Well, you shouldn't need to soak the connection to the shut off. Those don't
require much force to tighten or loosen.
Unfortunately, the other seal you need to replace will be a bit harder to get
apart.
You will need to empty the tank completely. Hold the flush valve until you
don't hear any more water running through the flapper valve. Then you'll need
to use a sponge to soak up the rest of the water in the tank. I just ring out
the sponge into the bowl.
There will be either 2 or 3 screws, depending on the model, holding the tank to
the bowl. Inside the tank there will be a screw head with a straight slot in
the head.
On the outside of the tank there will be a nut on each screw. They have to
come apart in order to separate the 2 pieces. When the unit is older, I
usually end up cutting the screws rather than fight with them. I take a hack
saw blade and wrap one end with some sort of heavy duty tape. My new favorite
is Gorilla tape, but any kind will work. It's only to protect your hand. Make
your cut in the area between the tank and the bowl unit.
Once the tank is loose, the seal you are talking about is on the bottom of the
tank. It fits over the end of the flapper valve assembly. So if you're going
to this much effort, might as well get a toilet rebuild kit. That comes with a
new flapper valve, the rubber washer that goes between the tank and the flapper
valve. A plastic nut holds the valve in place.
The kit will also have 2 screws, rubber washers for the screws, flat metal
washers that go on under the head of the screws, ahead of the rubber washers.
Then there will usually be a couple more flat metal washers, and nuts to go on
the screws.
I like to dry off the inside of the tank, and put silicone grease on the
washers before pushing the screw through the bottom of the tank. If you have
silicone sealer around, that works great for stopping any leaks through those
holes.
Finally the seal you are having trouble with goes on the threaded part of the
flapper valve and the tank can be set back where it came from. Tighten the
nuts on the screws, not real crazy tight, and you're done.
BTW, the supply line to the toilet won't fit the sink. Different size threads.
Now go grab your tools and show him who knows the most about toilet repairs!
----- Original Message -----
From: Betsy Whitney
To: blindhandyman-yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 6:16 PM
Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Loose toilet tank
Aloha all,
This is a bit of a long story, but I'm venting along the way.
Well, my first mistake was telling "he who knows everything" that I
was going to replace the supply-line valve on the toilet because it
was leaking. Not a big deal, just get the spare one out of the
storage room and replace it.
He wanted to be so helpful, so he went to the storage room and said,
"Gosh, there doesn't seem to be one. You must have used it on the
kitchen sink when you put the new faucet in and forgot to get another.
I knew we had purchased two for that job and there was another one,
but I had to go to another island the next day, so just shut the
water off to the toilet and decided to deal with it later. While I
was away, he went to the store and reported that there were so many
different ones, he didn't know what to buy. When I got back I found
the one we already had and he ran off to the bathroom to be the hero
and replace the valve. In the process, he managed to shove hard
enough on the tank that it broke the seal between the tank and the
bowl. He tried to convince me that it had been leaking from there all
the time as the water was running down between the tank and the bowl.
Yeah, right!!
So, I know nothing about that seal between the tank and the bowl. It
is an American Standard. I'm not sure how old it is, but I've been
here 12 years, and it was here awhile before I moved in. Any
suggestions are much appreciated. Oh, and by the way, he did not
manage to get the old valve off and it is soaking with liquid wrench.
fortunately, we have two bathrooms.
Betsy
Teamwork: Together we achieve the extraordinary.
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