You guys might remember the trouble my toilet was giving me earlier. Well, I finally had it all fixed and working well until just a few minutes ago. The tank just cracked all down one side, but it’s still together. However, it leaked a large amount of water on the floor. So I called my landlady and she told me just to go get a new tank and get it installed and we’ll settle it up later. However, I can tell this isn’t the first time this is happened with this tank, because the other side has a bunch of caulking where another crack must be. The caulk seems to have held on that side, as I haven’t noticed any leakage from the tank. So I’m asking for a quick bit of advice before I go to Home Depot. Should I just get the new tank or can I fix the one I’ve got by caulking up the other side?
Why would you even question this? Get the tank. If they don’t have the right tank, get a new toilet.
You have the results of a cheap and ill-advised experiment right in front of you and you want to know whether you should do the exact same thing again?
Hire a plumber. It sounds like your landlady is using you as free labor, plus you’re not sure how to do the job.
Sounds like your toilet is pretty old. I doubt your going to have much luck finding a tank that fits properly. I’d suggest that you get a whole new unit. Do you know how to install a new one? If you go to one of the home improvement centers they should be able to sell you everything you need and explain, or give you a pamphlet telling how to do it properly.
One thing you might check is the distance from the wall, behind the tank, to the center of the drain pipe, it should be 12 inches,. Also the inside diameter of the drain pipe should be 4 inches. Those are standard, but on a rare occasion you may find some odd size and you would need to know that if it exists.
I’d also recheck w/ the landlady, telling her how much it cost before you lay out the money. Just so she can’t come back later and say she didn’t expect to pay that much.
No, the problem earlier was that I had a leaky flapper. The crack is on the other side of the tank from where it has already been patched once. As I said, that has held for as long as I’ve been here and presumably rather longer than that.
And I know how to replace a tank. Heck, I know how to replace the entire toilet, I just don’t want to try it by myself. That wax ring can be a pain to deal with.
Tell the landlady that you’re not sure of what you’re doing and it might be cheaper in the long run to have a plumber do the job.
If I can’t find a tank with the right dimensions, I’m going to do just that and suggest that the entire toilet should probably be replaced. By any chance, do the numbers 2-9-25-74 imprinted on the inside of the tank have any meaning for you?
Sorry, probably some kind of mold ID. I really think it would be smarter to replace the whole unit, they aren’t that expensive unless you get some fancy model.
Q: Is your toilet an old large gallonage flush unit? If so, you’re stuck as the water saver laws prohibit sale of replacement tanks for the old units by plumbing wholesalers. If it’s a newer low gallonage unit, then a tank can almost certainly be had. All you’d need to do is match up the manufacturer (Kohler, A/S, Eljer, etc.) and figure out the model. That’s where the mold numbers inside the tank can be most helpful. A fits-all replacement tank is made by Geberit-two or three bolts and a close-coupling washer along with the water inlet are all you need to futz with. If it is an old tank and you’d like to salvage it, I’d first put a few wraps of duct tape around the outside to hold parts together. Remove the tank, clean the inside area where the crack is located of all crud, dry well, and then apply a layer of fiberglass liquid or gel over reinforcing cloth-these kits can be had at any auto parts store. You’ll be back in business for under $15. Good luck.
Honestly, I’m not sure. It flushes like a large gallonage and I don’t think it’s got pressure-assist or anything like that. Will swapping the tank, assuming I can get it to fit, cause problems with emptying the bowl?
I’ll give you method a shot if the silicone doesn’t seal it up tight. And then I’ll call my landlord and recommend that her plumber put in an entirely new toilet ASAP. I’m just not up to a complete toilet install, even with help.
putty knife and wear latex [surgical] gloves. Honestly, that is how I did it. Putty knife for most of it and when fingers became the tool of choice, gloves kept the nasty crap off my hands. My problem with replacing toilet is my seriously bad back so i had to have someone else lift the old one off and put the new one in place, but i did the non-grunt work myself.
Your landlady can buy a new basic toilet for $50-100 or so. It’s not worth mucking around trying to patch a cracked tank. It’s cracked on one side already, and has a new crack on the other side. Sooner, rather than later, those two cracks are going to meet, and the whole thing will split into two halves. Searching for a replacement tank, or at least one that will fit the existing bowl is also a fool’s errand.
Try not to let her buy a $50 toilet as you’ll need a matching $50 plunger. Aim for the $100 area and you’ll have a toilet that should give years of problem-free service and is less likely to clog.