Repairing Toilets Click here for an excellent illustrated guide.

Replacing Toilets More good information

What are the working parts of a toilet?

The refill valve, the flush valve and the trip lever.

How do I replace a damaged refill valve?

Turn off the toilet's water supply valve, flush the toilet and sponge out any remaining water in the tank. The refill valve is usually removed by turning a nut that holds it in place. When the nut is off, the refill assembly can be lifted out. Install the new assembly by following the manufacturer's directions.

You stock two sizes of supply lines. Which one will I need for my toilet?

The toilet supply line head is the larger of the two. The smaller ones are sink supply lines.

My toilet fills up every 10 minutes. What is the problem?

If the toilet flushes on its own, the flush valve is probably not seating properly and water is leaking from the tank into the bowl. This could be the result of the lift chain being tangled. If it is the valve, you can change the flapper. Scale deposits on the seat can be removed with steel wool or with No. 500 abrasive paper. Make sure you clean the valve seat. If it still leaks, the seat is damaged and you will need to replace it as well.

There is water seeping from around the base of my toilet. What do I need to do to solve this problem?

Your wax gasket is probably not working anymore. This is a simple problem to fix. You need to remove the toilet and install a new wax ring. While you have the toilet off, you should go ahead and replace the bolts. Otherwise, it could be a crack in your toilet bowl.

What do I do if there is a crack in the bowl?

If it is a small crack, you can try to repair it. Drain the toilet, dry it off, apply some Plumber's Goop and let it dry completely before refilling the tank. However, you may have to replace the bowl.

The toilet bowl is not filling up. What is the problem?

See if your toilet has an overflow pipe. If so, a rubber tube should go into it. It has a metal clip on it and sometimes it can come loose.

What is a supply valve?

This valve is under the sink or beside the toilet and shuts off the water to the faucet or toilet.

Is there an easy way to replace the seat?

There are glue-in repair kits, but not all kits fit all toilets. And you must follow the manufacturer's directions closely.

How do I replace the seat?

The flush valves are held to the tank by one large jam nut on the bottom of the tank. Installing a new valve usually requires removing the tank from the bowl.

How do I test to see if water is leaking from the tank into the bowl?

After flushing the toilet, let it refill. Now put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. If the color appears in the bowl after a few minutes, there is a leak.

Can I test to see if the leak is coming from the refill or the flush valve?

Yes. Shut off the water supply to the toilet. Mark the water level on the inside of the tank with a pencil. Check the water level in 10 or 20 minutes. If the water has fallen, you know the flush valve is leaking.

The water in my toilet seems to run constantly in my toilet.

If the refill valve is leaking, the tank overfills and the excess water runs into the overflow pipe and into the bowl.

How do I adjust this water level?

To adjust the water level on a conventional toilet tank, you simply bend the float arm down to lower the water level or up to raise it. Another widely popular valve has a pinch clamp that allows you to raise or lower the float.

What is a toilet vent?

It is a pipe that runs from the toilet drain to the outside, usually to the roof. This prevents air lock in the drain line.

Installing a New Flush Valve

§ Flush valves are held to the tank by one large jam nut on the bottom of the tank. Installing a new flush valve usually requires removing the toilet tank from the bowl, which can be rather complicated. However, wall-mounted tanks may not need to be removed.

§ If the toilet tank must be removed, turn the water off completely, flush the toilet and hold the trip lever down to evacuate most of the tank water. Use a sponge to remove the remaining water. Disconnect the tank's inlet fitting from the water supply. If the flexible riser tube is damaged, replace it.

§ Then, unscrew the two rubber-gasketed bolts flanking the flush valve. These bolts go through the tank and bowl flange, with nuts beneath. Use caution-forcing the bolts may cause you to break the tank, bowl or both. Use plenty of penetrating oil on the threads. If they still won't budge without force, try wrapping masking tape around a hacksaw blade and sawing with the teeth facing you, so the blade cuts on the "pull" stroke. The layer of masking tape will protect the bowl's glazed surface from saw scratches.

§ The tank should now lift away from the bowl. Lay it upside-down on a throw rug or newspaper padding to protect it, and unscrew the large nut holding the flush valve to the tank. Use locking pliers plus penetrating oil and extreme care to avoid breakage. Clamp a well-padded locking plier/wrench around the flush valve to keep it from rotating inside the tank.

§ Install the new flush valve (see image) according to the directions. The rubber gasket goes on the inside of the tank to prevent leakage. The flat washer fits on the outside to prevent tank damage.

§ Use new brass tank hold-down bolts, which will remain workable. Tighten the bolts just enough to compress the tank's soft rubber gasket and keep it from leaking.