Many times just replacing one or two parts inside of a toilet tank are not enough, you may have to replace all of the parts inside of your toilet to keep from throwing cash down your toilet. This may sound like an overwhelming job but in reality it is quite simple with the right tools and knowing how to fix it.
The first step to making any repair is to gather your tools. You will need a pair of channel locks, pliers, flat blade screwdriver, philips screwdriver, hacksaw, scissors, or something that will cut plastic, I sometimes use a large pair of diagonal cutters. You will need a bucket to catch water and a large sponge. You may want to get some towels to help in soaking up water.shut_off
Next you will want to shut water off to this toilet. There should be an emergency shut off valve underneath your toilet. If you don’t have one, you may want to install one. See our article “How To Fix A Leaky Valve” which will take you step by step on how to put a valve in.
You will need to get your replacement parts for your toilet. Most hardware stores should have kits that you can buy with everything you will need. If you are not sure, please ask one of the people there. I find them to be quite helpful, at Toilet Repair Kitsmy local hardware store. Once you have all your parts, it is time to get back and get your job done. I want to take you step by step so you will know how to fix it and get it done right.
You should have your water turned off by now and we are ready to get started. First, we are going to remove all of the old parts. You want to flush the toilet. With the water turned off this will cause most of the water to run out of the tank. Hold the handle on your toilet down until as much water as possible runs out. Now, take your sponge and soak up any remaining water in your tank. You should be able to get the tank fairly dry.
Next you will want to disconnect your water line from the tank. Underneath your tank you should see where the water How to Fix a Toilet 2line is coming from the valve up to
your toilet tank. Directly under the tank loosen the nut that is holding your water line. And then carefully pull the water line away from the tank.
Next, you want to remove the tank. Inside of your tank you will see two bolts with nuts holding the bolts underneath the tank. Simply remove these bolts. I say simply but many times I have found these bolts to be corroded and they may take some work to get out. Usually the new kit will come with replacement bolts so it is much easier putting them back together. You can get some penetrating oil that can help to remove the nuts.
Once you have the bolts removed, you can lift the tank off of the bottom section of your toilet. You will need to remove the gasket where the water flows to your tank. There should be a large nut, usually made of plastic that needs to be removed. Also remove your fill valve by removing the nuts underneath the tank. This should be all of the components inside of your tank. You may want to replace the bar where your handle is as well. Simply remove the nut on the back of the handle and your handle should come off as well.
After removing all of your old parts as we talked about in Part 1 of this article we are prepared to know how to fix it and begin installing the new components into your tank. The new kit should come with all of the parts you need. You will want to go ahead and separate all of the small parts. Separate the rubber parts carefully. Most times in the kit these parts are attached by a small piece of rubber and will need to be cut free. Be careful as to not damaging the parts themselves.
When the valve and overflow tube are properly installed the fill valve should be at least 1″ above the overflow pipe. How to fix a toilet 3You may have to cut the pipe to achieve this but most times I have found it to be fine the way it comes. Some of the kits will come with an adjustable height on the fill valve. Just make sure the critical level is 1 inch above the overflow pipe.
Take your new fill valve and put the shank washer onto the threaded end of the valve. Push this into the smaller hole towards one side of the bottom of your tank. Next, take the nut and tighten the nut hand tight only. Next, you will need to install the overflow pipe and main drain. You should have a rubber gasket that will fit into the hole and a large nut. These are usually on the part when you get it but if not you will need the gasket on and the large nut will need to be removed. Put the threaded end though the large hole and tighten the nut on the end. Just hand tighten should be fine. There should be another large gasket that will go over the threaded end and the nut after you have the nut tight.
How to fix a toilet handleYou will have to install your new handle. It will simply go through the hole where your old handle came out. The kit will come with a new handle and rod. When you push down the handle it is going to pull up on the flapper and allow water to flow into your toilet bowl. You will need to adjust the length of the rod so that it is in the proper position. You can usually compare it to your old rod to get the proper length. Tighten the nut to your handle and then attach the chain from the flapper so that it has slack when the handle is resting. When you pull on the handle it should pull the flapper up and then allow the flapper to rest when the handle rests.
Now you are ready to install the tank onto the bottom bowl portion of your tank. You should have 2-3 bolts that will attach the tank to the bowl. These should be 3-4 inch bolts. You will need a rubber washer on each of your bolts and put through the inside of your tank to the bottom of your bowl section. You will need a flat washer and a nut to go on from the bottom. The kit that I have purchased uses a wing nut for this purpose. You can tighten it down and get it as tight as you can with your hand.how to fix a toilet 5
Your toilet has now been put back so all you have to do is reinstall your water line. There are several ways that a water line can be hooked up. You will have to look at how your water line came out in order to know how to fix it and reinstall your water line the way it was removed from your old line. I personally like to use a flexible water supply line from my shutoff valve to my tank. It is much easier for me to deal with. When I went to my local hardware store I just picked up one of these flexible lines and installed it. They do seem to be very simple to install and I find it much simpler to deal with when I am removing my water line to do any work with my toilet.
Once you have your water line reconnected you will want to turn your water back on, slowly. Your tank should begin How to Fix a Leaky Valveto fill. As it fills, make sure that there are no leaks around any of the connections. You may need to tighten up your connections if you do see any leaks. Check your water levels and you should be able to adjust the water level inside of your tank. You can save money if your tank fills with less water. I usually let it fill to a level that the toilet will flush properly and no more. If you don’t have enough water in the tank it will not flush properly so make sure you have enough water to do the job.