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.

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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

Flawless Flushing - Strategies to Keep Your Toilet Trouble Free

Is there a more aggravating situation in your day than to have a toilet not flush properly? As long as a toilet is working as it should, it's easy to not give it a second thought. Rather than wait for a toilet to act up, take a pro-active approach to minimize toilet troubles.

Tips to insure flawless flushing; here's a baker's dozen:

1. Don't use a toilet for a trash can or garbage disposer. Rather than list all the items that shouldn't be flushed down a toilet, I'll list the safe ones. A toilet is designed for the purpose of disposing of human waste and toilet tissue ... that's it ... end of story.

2. All paper is not created equal; toilet tissue is especially designed to quickly breakup in water whereas many other papers such as paper towels actually advertise how strong they are and how they hold together when wiping up liquids. Keep a waste paper basket in the bathroom for such things as facial tissues, sanitary products, paper towels, flushable wipes, etc.

3. Be kind to your toilets. Treat your toilet tanks and bowls like the "china bowls" they are; they can and will crack if abused. BE CAREFUL with tools around a toilet, don't compound the problem when making a repair in your bathroom. It's unlikely that you will be able to fix a cracked toilet bowl or tank.

4. Don't use a toilet for a ladder or stepstool. Don't stand or sit on a toilet tank lid. And don't put a lot of pressure on a tank by leaning back against it.

5. Throw out a toilet bowl cleaning brush once the bristles wear down and any metal is showing. Once the bowl is scratched, it's impossible keep clean, and you won't be able to repair the scratches. A plastic brush is less likely to scratch the china.

6. Don't store small or heavy items on the lid of the toilet tank or on a shelf above to minimize the risk of a something falling in, such as toys, brushes, combs, etc. A tooth brush that gets stuck in the interior passageway of a toilet bowl that can't be dislodged means replacing the toilet. A very heavy item that hits the china bowl could chip or crack the bowl.

7. Don't pour hot liquids into a toilet bowl or tank, the bowl or tank may crack.

8. Don't mix toilet cleaning products. Many of them contain bleach or ammonia; two ingredients that make a dangerous combination when mixed.

9. Help the environment, don't flush old prescriptions down a toilet. A hand full of pills is unlikely to harm a toilet, but according to the Arlington (Texas) Water Utilities, significant advancements in technology and processes have been made. Consequently, pharmaceutical compounds in tiny amounts are able to be detected in our waterways. Pharmaceutical compounds and personal care products are being found at low levels in many of our nation's lakes, rivers, and streams.

10. Do flush a toilet after every use. A crust will begin to form on the bottom of the toilet bowl if urine is allowed to sit in the bowl for long periods. The crust is very difficult to remove.

11. Never use a regular drain snake in a toilet which can permanently scratch the bowl. Make sure to only use a snake known as a toilet auger designed especially for toilets.

12. During freezing weather make sure the bathroom is heated, otherwise the toilet tank and bowl must be completely drained. In addition, the supply line under the tank should be disconnected and the ballcock drained.

13. Don't use drop-in tank tablets for cleaning a toilet. Whether blue, white or purple, these tablets are not good for the toilet. Some will cause a lazy flush which forces you to flush one, two or more times to completely clear a bowl. This lazy flush is also known as the blue goo phenomenon.

Tag : toilet,toilet paper,toilet repair,toilet wall,flush toilet

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kay_Keating

The Differences Between Traditional and Modern Toilets

There are list of things you should consider when designing a bathroom. Fixtures and sinks are possibly your top priorities. However, if you want a bathroom that reflects your creativity, it's necessary to consider the toilet. You can choose between traditional and modern toilets. If you want to add classic elegance to your bathroom design, then you can prefer a traditional toilet. If you want to create a fun and contemporary look to your bathroom, then you can choose a modern toilet type.

If you want to buy a traditional toilet at a discounted price, you can search online. Many bathroom stores that do business online offer this kind of toilets at a lower rate. A common model of a traditional toilet has a flush system that is generated by a pull chain. The waterproof receptacle of a traditional toilet that holds liquid is placed on top resting on the wall. This receptacle for liquid, or commonly called a toilet cistern, is attached to the toilet pan through a drainpipe. The traditional toilet's flushing system is the simplest form of flushing methods. A gravity flushing system produces less noise and is very efficient because the gravity increases the flow of water but a gravity fed toilet is really difficult to repair and consumes more water. Today's traditional-type toilets are generally made of ceramics that are really different from the original pieces which are purely made of heavy metals.

Though ceramics are commonly used to produce traditional type toilets, there are still suppliers that provide toilet cisterns created from steel. Modern toilets on the other hand are more expensive because they use new concepts of flushing systems such as pressure-assisted and dual flush systems but you can purchase them at a lower price them from bathroom shops online. Pressure-assisted flush is the latest form of flushing system. It's easy to flush toilets with this kind of flushing system. Apart from that, the system also decreases possibilities for clogging but they are noisier compared to the gravity flushing system. Some modern type of toilets have advanced features such as heated seat and ozone deodorant that helps eliminate odors. Some modern toilets also have air conditioning under the rim. This is definitely good and convenient especially during warm seasons. Learning the qualities and benefits of traditional and modern toilets can help you decide which one suits your needs and fancy.

Nowadays, manufacturers produced more creative modern toilets since these kinds are more popular than traditional toilets. Modern toilets don't only come in different colors like pink, blue, green and purple but they also come in fun, eye-catching and even humorous designs. There are a lot inspirational designs online you can have for your bathroom. Since you spend time in your bathroom, these unique contemporary styles can help you get rid of boredom. Choosing between traditional and modern toilets can be exciting and tricky but whatever type of toilet you want for your bathroom, you have to make sure that it is really functional and will give you much comfort.

There are list of things you should consider when designing a bathroom. Fixtures and sinks are possibly your top priorities. However, if you want a bathroom that reflects your creativity, it's necessary to consider the toilet.

Tag : toilet,traditional toilet,modern toilet,toilet paper,toilet seats,toilet repair

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amaan_Goyal

Corner Toilet Design Ideas

Corner toilets are the toilets which can be adjusted into small space or can be adjusted into less area, it does not matter what is the size of the persons rest room. Corner toilet unit will help the person to take the advantage on the rest room that is on the hand and it also gives a good look to the person house. If any person wants to re-model its bathroom or rest room than he or she can prefer to these kind of toilets which looks good and give a cool, attractive look to the viewer.

Now a day many companies have constructed this kind of bathroom or rest room. Kohler toilets, American Standard toilets, Toto toilets and many more provide these kind of amazing corner toilets for the outlay.Although the fact that it is curious that the rest rooms must have need of a corner toilet unit and despite it they gives a good look to the rest room. Corner toilets are those toilets which can solve the space saving problems and that can be easily fill an unused corner, and provide a good amount of storage for bathroom, towels, cosmetics and accessories. Corner toilets designed for the corner escalating are an amazing and wonderful invention that can really save the unused space. The corner toilets manufacturers all produce them, both in modern drawn out style design, or in a more traditional round bowl and many more designs.

For once, it doesn't matter what is the size of a person's bathroom is. It is a bizarre as that statement may sound, somebody's inventive idea of creating a toilet unit that can be set up in a corner of any size which has made it possible for a person to maximize the space that is available to him or her, but they can also add a certain touch of different style to his or her bath room allowing it to stand out of the rest of the bathrooms in the home. If a person or one who prefers that their toilet be constructed up in an olden world feel, then he or she can choose to install a high tank with a pull chain instead of the normal one piece toilet tank or shelf top unit that would look great in color of bronze coupled with a toilet unit in white vitreous china.

A person can have a lot of fun with this setup, or can put up a corner bath in the opposite corner creating the chimera of open space that will make using a smaller bathroom less than it has to be. While it is rare that new bath rooms may require the use of toilets out of necessity, a number of buildings would benefit from these toilets and if a person has a clumsily shaped bath room, a corner toilet unit can be the easily perfect fit. The role of a corner toilet towards helps in creating an organized bathroom and clean is gigantic.

Tag : toilet,corner toilet,toilet design,toilet paper,toilet repair

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amaan_Goyal

Eco Toilets For the Home

The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the entire house, and a major source of water waste and inefficiency. Showers and toilets are two of the biggest consumers of water.

According to a 2009 report released by the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States flushes over 4.8 million gallons of water per year and the average American flushes 9000 gallons of water per year. The report also stated that replacing flush toilets that use 3.5 gallons per flush with eco toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush will result in a 34% savings in household water consumption.

There are a variety of different toilets that homeowners can install to reduce water consumption, save money, and save the environment. Many homeowners are choosing to install eco toilets such as the dual flush toilet to reduce water consumption.

The dual flush toilet works by providing the user with a half flush option and a full flush option on the same toilet. Typically a user would choose a half flush for urine and a full flush for feces. The half flush option only uses 0.79 gallons of water per flush, compared to the 1.6 gallons of water required for a full flush.

Many satisfied users report that the half flush is adequate for almost all flushing needs, and that the full flush is rarely needed. Experts suggest that a household can reduce household flush volumes by 68% using a dual flush toilet.

The composting toilet is gaining popularity around the world, and is just beginning to be introduced into American markets. Composting eco toilets work by using naturally-occurring bacteria to break down human waste into a usable compost material called humus.

The toilets do not use any water, are completely self contained, and all waste is collected and composted in the same unit. The toilets are carefully constructed with a special venting and air flow system to prevent unpleasant odors, bugs, and pests.

The composting toilet can even accommodate regular toilet tissue. A composting toilet is more expensive than a regular or dual flush toilet, and will require professional installation to ensure that the venting system is properly installed.

The squat toilet, although common in Eastern countries, is rarely used in the United States. These eco toilets are located flush to the ground, and the user must sit in squatted position to use the toilet.

The waste is removed by pouring water into the bowl with a hose or bucket. A squat toilet requires much less water than a conventional toilet, and many experts believe that it is more sanitary, as the buttocks and thighs do not come into contact with the toilet surface.

Tag : toilet,eco toilet,toilet training,toilet repair,toilet seats

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ezra_Plank

A Toilet For Every Space

The basic components of a toilet include washbasin, toilet seat, flush and shower or bathtub in the bathing area. Here we find that to fix these components together, toilets require too much of wall space. The cisterns or tanks too wide and often tend to have the water inlet and overflow on the side of the tank, which takes up even more wall space. Redesigning an old toilet into a new one, with the best of the facilities in the available small space is a tedious task.

Today with the alarming increase in the population the land areas are getting quite expensive. Due to this people get comparatively smaller homes. Due to this, the size of toilets has greatly shrunken. People try to utilize every nook and corner of the home judiciously.

Though large toilets are a bliss because there a person spends a lot of time to rejuvenate and energize still the need of the hour is to find alternatives that utilize less space yet retaining the beauty of the ceramic palace, thus making toilet big enough to be used by all, and small enough to fit into the available space.Sanitary manufacturers in the field of hygiene products have come up with a range of pioneering products that require a bit too less of the wall and floor area, yet retain the spaciousness of a toilet. The innovative designs and product automation has opened whole new grounds for work and development for proper and careful space utilization. They have come up with a range of toilet designs like 2 piece toilet, a 1 piece toilet, a floor mount toilet, a wall mount toilet, a concealed tank toilet, a comfort height toilet and a corner toilet. Also the colors of the walls have a great effect. Light color paints in a small bathroom to give a feeling of space. Apart from that the direction of light and mirror placing also add to the feeling of space.

Corner toilets are one of the one of the best ways for utilizing the corner spaces. A pedestal sink does not take up the visual space or floor space that a cabinet does and will make a smaller area look larger. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. For toilets of small spaces, plumbing is done such that it enters cistern from below instead of the side and the size of the cistern is chosen no more than 16 inches. Apart from this, round bowl fronts are preferred, rather than the usual elongated ones. A round-front toilet extends 25 to 28 inches from the wall while elongated toilet extends 29 to 31 inches. The round toilet bowls are shorter in length by a full 2 inches, making this choice a particularly useful toilet for small spaces - just perfect for when space is at a premium. There are a variety of variations available for the smaller toilets that can definitely be called as A Toilet for every space.

The basic components of a toilet include washbasin, toilet seat, flush and shower or bathtub in the bathing area. Here we find that to fix these components together, toilets require too much of wall space. The cisterns or tanks too wide and often tend to have the water inlet and overflow on the side of the tank, which takes up even more wall space. Wall Hung Toilets are a good option for small bathrooms.

Tag : toilet,toilet peper,toilet repair,toilet wall,toilet water

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amaan_Goyal

Sun-Mar Composting Toilets - A Few More Frequently Asked Questions

Let's face it, composting toilets are a very complex and little understood product. Many consumers don't even realize that compost toilets are actually odorless and present a great eco-friendly alternative for residential homes in urban and suburban areas. Through our website, we receive all kinds of questions from our visitors and customers about composting toilet systems, how they work, and their various pros and cons. Below are a few more of our most frequently asked questions that may be helpful to other consumers who are considering a composting toilet system or simply comparing brands. Please be sure to note that all the information in this article pertains specifically to Sun-Mar composting toilet systems.

1. Do I have to use a special kind of toilet paper in a composting toilet?
No. You can use any type of toilet paper you want, it will break down without a problem.

2. Can baby wipes, tampons, diaper liners, paper towels, or other similar items be put in the toilet?
No. We recommend keeping these and similar products out of the toilet because they can affect the capacity. When you choose a compost toilet system, the most important consideration is the capacity rating. Sun-Mar systems have capacity ratings based on the number of people using the toilet per day. If you add other products to the toilet, this will throw off the capacity and can cause a problem.

3. How do I clean my Sun-Mar system?
The outside of the toilet can be cleaned using any type of regular household cleaner of your choosing. Around the rim of the bowl and inside the bowl of the toilet, we recommend using Compost Quick Cleaning Spray. This is a special toilet and bowl cleaner designed for composting toilets. It contains a compost accelerating agent that will aide in the breakdown process of your compost. If you don't want to use Compost Quick, you can also use a solution of hot water and baking soda. You should not use chemical toilet bowl cleaners in your composting toilet, because these products can kill the aerobic bacteria that are a vital part of the composting process.

4. Is a compost toilet difficult to install? Do I need a professional installer?
No. In most cases, Sun-Mar composting toilets are a do-it-yourself installation. Before purchasing any system, be sure to download a copy of the product manual which contains complete installation instructions. We encourage our customers to read these manuals thoroughly before purchasing a unit so they will understand what is involved in installing the system before it arrives.

5. What is the expected life of a composting toilet?
The expected life of a Sun-Mar compost toilet is 20 to 25 years. However, homeowners should expect that some parts in the toilet, such as electrical fans or heaters, may wear out sooner and need to be replaced. Replacement components are readily available directly from the manufacturer.

Tag : toilet,compost toilet,toilet peper,toilet repair,toilet system

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ellen_Bell