Topic: What should I expect to have to buy to repair my toilet?

[duh]

The lever that attaches to the back of the toliet handle broke.  Can I just buy that one piece or am I going to have to buy the entire thing?  I'm trying to go already knowning what I need so I don't get gouged.  Can anyone help?

[Wrennie]

You mean like the brass part shown here? I believe this is usually sold as 1 item.

[Jayrod1972]

I do know wal mart sells the kit the only down fall is if I can remember is the chain/ linkage does not come in the kit. I had to replace mine about a year ago, just make sure you got a pair of pliers big enough to get the nut off from the handle. If you want to fix it cheaper than that try super glue or J B Weld< 4 minute>. Might wanna go ahead and the change the plunger/ stopper flap depending on how old it is... another usefull tip is to help pervent stopper from leaking is pouring a cup full of bleach in the tank, this helps prevent yucky build up around the flap and keeps the tank from turning colors, and also keeps the bowl holes clean from the same build up, once every few months should work.

[bestofour]

I just called and asked Johnny, who is a plumber, and he said it is all one piece.  Guess I should say exactly what he said.  He said tell a person at Lowe's or Home Depot what you want and they should direct you to what you need.  He did say you can use your old handle if you like it by just unscrewing it from the lever.

[Jayrod1972]

Cool beans, I wish here you could just buy the handle. Eveywhere I go its a kit, either its the handle with everything you dont need or its the handle and no hardware comes with it, so you gotta spend more money to buy hardware. Then sometimes after you buy the handle and everything, the chain or plastic linkage wont work with it, then the aggeravation sets in... I have done some engineering on one toilet, I got some speakerwire and tied it to the flap and hung the wire outide the tank... redneck style.   

[duh]

i got one that is all metal.  I'm so tired of plastic.  Now I just have to feel well enough to get out to the shed and find the adjustable wrench.  Then I'll have this little sucker fixed.

I definitely need to do the bleach thing.  I've been thinking about getting one of those cakes to hang inside the tank.

[bestofour]

What I do, duh, which my husband has told me not too but it works, is pour bleach into the tank and into the bowl.  I swish it around in the bowl a little bit and let it sit and the bowl is sparkling AND the next time it's flushed it gets more bleach.  I've been doing it all my adult life and if there's been a problem caused by it I've never heard of it.  Both my girls do the bleach thing once in a while too.

[duh]

The thing about bleach is that it rots some forms of plastic so they disintergrate.  You must be getting just the right amount mixed in with the water. 

My problem now is that when I flush the toliet the handle gets stuck in the down position.  Do I need WD40, or to loosen the nut, or look for a burr, or maybe glue a fishing weight on the end of the lever to give it more weight?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

[bestofour]

Johnny said you've probably tightened it too tight.  One of ours did that and he loosened it and it doesn't anymore.  BUT, another of ours does it all the time and he's going to change the handle.  It doesn't do it all the time so he can't figure out what the deal is.

[duh]

I moved the chain to a different hole in the lever and now it has stopped getting stuck.  Isn't that weird?  But I'm happy the problem is solved.

[Skhilled]

The different holes will adjust the time it takes for the flapper to drop and stop the water from running into the bowl. If your toilet is running constantly or takes too long to stop running then you'll need to adjust this or shorten the length of the chain.

[duh]

Thanks skhilled.  I have a lot to learn about home ownership.