Took me 4 hours to fix a toilet flapper that should have been 20 minutes

Walked into the hardware store thinking I just needed a $8 flapper kit for my toilet. Got home, took the old one off, and that's when I saw the fill valve was completely corroded underneath. Ran back to the store for a new fill valve, then realized the water shutoff valve was seized and had to replace that too. By the time I had everything working I was scrubbing mineral deposits off the tank walls at 9 PM. Has anyone else had a 'simple' home repair turn into a whole weekend project?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley_jones25d ago

That 'simple home repair' line got me good. My rule now is to replace the shutoff valve AND the supply line whenever I touch a toilet, even if they look fine. Saves you a second trip and a lot of swearing when the old one crumbles in your hand.

jenny4725d ago

Wesley's right about that. Last time I swapped a toilet flapper, I figured I'd just do that one thing. Three hours later I was at the hardware store buying a new wax ring, a flex hose, and a shutoff valve because the old one started leaking when I barely touched it. Now I just buy the whole rebuild kit upfront and plan for a half day project no matter what. Have you ever had one of those jobs where the valve handle snaps off in your hand clean?

robin62825d ago

See it different @wesley_jones. Those old shutoff valves and supply lines are built like tanks compared to the cheap plastic junk they sell now. Keep the brass valve if it still works right, just replace the rubber washer and you'll save yourself ten bucks and an hour of messing with pipe threads.