Fixing a Rocking Toilet and Toilet Leakage

The causes of Toilet Rocking and Leakage
A Toilet rocking and leaking is one of the most common problems that a property owner may face. leakage on the floor, coming out from under the toilet, is sometimes caused by rocking toilets. The leakage can also be caused by sewer back-ups breaking the wax seal or leaking supply lines. The rocking toilet is usually caused by a problem with the toilet flange height compared to floor height, or the floor being slightly off level from the original construction.

How to fix a Rocking Toilet
If there is no water on the floor, no odor, and the toilet is only rocking, sometimes the rocking problem can be fixed without the need of a plumber. Home Depot, Lowe's and other Hardware stores sell a part called a wobble wedge. These wedges can be slipped in under the high edge of the toilet. They also are made of plastic and can easily be trimmed to be even with the outer edge of the toilet. If you have caulk around the base, you may need to trim this caulk off before installing the wobble wedges. Place the wedges into the largest gap area, pressing them firmly under the toilet. Then check to see if that solved the rocking. If the toilet is still rocking you may need to loosen the bolts on each side next to the floor, and push the wedge under a little further. Check again after tightening these bolts to see if that corrected the rocking.

How to fix Toilet Leakage
If you have water coming out from under the toilet, it will need to be reset because the wax seal or the flange could be broken. To reset the toilet yourself, you will need to turn off the water to the toilet. Then disconnect the pipe going to the flush valve. Then remove the bolts holding the toilet to the floor. Drain off all the extra water with a wet/dry vacuum, or by dipping it out of the toilet. Place a tarp or plastic trash bag on the floor to set the toilet on. Pick the toilet up and set it on the tarp. Then scrape off the old wax seal and replace it with a new wax seal. Also, place your bolts into the slot for the bolts on the flange. Then reset the toilet, being careful to line up the holes with the bolts. Tighten all the bolts and supply line. Also, add the wobble wedges to help level the toilet. Then check for leaks and adjust the wobble wedges, as in the instructions above, until rocking stops.

Broken Toilet? - How To Fix A Toilet's Three Most Common Problems

We all love to spruce up our home but the toilet is almost always ignored. When the toilet presents problems and it is obvious something is wrong we then begin to realize that the toilet is one of most important fixtures in our home.

Toilets are the sturdiest components of your home plumbing system. However, I would guess that there has never been a home which has not had problems with it. A runny toilet, a clogged toilet and a leaky tank are some of the most common problems you have with your toilet. If you have had or will have any of these three usual problems with yours, here are suggestions as to how you can sort them out.

Problem 1: There is Too Little Water to Clean the Toilet Bowl on Flushing

When you face this problem the first thing to do is to check the tank to see if the water level is okay. If there is no water in the tank obviously none will come out when you flush. Normally the water level should be a least one or two inches on top of the overflow tube. If water is not entering the tank one thing you can do is to hold the arm of the apparatus and bend it slightly until more water begins to enter into the tank.

Problem 2: Leaky Toilet Tank

A leaky toilet tank is a real problem because not only does it ruin the chinaware but it also leaves a mark on the floor, especially if you use cleaning chemicals in the tank.

If your toilet tank has been sweating water on the floor the ideal way to cope with this is through jackets which are specifically designed to absorb this sweat.

Another way to permanently fix this particular problem is to use a temperature valve. The valve helps stop sweating by providing a mixture of hot and cold water going into the tank. This causes a relief in condensation. This valve should only be installed if the general temperature of your toilet tank remains less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Problem 3: Cracked or Broken Toilet Seat

A cracked or broken toilet seat can be a real nuisance and can prevent you from using the toilet at all. Thank goodness changing your toilet seat is really not a very difficult task. There are a lot of different styles of replacement seats available commercially. Just go pick on that suits you and you are on your way. My favorite is a padded one which I find exceptionally comfortable.

Warning: Be careful to select the right size. There are only two standard sizes when it comes to toilet bowls so this should not be a problem.

All you need do is lift up the toilet seat and remove the two nuts on the hinges that hold the seat in place on the toilet bowl. Once you have removed the nuts, you can just lift the seat off.

If the nuts are rusted or corroded and not coming off easily use some oil to loosen them. Once the seat is removed place the new seat on the toilet and screw the nuts in place.

Conclusion

So you see these very annoying problems, when tackled soon and sensibly, don't have to cause a great deal of angst. Now that you know how to fix a toilet, relax and have joyous trips to the bathroom in your home.

Tag : toilet,borken toilet,toilet repair

How to Replace a Broken Toilet

You can turn on a fan if the Air Conditioner breaks, bar-b-que if the stove shoots craps or hire the neighborhood kid if the mower stops, but one thing you absolutely can not do without is... a working toilet.

The easiest way to replace a broken toilet is to get in the Yellow Pages, call a plumber and pay him a $1000 to replace it. That will get you a standard water closet, as it's professionally referred to, installed and the broken one put outside for the trash man. (maybe)

Although that's probably a reasonable deal, you could do the same job yourself for about $200. Although I am a licensed plumber, you don't have to be to perform this repair if you follow my easy to understand instructions. Ready?

First, let's go to your neighborhood Home Depot, Lowes or whatever supplier around your home to buy supplies. As a caveat here, plumbing fixtures are a lot like a new car or truck. There's the $10,000 base model or the $35,000 fully loaded model. We'll stay with the base model.

Purchase a toilet, which comes with the commode and tank separately boxed, but priced together. Almost all new toilets come equipped with the internal parts of the tank assembled.

Purchase a wax ring, the type with the rubber flange attached, a toilet water supply line, being sure it's a toilet and not sink water line. I recommend the flexible water lines over the chrome, plastic or copper water lines for ease of installation. Might as well buy a new toilet seat while you're at it.

Removing the broken toilet. Here are the basic steps to removing the broken fixture.
1. Turn the water off at the stop valve located behind the toilet.
2. Once the water is shut off, flush the toilet letting it drain as much water out of the integral trap as possible. It doesn't hurt to try flushing it twice.
3. Lift the top off the tank. Depending on the amount of water still in the tank either use a wet / dry vac or a sponge to remove it.
4. Unscrew the water supply line from the bottom of the tank. Have a rag handy because water will invariably still leak out no matter how good of a job you thought you did drying the tank.
5. Inside the tank are two bolts holding the tank on to the base. Unscrew these two bolts and carefully lift the tank from the base. Remove tank to the trash.
6.There are two, one on each side of the toilet, closet bolts which hold the toilet to the floor. If there are caps over the bolts, remove or pop them open. Using a small crescent wrench unscrew the nuts from the bolts. Alternate side to side when unscrewing, this will be much more important when reinstalling the bolts, but alternate anyhow.
7. Once the nuts and washers have been removed from the bolts, slowly rock the toilet base back and forth to break the seal loose. Once loose, lift toilet straight up until it clears the closet bolts. You now have the broken toilet completely removed.
8. There will be a closet flange and a hole, which is the sewer line, in the floor. Place a rag loosely into the sewer line to keep anything from falling into it and creating a clog later. Don't lose the rag down it.
9. There will be a wax ring or residual of it stuck on the closet flange and pipe. Scrape all the wax off and wipe clean. It must be clean or risk the chance of a leak.
10. Place the toilet on its side and carefully unwrap the new wax ring you just purchased. Place the wax side against the toilet bottom where the sewer pipe and toilet will meet. Gently, but firmly press into place.
11. Lifting the toilet, and being careful not to hit the floor or anything else which could compromise the wax ring, place the toilet onto the closet bolts. Insuring the rubber flange goes down into the pipe, firmly push the toilet, with a slight rocking motion, down onto the floor.
12. Reinstall the washers and nut on the closet bolts and finger tighten. Sit on the toilet using your weight and a slight rocking motion to secure it to the floor by expanding the wax ring.
13. Using the small crescent wrench tighten the nuts on the closet bolts. Alternate sides using the same turns on each. Six turns on the right...six turns on the left...and so on until the toilet is secured tightly to the floor. Do not over tighten as you could break the base of the toilet ruining it.
14. Remove the tank from the box and secure it to the toilet base with the two bolts from inside the tank.
15. Replace the toilet water supply line with the new one. Turn on the water and allow the tank to fill with water, watching for any signs of a leak, which 99% of the time would come from the two bolts used to secure the tank to the toilet base or where the supply line connects to the toilet or the shutoff.
16. Flush toilet, again watching for any leaks.
17. Install the new toilet seat.
18. It's not a bad idea, but not required on residential homes, to run a bead of caulking around the base of the toilet and the floor.

Tag : toilet,broken toilet,broken

Toilet Training: Every Woman's Nightmare

When I was a teenager, we used to take our annual holidays in Italy and my mum insisted my father drive non-stop through France rather than risk another horrifying encounter with a French pissoir. I don't know if you have ever tried to hold your bladder in for four hours in a car travelling at speeds in excess of 120 miles an hour, but it may explain why my mother had the thigh muscles of an Olympic athlete. Those of you who have never been to France may think my mother was a bit picky, but then you've probably never had to squat over a smelly hole in the ground whilst clinging for dear life to two rusty, iron chains in a damp cellar, illuminated by a single light bulb dangling from the ceiling that had last been changed during the German occupation forty years earlier, while a cadaverous male attendant reeking of garlic politely enquires if you would like another sheet of newspaper.

Toilets may have improved a bit since then (though not in France), but taking a pee is still fraught with more unseen dangers for us girls than exploring the uncharted rain forests of the Amazon.

The first thing my mother taught me was to grab a handful of toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Lesson two was learning to assume 'The position'. This required carefully balancing over the toilet in a squatting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. The flaw in this strategy was that by the time I was ready to pee, my thigh muscles had given up the struggle, I'd overbalance, land heavily on the seat and the trickle of wetness down the inside of my leg meant we'd have to go home to change my knickers.

That was a long time ago. Even now, in my forties, 'The Position' is excruciatingly difficult to maintain for more than thirty seconds, especially when one's bladder is bursting.

If that wasn't bad enough, when you have to visit a public toilet, you usually find a line of anxious women have got there before you, which makes you think you must have taken a wrong turning and stumbled across a half-price sale of M&S underwear. So, you wait, trying not to look as if you're squeezing your legs together and smile politely at all the other women, who are also trying not to cross their legs and smiling through clenched teeth.

As you get closer to your goal, you start checking for feet under cubicle doors. Naturally every one is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the cubicle. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter; you have long arms and tell yourself: 'I'll just keep one hand against it.' At this point you would hang your handbag on the coat hook if there was one—but there isn't—so you hang it around your neck whilst glancing furtively about to make sure no one saw you commit such a dreadful faux pas. You could put it on floor, but given that the floors in public toilets are invariably wet, you might just as well pee in it yourself.

Finally, you yank down your knickers, and assume the dreaded 'Position'.

Ahhhh, relief. More relief. But then your thighs begin to shake, not helped by the fact that your left arm is stretched to its fullest extent trying to keep the door shut. You'd love to sit down but you didn't have time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper down, so you hold 'The Position' as a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale travels through your aching thighs. To take your mind off the pain, you reach for what you now discover is an empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying: "Darling, if you'd cleaned the seat first, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!"

Your thigh muscles are seconds away from snapping like old knicker elastic. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday—the one that's in your handbag, which you cannot unzip because you only have one free hand. So you take your hand off the door and scrabble about in your bag until you find a ball of paper that would barely cover a gnat's arse. You smooth it out and fluff it up, but it is still only slightly larger than your thumbnail. At this point someone pushes open the door because you've taken your hand away to open your bag. The door hits your handbag, which thumps you in the chest and you and your bag topple backward against the toilet cistern—which is disconcertingly wet.

"Occupied!" you scream, as you slam the door shut, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue on the wet floor and parking your naked bum directly on the odious toilet seat. You recoil instantly, knowing only too well the damage is done. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ on the planet because YOU never laid down toilet paper on the filthy seat—not that there was any, even if you had bothered to look. You may even have contracted a sexually transmitted disease—or worse, been impregnated by some adventurous sperm that escaped from the disgusting slut who sat on the seat before you, and has been patiently biding its time waiting for its next victim.

You know that your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because you're certain that her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat in her life. By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water to rival Niagara Falls that sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of having your bottom dragged off to Australia.

At that point, you give up. Your skirt is soaked by the splashing water, your blouse is sticking to your back, there's pee running down your legs and your expensive Aubade knickers look like the cat's been sleeping in them. You're exhausted. You try to wipe yourself with a crumpled bus ticket you found in your pocket, and slink out inconspicuously to the washbasins, but not before laddering your tights on the broken door latch which you now discover has a bloody great nail sticking out of it.

You can't work out how to operate the taps with the automatic sensors, so you wash your hands with liquid soap (most of which ends up on your blouse) and dry them under the hot air blower because, of course, there are no paper towels in the dispensers. Have you ever tried drying liquid soap with hot air? Ten minutes later you stumble out and shuffle past the queue of waiting women, still cross-legged and, at this point, you no longer care that your manic grimace is met with disapproving stares.

Just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, one kind soul at the very end of the queue points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the river Nile! (Where was it when you NEEDED it??) You rip the paper from your shoe, shove it in the woman's hand and tell her cattily, "Here—you might need this."

As you leave the house of horrors, you spot your husband loitering impatiently outside, having long since entered, used and left the men's toilets and read a copy of Gone with the Wind whist waiting for you.
The icing on the cake will be when he asks: "What took you so long, darling, and why is your skirt tucked into the back of your knickers?" Silently you curse the bitch who pointed out the toilet paper stuck to your shoe, but omitted to mention that your bum has been on display to every pervert in the place.

Male readers will now know not only why women take so long to powder their noses, but also why we always go to the toilet in pairs. It's so the other woman can hold the door shut and pass you the toilet paper under the door.

Elizabeth Goodchilde is a freelance writer, TV script writer and lifestyle consultant from Hampshire, in England. Elizabeth's work has been published extensively both online and in print. She is married with two gorgeous children and several pedigree cats. She is also an infrequent contributor to one of the UK's most highly regarded satire and humor ezines, http://www.utterpants.co.uk for whom she writes under several different pseudonyms. She can be contacted via utterpants or directly at: lizziegoodchilde@yahoo.com

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Life Insurance To Protect Against Toilet Humour

When taking out life insurance, many people think of the obvious risks. Cancer, heart disease and accidents are the main concerns, although thankfully these won't happen to the majority of us.

But have you ever considered life insurance to cover dying of laughter? Have you ever considered the possibilities of dying on the toilet? It happens.

There are many deaths reputed to be attributable to laughter. As far back as 207 BC a Greek philosopher by the name of Chrysippus was apparently watching his drunken donkey trying to eat figs when he laughed himself to death.

More recently, a 50 year old bricklayer died after 25 continuous minutes of laughing while watching an episode of the Goodies on TV. His death was put down to heart failure, brought on by the excessive strains of laughing too much.

Dying of laughter itself is not possible. It is thought that it only possible if choking or heart failure occur at the same time. Thankfully, this is not very likely as, according to health experts, patients with heart disease will laugh less than anybody else.

This is due to the stress levels. Endothelial cells form a protective lining in our blood vessels and stress impairs the production of these cells. A weak endothelium can lead to hardened arteries, quite literally, hardening the heart.

It has been surmised that it is possible to suffocate during excessive laughter. During laughter, the epiglottis constricts the larynx. This restricts our ability to breath but the automatic breathing response will take over before it's too late.

Laughter has, in fact, been found to be a great medicine. So much so that laughter therapy is now a recognised practice. It reduces the stress hormones and our bodies natural produce killer cells to ward off all types of diseases and virus's.

In fact, laughter is a good all-over workout. Blood pressure is lowered, there is an increase in vascular blood flow and more oxygen reaches the blood stream. Diaphragm, abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles are given such a work out that laughing 100 times is the equivalent of 10 minutes on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike.

The dangers of a negative lifestyle are well documented. The emotions of a negative person can cause biochemical changes that affect our health adversely.

Surely, if laughter is this good for you there should be a clause in life insurance policies to reflect it? There is a section asking about regular exercise. If a gym membership lowers the premiums for life insurance then shouldn't a sunny disposition do the same? Is laughing at the cost of life insurance enough?

There's also the other hidden danger in life that is not mentioned on life insurance policies and that's the risk of dying on the toilet. It is widely believed, though not proven, that Elvis Presley died whilst on the toilet and he is not the only famous person to have this eulogy.

From slipping on a wet bathroom floor, pulling down a high mounted old-fashioned toilet system, pinching injuries from broken toilet seats to broken hips from slipping off a dodgy toilet seat, toilet injuries are common place but death?

It really is physically possible to die from going to the toilet. This is apparently due to a drop in blood pressure due to the parasympathetic nervous system during bowel movements. However, it is expected that there will already be a circulatory problem before the event.

So, when taking out that life insurance policy, check the small print and ensure you are covered for every day events such as going to the toilet and laughing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/life-insurance-to-protect-against-toilet-humour-288525.html

Common Problems Of Toilets And How To Fix Them.

You may have some horrible experience about problems in your toilet. Some of you really have no idea about how to deal with these problems and how to fix them. It is the fact that most of people rather call for professional service to fix a very little problems, which you never know that even you can fix it by yourself. This article will suggest you about most common problems in toilet and how to fix them properly.

1. Smell

Problems about smell and odor are always with the toilet. You may have experience about bad smell that never disappear, even though you have already clean the toilet, no matter when and how often you clean it, that smell still there without any clue. I can tell you that the smell, which never disappear are generally comes from the waste water drain. Drain is a really good place to store many of bacteria that is the cause of smell. All kind of waste after using toilet will be accumulated in the drain such as stain of soap, fat after shower. The easiest way to fix this problem is to call for professional service to install anti smell equipment in the drain, then clean the toilet often as normal, the smell will disappear after just 1-2 weeks

2. Rust in lavatory.

If you have used a lavatory for a while, you will find that when you open the lavatory , sometimes there is a stain of rust on it. The cause of this problem is the valve that control to let the water come on/off from water tank has broken and it can not stop the water. So the water id leaking from the tank and make rust stain on the lavatory.

You can get rid of this stain by using a piece of small metal or sand paper to softly scrape the lavatory, and then clean it normally. Do not forget to replace the water control valve too.

3. Bath tub clog up

For some of you who ay have problem about bath tub clog up very often. This maybe due to your hair that fall in to the tub drain after washing you hair. It is possible to use sodium hydroxide to clean but you have to be very careful because sodium hydroxide will destroy the bath tub coating and surface

4. Leaks

Leaks may be the most common problem in bath room but they are also the most difficult to fix. When you find any cracks or leaks in the toilet, you have to fix it immediately and do not let it be until it worse because it will be larger and let insects com into your house and absorb humidity. You must immediately seal the cracks or leaks but be sure that you can only fix by yourself only small leaks,otherwise, I would recommend to call for professional service.

5. Ventilation

If you notice that there are a lot of water drop on the ceiling, you can assume that your toilet is having a problem about ventilation. The water drop will make the ceiling coat erode, so you should install a ventilator to help.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/common-problems-of-toilets-and-how-to-fix-them-112717.html

Running Toilet: Repair It Yourself

Is your toilet running all the time and never stops? It overflows often or gets stuck when pulling the handle? Is the noise of your toilet keeping you awake in the night? Don't call the plumber yet. Toilet repairing is not that hard as it looks if you know a little more about how to fix a running toilet.

The toilet tank, when open, will reveal the valve and float (in the left), overflow tube and flapper and the handle that is connected to the toilet lever and chain.

What is in your toilet? All the toilets have the same principles of work, even if the way they do it can be different. Try flushing and watch the tank components at work.Pushing the handle will bake the chain lift a flapper and the water will fall from the tank into the bowl from an opening. When the water level gets lower then the flapper drops and the opening will be close.

The floater sinks with the water and releases the valve that lets more water into the tank, filling it again. That in turn makes the floater rise and it should stop the valve when the tank is full, ready for a new use.

The middle tube is an overflow safety that takes all the excess water from the tank if the water level is too high and drops it into the bowl.

See it for yourself. If, after the flushing, the toilet runs for too much time, lift the lid and look into the tank.

The whole mechanism must work together. Be sure that the components they do not tangle each other.

Manually close the flapper. The tank is not filling and it is not full, while the water escapes into the bowl? Then the flapper is stuck open. All you have to do is to reach it with your hand and push it down to close it. If this problems is repeating then look for the problem.

Look if the chain is tangled, or the flapper is not aligned with the opening. The chain and the flapper can be stuck together or the flapper is stiff from wear and it needs to be replaced. These are the most common issues for this problem.

Manually adjust the float and valve. In case of overflowing, when the water keeps running over the top of the overflow tube and the toilet is running for ever you can adjust the float that connects with the valve. Rise the float with your hand. The water should stop pouring into the tank. Adjust the float so that the water will fill the tank close to an inch (2.5 cm) below the overflow tube opening. Don't let the tank fill more, as that will cause a leaking flapper from the excess pressure. That can happen even on a just bought item, when you fix running toilet.

To modify the float height move this clip. If the float gets around the valve then move the metal clip and get the float down on the wire. For this valve style you must screw in the blue screw or bend the rod. For the float that has a ball on an arm, turn the screws from the top. Bending the arm down may also work.

Change the flapper. The toilet stops and starts again and again? Then your toilet has a slow leak. To be sure try to place ink or some kind of colored liquid into the tank. You may use dye tablets from your hardware store. After some time, one or two hours, check the bowl. If it is colored then you are sure of a slow leak. This means that slow amounts of water flows into the bowl. This is a common issue with the old flappers. They get stiff in time from the wear and catch minerals from the water. The best thing is to replace the flapper. Remove the old one from your tank and go to the closest equipment store and compare it with the new ones. Be sure to buy a replacement that matches for size.

Turn this valve like a faucet, clockwise, to close it. To replace the old part, close the valve that is next to the wall under the tank of your toilet. Empty the toilet by flushing. With the valve closed the tank will stay empty. Get the old flapper from the hinges and release the chain then place the new part in the same spot. Get any dirt or minerals from the rim where the flapper rests. Those may be the cause for the slow leak. Let the water in by opening the top valve.

Flush for couple of times. Check if the chain has the right length and if all the parts are connected properly. Trim the chain by hand if is necessary. Check if the new flapper closes the opening and the water stops pouring after the flushing is done.

Sometimes there are other causes for the slow leak. The overflow rubber tube that connects the overflow tube with the valve may be too low. Rise the valve or the tube height or get the water level lower by lowering the float.

If any other components are broken, like the valve himself or the metal or plastic arm that connects the float with the valve, then it is the time for a replacement of the respective components. If the problem does not seem that serious you can work out a temporary solution using some super glue until you find some time to buy the new part.

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Unblocking A Toilet

A stopped-up toilet is no fun to deal with, but it is not exactly an unusual problem. Luckily enough, this is often a problem that you can easily fix yourself, without using the services of a professional plumber.

Toilets tend to be unsanitary, and a broken or stopped toilet can be especially unclean. Don't forget to put on a pair of rubberized gloves before starting and eye protection if you have it available. Protect the floor around the toilet with a few layers of newspaper or an old towel that you won't mind throwing away once you've successfully unblocked the toilet.

Pour half a bucket of warm water into the toilet, slowly. If you notice that the toilet begins to drain, but is still slow, repeat this twice. If that doesn't unclog the toilet, you'll have to get to work with a plunger.

Grab your plunger and try pushing forcefully in an upward and backward movement. You are basically trying to force water through to break up the clog. Your choice of plunger may have a lot to do with your degree of success. Ask someone at the hardware store which is the plunger that works best. I remember picking out a plunger once that looked very effective only to have the hardware store salesperson steer me to a more standard model. A plunger with bells and whistler is probably not what you need to unstop a toilet.

If your toilet stops up and you have no plunger available, an old rag head mop will work as well -- use a push-pull motion like you would with a plunger. If the water starts to drain after using the plunger (or mop), you have succeeded!

But if you still have stagnant water, straighten a wire hanger, leaving a small L shape at one end. Place the end of the wire hanger into the S-shaped bend in the toilet, and push through the blockage. You are basically trying to bust it up.| A straight wire hanger can also be employed as a hook to help you fish items out of the P or S bends if you know what's caused the blockage to occur.

To stop the growth of bacteria and refrain from spreading germs, you should clean the toilet and any tools that you used once the toilet is in proper working order again. If your toilet remains blocked or clogged after following these steps, you should probably run through them one more time. If that still doesn't work, call a plumber.

Even though too much toilet paper, toilet bowl fresheners, and small toys are the culprits in most clogs, there are still numerous ways by which a toilet might become clogged or blocked that you can't deal with on your own. For example, it may be the sewer line rather than the toilet itself that is blocked. To avoid further problems that may be more complex, use your best judgment, as any problems you create may be more difficult (or more expensive!) to reverse.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/unblocking-a-toilet-792558.html

Snaking Out A Backed Up Toilet

Many problem toilets can be cleared using a plunger, but occasionally you can get a super clog. The only solution then is to break out the snake.

The majority of clogged toilets can be cleared by using the old pumping action of a plunger. Every once in awhile, there is going to be a clog that resists. The next step is to apply a snake or auger. The snake is a tightly coiled piece of spring steel with an auger tip on one end and a cranking handle on the other. There are two basic types. One is called a drain auger. The other is a closet auger.

The closet auger is shorter and has a stiffer coil. It is actually designed for use in the toilet. Many closet augers come with a protective, rubberized collar over the insertion part of the tool. This prevents scratching of the enamel of the toilet bowl when inserting it. The drain auger can come in many different sizes and also can be powered. On some, the crank handle can be attached to an electric drill to provide the turning power. Other models, designed for the use of professional plumbers, are self powered and can be quite expensive.

The coil of the snake is inserted into the mouth of the toilet drain. Slowly insert the coil into the drain. It is important to move the grip of the snake as close to the opening of the drain as possible. Continue to reposition the grip as the coil moves deeper into the drain. Eventually, the tip should reach the clog. When the clog can be felt or the coil will go in no further, you can begin to turn the handle, rotating the coil.

The rotation of the coil causes the auger tip to chew into the clog. It is usually necessary to move the auger tip back and forth during the part of the operation. In some cases, the clog might be broken up. You will be able to tell this because the tip will advance further into the drain. In other cases, the clog might be snagged on the tip. In this case, it will be possible to pull the clog back out of the drain. This is the preferred method. When the clog is not removed, it may reform deeper in the drain clogging it again.

If you do manage to pull out the clog be prepared for a mess. A toilet clog is not going to be the most pleasant thing. It is a good idea to prepare the bathroom, and yourself, for this mess. Make sure there is an ample supply of old towels and rags handy to protect the bathroom floor and to clean the snake coil as it is withdrawn from the toilet. Snaking a toilet is not a job that is done best in your best clothes either.

Fred Linson is with PlumbingStop.com - providing basic plumbing information and more resources.

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Home Building - Bathroom Toilets

When designing your bathroom, the easiest product to pick out should be your toilet, because it's style is simply one of personal preference because all of them work in the same way. The first style point will be deciding whether you want a round or elongated model, a one or two piece, how high you want it to sit and whether you want a pressure-assisted or gravity feed. Beyond that you will have a choice of colors and ornamental trim, and several style options. Always sit down on your new throne before buying it to make sure the height and size are comfortable. An average toilet bowl will start around $200, but a royal throne could run you around $1000.

Styles and Types

One-piece or two-piece

Most toilets have separate tanks and bowls, making them two-piece, but some higher-priced toilets are one-piece, and they are generally more stylish. The benefit of a one piece is that you won't have leaks between the bowl and tank and they tend to be quieter.

Round bowl or elongated bowl

The most common toilet bowl used to be round, because it conserved space, but now as bathrooms continue to grow in size, the trend is towards elongated bowls (two inches longer than a round bowl). The standard height of a toilet is 15 inches.

Gravity or Pressure

These are the two ways by which the toilet flushes. Standard gravity-fed toilets use the weight of the water to force everything from the tank into the bowl and through the S-shaped trapway, where a siphoning action finishes the flush. The first pressure-assisted [flush] toilet was intoduced in the U.S. in 1984 by Mansfeld. Crane followed shortly thereafter and by 1986, virtually every North American manufacturer offered at least one PA model. In 1992 the government passed a law that restricted toilets to no more than 1.6 gallons per flush, as opposed to the old 3.5 gallons. These systems use trapped air to initiate the flushing mechanism.

Concealed Tank

Concealed toilet tanks are insulated and installed between the wall studs with the toilet mounted to the wall instead of the floor, making it easier to clean your toilet.

Materials

Toilets are generally made of vitreous china, which is clay fired at high temperature to form a high gloss, stain-resistant surface. They are durable but can be chipped, cracked, or broken if abused. Under normal use, however, they can last a lifetime.

A bit about Bidets

The word bidet (pronounced: bee day) is French for pony, a reference to sitting astride as if on a saddle. It is not a bathtub, shower stall or different kind of toilet (though it is placed next to the toilet) - it is hands-free, sit-down water washing unit or basin that used in place of wiping with toilet paper. Most Americans have never seen a bidet, unless they frequent upscale hotels in the U.S. and/or Europe. European's consider the bidet to be an essential part of their bathroom, in fact, no well equipped home is without one. Bidets are offered in a host of styles, from the traditional to the contemporary and usually match the toilet.

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Repairing a Leaking Toilet

Let me explain how a toilet works. First when you go to flush the toilet a little arm pulls a rubber flapper up and lets the water drain into the toilet bowl. The water draining into the toilet bowl forces the old water out along with the number two or number one waste and extremities.

If the toilet sounds like it is running there is a good chance that the seal between the rubber flapper and the plastic rain at the bottom of the toilet is broken somehow. The sound you are hearing is water running around this ring and in to the toilet bowl.

This leak is actually causing no damage to the toilet itself but is wasting water. Hence the water bill will be a little higher if you don't fix the leaking toilet. The best way to find out if this is actually your problem is to take the toilet tank lid off. Then stick your hand down into the toilet bowl and press gently on the rubber flap.

If the water stops leaking or starts running faster this is your problem. Turn the water off to the toilet. There will be a shut off valve on the wall under your toilet bowl in the bathroom. After you turn the water off removed the plastic flap and examine it.

You will be looking for a warped toilet flap or of some sort or grooves on the flapper itself. Take the toilet flapper down to your local home improvement store and buy a new one. Go home and replace the new toilet flapper and this should solve 90% of your leaking toilet problems.

There is one more thing it could be. With the toilet tank lid off, check to see if water is overflowing into the little round plastic pipe. This plastic pipe should have a small hose running from the float valve assembly into it.

If the water is over flowing from the toilet tank into this little plastic pipe you will need to adjust the float.

First thing you will need to do is while the toilet is running lift up on the float lever arm. If the water stops you can simply bend the metal arm of the float lever. The purpose of bending the arm will force the float deeper into the water there for stopping the water from rising over the small tube in the center of your toilet.

There are few parts to a toilet and most parts can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement centers. Toilet repairs like this can be made simple and the parts used to replace are inexpensive.

Happy Toilet Repairing.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more House Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Some Great Plumbing Ideas

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