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How To Replace A Toilet Wax Ring

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Most homeowners probably are unaware that there is a wax ring that is smushed between the toilet and the floor that needs to be replaced every once in a while. This task is not a part of your scheduled home maintenance. It is typically only replaced during certain occurrences or problems. In other words, leave it if works!

How to replace the toilet wax ringReasons to Replace

There are four main reasons why a ring needs to be replaced:

  • Toilets needs to be moved – regardless if you are replacing the toilet or simply moving it temporarily, you will need to install a new wax ring.
  • Leak at the base – routinely inspect the base of the toilet for leaks. Often times the leak will be indicated by wet grout, not pooling water.
  • Rocking toilet – a toilet that rocks back and forth is annoying. Most likely this wax has been worn down to the flange leaving the toilet base adjacent to a hard surface.
  • Sewer gas smell – the swerve in all drains (e.g. p-trap) is not just there to save jewelery from being. It is there to trap a little bit of water in order to block noxious sewer gases from entering the home. If you smell these gases on a regular basis, you guessed it, replace the toilet wax ring.

Amazing Antique Toilets For A Unique Look

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Antique toilet for unique home decorAntique Toilets for Home Decor

Ever thought about replacing an appliance with antique? Probably not. For washers, dryers, refrigerators, and most other appliances going old school would be a big downgrade in quality and aesthetics. However, since the modern toilet was invented there have be relatively few changes from what are now considered antique toilets. With some updates to the internals in the tank toilet maintenance will be no more of a burden than a modern counterpart. And these parts are relatively cheap and easy to install. Just make sure there are no slow leaks that can result in wasted water or damage to wood.

Keys Aspects of Antique Toilets

Water Tank

The first noticeable difference for older antique toilets is the water tank. It is rarely mated flush with the porcelain base. Most cases there is a brass or copper connection between the tank and the base. Even older toilets have wall-mounted tanks. This setup will require more work to install since the tank and base are mounted separately.

Who Invented the Toilet?

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It’s hard to imagine our lives today without the convenience of a toilets. These simple devices make disposing of waste easy and keep your home far more sanitary.

toilet maintenance and cleaningSo Who Invented the Toilet?

With the more appropriate last name, Thomas Crapper is widely thought to be the inventor of the toilet. He filed many patents in the late 1800’s and brought the device to the general public. However, Sir John Harington should be given the credit for inventing the toilet. Thomas Crapper did a great job of promoting the toilet and adding tweaks to improve its performance (e.g. the floating ballcock to prevent overfilling and running toilets), but Harington’s water closet, described in A New Discourse of a Stale Subject, Called the Metamorphosis of Ajax, deserves the credit.

Harington’s invention was the first appearance of the flush toilet. The toilet was activated by a rudimentary valve that released water from a holding tank above the bowl. The waste was flushed into a collection vault below. No sewer systems existed at the time so the waste would collect in this vault and need to be emptied from time to time.

By the time Crapper came upon the scene several improvements had already been added. The most significant improvements were the s-curve, chain operated flush, and siphon flushing system. The s-curve piping helped keep out noxious gases from below using trapped water. The siphon flushing systems improved the effectiveness of removing waste.

Toilet Maintenance and Inspection

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toilet maintenance and cleaningToilets are very robust devices that can last a long time in your home with proper maintenance. The process for flushing a toilet is simple. The water tank fills up with water from a supply hose coming out of the wall. As soon as the tank reaches the proper level the floating ballcock shuts off the water. If the water level gets too high, the extra fluid drops down the overflow tube into the bowl. To flush the toilet the handle on the tank is pulled down, which opens a rubber flapper to release all the water. The water flows down into the rim and out siphon jets into the bowl. Differences in water height create the flushing action.

Preventing Problems

Rarely does a toilet clog without reason. Avoid flushing any material down the toilet that isn’t intended for use to prevent a clog. Objects that commonly cause problems are feminine products, sanitary napkins, and paper towels. If you do need to fix a clog, use a plunger to dislodge the blockage. The next line of action would be to use a wire hanger to poke at the clog and follow up with the plunger.

Toilet Leak Test

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Toilet Energy Efficiency

Running toilets are a common problem in all homes. The sound is irritating but even more is the added costs from wasted energy. Even a slow leak can add up to large amounts of wasted water quickly. To make matters worse, a lot of leaks go undetected in homes because the water flow is very small.

The good news is toilet leaks are easy to detect. All you need is a trick up your sleeve and a little time. The repairs are also very cheap and easy to perform for DIY types. [Read more…] about Toilet Leak Test