a good way for treating them. Depending how bad they are will determine how often to treat them. Could be once a month or every 3 months.

3.Older toilets can be stopped up with lime and need to be cleaned out. Under the rim of the toilet bowl where the water comes out to wash down the bowl may be stopping up. Clean out the holes with a long slender brush or a similar object. Be careful not to damage your toilet bowl. Look down in the bottom of the bowl for a small hole in the front or the back. This is the siphoning hole. If it gets plugged up the toilet will not flush properly. Clean it out and if that doesn’t solve the problem check the vent pipe to see if it is stopped up.

4.After checking all these problem solvers and nothing works, you just may have to install a new toilet.

Last and final thing; if you have a Fluidmaster toilet valve in your tank and it keeps turning on for a short time, it is telling you the flapper needs to be changed. This valve is designed to tell you when the toilet tank is leaking.