Archive for June, 2010

Toilet Repair Part 2: Replacing the Flapper

Monday, June 7th, 2010 by RT

Part two of this series explains how to remove and replace the toilet flapper.

Replacing the flapper is generally an easy fix and may be replaced when you experience a leaky toilet. Like in part one, be sure that the incoming water supply to the toilet tank is turned off. Remove the tank lid and as stated in part one and put it in a safe place. Hold down the tank lever and let the water exit the tank. At this point, you may wish to use a pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands. Generally, the flapper will have a film covering it from being exposed to the chlorine in the water. The film will stain your hands as well as your clothing!

Next, remove the chain from the tank lever and remove the flapper. There are a variety of types and styles of flappers available. You’ll need to take your existing flapper with your to your local hardware, plumbing supply, or home improvement center. In most cases, they should be able to provide either an exact, or an adequate replacement.

When you get back home, simply connect the flapper back into place and connect the chain and you are done!

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Toilet Repair Part 1 – Replacing the Fill Valve

Saturday, June 5th, 2010 by RT

This is a three part post that discusses toilet repairs, which for the most part, are relatively easy for the average homeowner to perform.

The main components are the fill valve, tank lever, and flapper. These parts are essential to the proper operation of the toilet. Today I will address replacing the fill valve.

Replacing the Fill Valve:

The replacement of the toilet’s fill valve is generally an easy task. The first step in the process is to secure the incoming water to the toilet tank. Once this is done, remove the tank lid, and put it in a safe place. Tank lids vary by manufacture and can prove to be costly when they are broken! Now, hold the tank lever down and open the flapper letting as much water exit the tank as possible.

Once the toilet tank has drained, remove the excess water with a sponge or shop-vac until the tank is dry. Next, remove the supply line from the fill valve. After the supply line is removed, remove the shank nut from the fill valve. Now you should be able to remove the fill valve from the tank.

There are a variety of different fill valves available. As a rule of thumb, take the fill valve you are replacing with you to your local hardware or home improvement center. An assistant should be able to provide you with an adequate replacement.

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Conventional Handle Tub Faucet Repair

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 by RT

If your tub faucet has an annoying dripping problem, the following steps will help you alleviate this problem.

1. Locate the main shut off and secure it.
2. Open the tub faucet and let the water drain out.

Now for repair

The buttons indicating hot and cold are referred to as index buttons. These need to be removed, so as to access the handle screw. Remove the handle screw, next, remove the handle. Sometimes this can be a difficult task. It the handle won’t budge, you can purchase a handle puller at your neighborhood home improvement, or hardware store. Once the handle has been removed, the next step is to remove the escutcheon or trim piece. Generally the trim piece is threaded on to the tub faucet.

Occasionally the manufacturer may use a set screw application as well. After removing the escutcheon, the valve stem and Bennett should be accessible. A deep well socket will generally be the “tool of choice”, when removing the stem assembly. A plumbers socket set can also be purchased, and will aid in removing the faucet valve. These types of valves are known as compression valves. Once the valve and stem are removed, on the bottom of the stem, you will find a rubber or neoprene washer with a screw. This part of the stem is known as the bibb. The bibb holds the bibb washer and the bibb screw. The washer may appear to be worn, or even not present. Now is the time to replace the washer. Many of the washer manufacturers stamp the size on the washer. These sizes range from “000” – ½”. You can usually find these at any hardware center. The bottom of the washer needs to be smooth. In other words, when looking at the bibb there should not be any lettering present. Install the new washer and bibb screw. The next step is checking the bibb seat. The seat is located inside the faucet body. Usually you can feel any roughness or pitting with your finger, or you can usually check it with a flashlight. If the seat is damaged you should replace it. The seat can generally be replaced. To do this properly, you’ll need what is known as a seat removal tool. These as well may be found at you local hardware or home improvement center. Once the seat has been replaced, the valve is ready to be put back together. This simple repair can save you $100’s of dollars in water bills.

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