Question: An unnamed person who lives in my house (rhymes with “house”) says that the toilet seat and toilet tank are for personal use and that the toilet can be leaned against the back of a chair. During discussions with this person, I mentioned that the bolts holding the tank to the bowl were not strong enough to allow it to recline like a standard chair. Smart Tim, what do you say? Do you regularly resolve these delicate disputes between cohabitants? —Donn R., Shelby Township, Michigan
Answer: I live in New Hampshire and rats are just as common indoors in the winter as they are outside in the snow. However, I never knew anyone to use the toilet. Oh wait, Tang En isn’t talking about mice! Frankly, I resolve disputes – or should I say heated discussions? — Two people living under the same roof have sex at least once a month.
I have been working as a master plumber since I was 29 years old. I’ve installed more toilets than I can remember. Traditional toilets used to have just two brass bolts connecting them to the toilet. A few years ago, one manufacturer decided that this wasn’t enough and came up with a three-bolt design. The third bolt adds a lot of strength.
The bolts in both designs are very strong and will definitely not break if someone sits on the toilet and leans against the tank. The problem is the rubber o-ring around the bolt. If you move the tank too far back, it is possible that a leak will develop between the toilet tank and the toilet.
This is more likely to happen as the toilet ages and the rubber o-ring becomes less flexible. I’m sure you’ve seen rubber that becomes brittle over time. You don’t want the rubber O-ring to stay soft indefinitely. You want something to happen that you can’t control, like the weather or a volcanic eruption.
A plumber can install a toilet so that the tank sits flush against the wall, but this requires careful planning. Moreover, if the tank is against a wall, a tank lid may not be suitable because the lid is larger than the tank and often has an overhanging back edge.
It is easy to remain calm in such situations. While your leaning roommate is drinking coffee with friends or shopping for groceries, you can glue wood spacers between the back of the toilet tank and the wall behind the tank.
You can perform this simple fix using a paint stir stick, regular tapered wood spacers, and construction adhesive in a standard tube of caulk. The main thing to remember is to make sure the gasket is about 1/2 inch below the top edge of the tank so that when you put the tank cap back on, it doesn’t touch the gasket.
Question: Tim, I love all the videos on your Ask the Builder site. I just moved into an old, shabby apartment that the landlord was slow to renovate. Can you help me fix a closet door that always closes automatically without using the door stop? The door rubs against the frame in the upper corners. How can I solve this problem? Finally, the bathroom sink slowly emptied. Is there a quick way to find out if it’s blocked by something? Thank you very much. — Nancy P., Nashville
A: These annoying problems can occur in homes, apartments and apartments regardless of age. There was a ghost door in my master bathroom that wanted to close on its own, and she obediently let me know that it needed to be fixed. Although I don’t understand why I need to be reminded every six months!
Self-closing doors are perhaps the easiest problem to solve. I’ve had great success just by bending one of the door hinge pins. The bending of the pin creates enough additional friction to overcome gravity, allowing the door to close without your help.
I prefer to bend the top hinge pin. Open the door halfway and slide a folded magazine or thin cardboard under the very bottom of the door handle. This will hold the door in place when you remove the top hinge.
Sometimes the hinge has a hole at the bottom that a large nail can be inserted into to allow the pin to move upward. After removing the hinge pin, take it to a concrete surface and lay it on its side. Strike the center with moderate force to slightly bend the steel shaft. Put the pins back in and let’s get to work preventing the door from rubbing.
Friction at the top of the door frame is usually caused by loose top door hinge screws. Open the door to access the hinge screws and tighten them. It would be great if it worked. If not, you may have to install the hinge plate deeper into the groove. This will require the use of a wood chisel and good hand-eye coordination. Also, leave it up to the homeowner because it’s his door, not yours.
Slow-draining sinks are also easy to fix. If your sink has a standard pull-out drain, a small tip that moves the plug up and down is great for catching hair and other dirt. You can buy long plastic strips that catch the hair and pull it out of the gutter. You can also unscrew the nut on the back of the shank, remove the lever that lifts the plug, and remove any obstructions. This can be done in less than two minutes. Watch the video on my website to learn how to do this.if you need more rubber special parts ,please free to contact us:https://www.bodiseals.com/rubber-special-parts-customized-rubber-products-plastic-parts-product/
Post time: Sep-15-2023