Thursday, November 30, 2017

Brokedown Toilet

In rather gonzo news, I had to have a toilet replaced because a chunk broke off of it. And I didn’t do anything to abuse it.

I replaced the little rubber flap inside the toilet tank that controls the flushing because the old one disintegrated. If you haven’t had to do this, be thankful. It took a lot of scrubbing to get the black rubber gunk off my fingers. So I decided to replace the handle at the same time. It was held on by a hex nut inside the toilet tank. Using a monkey wrench, I gently turned it a sixth of a turn experimentally. To my great shock, a chunk of the toilet tank fell off.



As you can see, the upper left corner is gone. No, I didn’t hit it with the wrench, and I didn’t  crank on it really hard. It didn’t even make a cracking sound. It just fell off.



I stared at the chunk that came off for several seconds, stunned. I suppose experienced handymen would take it in stride, but I just gazed at the impossible.

I think that certain incompetent plumbers a year or two ago must have whacked it, but I have no way of proving that. I was actually thankful the chunk fell off while I was there and had the water to the toilet turned off. It’s hard to believe, but the bottom edge is above the waterline. But if things had been different and I hadn’t been home, it could have been a water disaster.

The thing was too old to just replace the toilet tank. So I had a reputable plumber replace the toilet and haul the old one away. All told, it cost a little over $700.00.


Needless to say, I learned a lot more about toilets than I ever wanted to. 

5 comments:

  1. Well that's what you get with a Mexican toilet. Indeed the overwhelming majority of basic toilets are made in Mexico and that crack was most likely due to a weak spot in the porcelain.

    At least you weren't sitting on it and have the bowl breakout from underneath. I've seen that.

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  2. You use the word "Indeed" while describing toilets? Pshaw.

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  3. A harrowing experience!
    I hope things are moving smoothly now.

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  4. I suggest in the name of decay and everything-wears-out-anyway that you just superglue it back together and forget about it.

    And you do have to be careful with the locking hex nut. A) I can't remember but they might be reverse threaded because the flushing motion will unscrew them, and B) there's a square lock nut (not threaded) that anchors the handle axle to the toilet (part that broke), and if you get hold of that with your wrench... (which I've done).

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  5. I just did a gentle one-sixth of a turn--in the reverse direction. I was very careful to watch what was happening. And then that corner just fell off.

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