help me fix my toilet

[rm]

It won't flush. According to the diagram here (http://www.hometips.com/hyhw/plumbing/88toilet.html) and our inspection of the thing the line from the trip lever to the flapper or seat ball, which in this diagram is shown as two things hooked together in our toilet was just a long plastic strip that has now snapped off.

I don't trust the management company to deal with this in a timely way, and I clearly need to get more than just the line as I need a new flapper since the line broke off the flapper. But I can't figure out how many parts I need to buy or how to unconnect and connect things.

Um, so what do I buy? How do I do this? Should I just call a plummber? I don't need a new toilet do I?

ETA: if I pull up the flapper manually, it does work.

Comments

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

If you pull the flapper up manually, does it still flush?

[rm.livejournal.com]

No idea. What do I do? just pull it up or do I have to do some other stuff too?

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

...sorry, I haven't slept yet tonight, will try to be coherent.

What should happen when you push down on the handle, is a lever pulls up on a chain, string, or wire which voes from the flush lever to the flapper falve, opening it. You should be able to just reach in (the water's theoretically clean but rubber gloves never hurt) and gently lift the flapper.

You may need to replace the flapper, but the most common problem is that the connecting "chain" has come undone between the flush lever and the flapper. If you can't re-connect the existing part, you may be able to temporarily fake it with string, ball chain, paper clips or whatever you have handy.

The flapper shouldn't need replacing unless it looks really damaged.

Best of luck. If this fails, take lots of pictures and take the pictures to your nearest hardware store with helpful clerks and throw yourself on their mercy.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup. So that's good. But I'm still at a loss.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

Most of that stuff is replaceable as a kit. I know this sounds funny, but take a picture of it and take it to ye olde hardware store and say you need a replacement for the innards - show them the pic and there you go. I've had to replace those assemblies before. It's not all that diffucult - you could replace the piece of plastic that runs between the trip lever and the flapper with fishing line ( any sporting goods dept. at a K-Mart or what have you ) as a temporary fix.

[sociallyawkrd.livejournal.com]

They sell the kits. That is what I recommend.

[dacuteturtle.livejournal.com]

The kits are easy. Me and my wife swapped all our toilet guts in 1/2 hour. That was with me taking time to show my wife how everything fit together.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

The pieces should all come apart so turn off the water to the toilet (little silver knob under the tank, on that thin water line) and do so. Also take out anything that looks like it might break in the near future. Take them in a nice little baggie to the nearest Home Depot and make sure you get exactly what you need. You'll probably only need to adjust the length of the strip from the pull to the flapper, the rest should go into place easily enough.

Taking it apart and taking it in is the best way to avoid raging frustration and multiple trips.

[mobobocita.livejournal.com]

Kits are the simple way to go. Any local hardware kind of store should have them.

[phaenix-ash.livejournal.com]

i agree, definitely get a kit!

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

a kit will also probably, but not necessarily, require you to have maybe a couple of pliers.

However, from what you describe, possible a long zip tie (also plastic) will do in a pinch. Sometimes those units also use a little snap chain. You might inspect the lever and the flapper to insure the mounts are still intact, sometimes they wear and break which would require a new kit.

Kits are not expensive either. Taking a pic of what you have to a hardware store is a great suggestion for that. Ultimately, they are fairly simple devices but sometimes you don't have a lot of room to work, that will likely be the biggest obstacle.

good luck! and no, you shouldn't have to call a plumber for this unless you just really don't want to get really up close and personal with your toilet.

[rm.livejournal.com]

sometimes they wear and break which would require a new kit.

bing bing bing

[melebeth]

It's not a hard fix but just to second what someone said above... BRING THE BROKEN PART WITH YOU. Having relied on my brain in the past to get "something that matches,"I know it's very easy to end up with the wrong part when you get home... leaving you even more frustrated than you began with.

[ekatarina.livejournal.com]

This happened to me a while back. I got a new flapper and string thing and installed it myself. Turn off the water at the base and all that.

Note: Be prepared to adjust the string length. I had it too long and it wouldn't hold the flapper up long enough. I slowly shortened it until it was just about perfect.

Also warning, no matter what time of year it is, that water will likely be very very cold.

Best of luck, I have great faith in you.

Ekatarina

[(Anonymous)]

So you have no way to connect a piece of string between the flapper and the handle/lever piece because something broke off the flapper. So you need something like an alligator clamp you can tie a string onto that will grab onto the flapper temporarily and connect at the right length to the lever until you get a kit. Maybe nipple clamps and a twist tie to control the length? String and clothes pins? Something like that which won't rust before you get to the store.

[vondow.livejournal.com]

Ooops, seems I had gotten logged out.