Repairing Toilets

It becomes necessary to repair toilets from time to time as it is one of the most used "machines" in the house. There are two main parts of toilet which often create problems: toilet tank and toilet bowl.

Toilet Bowl Repairs

Sometimes, toilet starts leaking at its base. It often occurs when the seal at the base gets defective. It results in damp floor in the bathroom. Before you start repairing the toilet, just turn off the water supply to the toilet. Remove the bowl only after the system is dry. Now after you removed it, clean the old joint and pipe. Fix the bowl and seal it carefully and thoroughly. After doing all of this, you can still notice the leakage - there may be a crack in the porcelain of the bowl. In that case, you cannot repair it and bowl needs to be replaced.

Toilet Tank Repair

Sometimes, toilet tank keeps running constantly and this is the most common toilet tank problem. It may be caused by some leak in the tank. To test whether the tank has this problem, pour few drops of food colouring in the water of the tanks and see if the water in the bowl also gets coloured. If it gets coloured, that means tanks are leaking.

Before you order any replacement parts, see whether the problem can be remedied by making adjustments to the length of the lever wire or the positioning of the tank ball. But if you cannot repair it this way, you need to replace the parts in the tank.

Installing the New Toilet

To install a new toilet, first remove the old shut-off valve and use a Teflon tape to wrap around the pipe. Now screw the new shut-off valve. Install the wax ring or flexible ring after flipping the toilet.

Now it is time to set the toilet in place. Make sure that it is snug properly. Screw in the bolt through the toilet base to the floor. Avoid over tightening the screw as it may crack the porcelain. To seal properly, put a small amount of plumber’s putty inside the bolt caps before pushing them, into place. You need to wrap Teflon tape around the shut-off valve.

Attach the tank with the help of bolts, nut and washers. Also attach and hand-tighten the flexible connector to the tank. Flapper and handle inside the tanks should be connected to the chain. Start the supply of water and turn on the shut-off valve to let the water inside the toilet.

Your job is not finished without checking for leaks. So you see you need the right tools, time and little patience to solve your toilet repair and fitting problems. But if you lack these, there are always people willing to help. Call professionals.