If your toilet needs some TLC, try this easy repair job
I have some weird kind of plumbing problem that no one seems able to deal with.
Many times during day or night I hear a noise as though a toilet were flushing, followed by a loud, reverberating thud. At first, I thought someone had entered my home, but that was not the case. I live alone and the toilet goes on making this noise without me doing anything.
I don't know whether the problem is due to an old toilet, which should be replaced; or somewhere in the plumbing, in which case a new toilet might not help.
Can you cast any light on this problem? Your advice would be much appreciated.
— Judith E., Ann ArborHi Judith,
According to Contractormag.com, the average person spends approximately 30 minutes a day in the bathroom. With the current lifespan of 67.2 years, that's equal to 11,961.6 hours! Therefore having all the fixtures work properly, and I believe the toilet is the most important, is a must. The good news is that, in most cases, it's a relatively easy and inexpensive repair.
It is a good possibility that what is happening is water is slowly leaking from the inside of the toilet into the bowl itself. When the tank of the toilet loses water, the toilet system automatically refills itself and can make a thump noise inside the tank.
Photo courtesy of handymanhowto.com
You can verify this by picking up a "dye pill" from a hardware store like Stadium Hardware, (or I have used a few drops of food coloring). Insert the pill into the tank and wait for about a half-hour and do not flush. If you see the dye inside the bowl, the tank is leaking.
In most cases, the rubber flapper needs replacing, which is relatively simple.
1. Turn off water supply to the tank.
2. Flush toilet and open the tank
3. Remove rubber flapper.
4. Take to your local hardware store for proper replacement.
5. Reinstall and test.
I once had a slow leak from a rubber flapper in my house, and I put Vaseline underneath the rubber flapper where it met the flush valve seat for a temporary fix. It helped stop the leak until I replaced the damaged parts.
For older models, I recommend a “toilet tune up" — replace all parts inside the tank. Our company recommends the Fluidmaster 400ak, as seen in the photo. It's available at local hardware stores. This replaces all your old equipment inside your toilet for optimal performance.
Photo courtesy of acehardware.com
If you are unsure how to do this, it is always best to call a licensed professional plumber.
Now that you have more time, a satirical bathroom reading piece is available named “Flushed with Pride” “The Story of Thomas Crapper.” The question is, did he really invent the toilet?
Keith A. Paul is a State of Michigan Licensed Builder. Paul serves as president and founding member of nationally franchised HandyPro Handyman Service, servicing Washtenaw, Wayne and Oakland counties. www.handypro.com. Listen to Paul every Saturday at 11 a.m. on “It’s Your Home, Let’s Talk About It” WAAM Talk 1600AM. E-mail questions or comments to kpaul@handypro.com.
Comments
sbbuilder
Sat, Mar 19, 2011 : 2:02 a.m.
A royal flush beats a full house.
Greggy_D
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
If I recall correctly, Fluidmaster repair kits are made in Mexico. Korky repair kits are made in the USA. Support American manufacturing.
fjord
Fri, Mar 18, 2011 : 3:52 p.m.
I replaced the flapper recently on one of our toilets. It's very easy and only takes a few minutes. Make sure you note the brand of your toilet before you buy a new flapper -- some brands require a specific type of flapper with a little adjustable floater on it that controls water flow.