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

[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.