Repairing a Toilet Tank: DIY Solutions
Posted: Friday, June 26, 2009
by Scott Rodgers
http://www.elocalplumbers.com
When something's wrong inside the toilet tank, it often doesn't take a professional to get in there and fix the problem. Lots of times, a homeowner with the right savvy and a few basic tools can get to the root of the problem. This will save the household a lot of dough and prevent the need for a trained plumber to schlep all the way across town. When conquering an unknown dilemma in your tank, you'll first need to get good access by clearing the entire area and taking off the heavy porcelain top, and setting it aside. It may be good to lay down newspaper or some other substance to set the tank lid on, and if space is an issue, be sure to move all of the objects around the toilet to prevent annoying access problems. You may also want to get into the habit of keeping a flashlight around in case the interior of a tank or another area does not have sufficient light.
You'll want to drain the tank to be able to work inside. To do that discover a turn off switch for the fixture. It can be found near the inflowing water pipe by naked eye. When you've turned the valve off, you can flush the tank, and it will not refill.
One of the first things you may notice is that the "flapper" may be messed up. That's the tiny rubber item where the water streams through the bowl from the tank above. Verify that the flapper is either damaged or permanently ruined. If it is broken or damaged somehow, you can easily replace it.
There are some other elements that could take a few small repairs, including the arm that maintains the float in the correct position to fill the tank. Again, this can be fixed using these few simple tools and it's a good example of the kind of amateur plumbing that often does not require a professional plumber.
One thing that can be discovered when examining toilets is if a person has been tampering with lessened water flow. Sometimes putting something into the bowl can lessen the water used with the individual flush but could cause problems with the functioning of different parts. More commonly, the parts are just worn, and simple replacement is the best option. When you've done one of these tasks once, it gets easier to do them again each time you have to delve into the tank.
You can expect all of this when you delve in to your home's toilet. In general, your knowledge of the parts of your toilet will help you with upkeep from time to time. Remember, the most important factor in keeping your toilet tank interior working properly is making sure that nothing is obstructing the float arm and flap process, and that none of these parts is throwing a "weak link" into the mix.
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Scott Rodgers is a successful plumber with 20 years history helping out residential and commercial clients with toilet tanks and everything else. Read more articles written by experienced plumbers at http://www.eLocalPlumbers.com
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