You don’t have to call you the plumber every time you have a plumbing problem. But you do have to face every repair carefully and follow residential plumbing expert advice in every detail. Otherwise, your calling in a plumbing contractor for every minor detail can quickly become expensive.
If you are handy person, you can perform small residential plumbing tasks like fixing your leaky toilet tank. This is a common place for water leaks and it is not a difficult project for do-it-yourselfers.
Leaky Toilet Problem
You can repair a leaking toilet tank by replacing rubber gaskets around the tank bolts the spud washer. These gaskets deteriorate over time because of hard water and minerals. But before starting your project make sure that you have a few important tools:
- An adjustable wrench
- A small wire brush
- White vinegar (for cleaning)
- Rags
- New washers
Just to make sure you don’t cause water to splash everywhere, and you can really avoid calling in a plumbing contractor, you’ll want to turn off the water. Remember, you want to fix that leaky toilet, not cause more water leaks.
- Shut the Valve
Locate and turn the shutoff valve that is under the tank and next to the wall. Turn this valve clockwise to shut it off. - Drain the Tank
Flush the toilet once or twice to remove all the water from the tank. Use a sponge to remove the excess water. - Tank Bolts
Locate the tank bolt on the underside of the tank move your adjustable wrench to hold this nut located here. At the same time use the screwdriver to loosen the tank bolt on the inside of the tank. Repeat the same process for the other bolt. - Lift and Remove Tank
Pull the tank off of the toilet and lay it down. Be careful in this removal process so that you don’t break the tank. - Remove Washers
Remove the washers, but if they are stopped, try using the adjustable wrench. Replace with a new washer. Tighten the spuds. - Remove all the Bolts and Gaskets
Your toilet tank would also be leaking because oxidation and debris. By removing all the bolts and gaskets and cleaning around the hole with a wire brush. To seat a gasket properly, it needs to sit on a clean surface. - Replace Tank
Once you finish cleaning and replacing washers tighten the bolts and nuts using the screwdriver and wrench. Make sure gaskets are well seated. Avoid over tightening the tank bolts to the toilet base as this can cause cracks or can break the tank. You should now have fixed your leaky toilet and you can test for water leaks by turning the water back on and flushing the toilet.
If you need help in fixing your toilet, feel free to give us a call at 804-641-6570!