Results for "main shutoff"

Supply Shutoff Medium 45–90 minutes 13 👍 0

Toilet Shutoff Valve Won't Turn Off? Here's Why

Found a slow drip coming from behind the toilet about a month ago — nothing alarming, just a little moisture on the floor that I chalked up to condensation. But it's gotten steadily worse, and now when I try to turn the angle-stop valve fully clockwise to cut the water supply, the flow barely slows down. It's not shutting off the way it should, and I can't tell if the valve is corroded, worn out, or something else entirely.

This is an older home with what looks like original plumbing, and I suspect the hard water here has been doing a number on everything over the years. I've tried cranking the handle as far right as it'll go, but the toilet tank keeps filling like the valve isn't even there. I'd like to figure out whether I can clean or repair the existing valve, or if I need to replace it altogether — and if so, what kind of replacement I should be looking at.…more

Read answer

Supply Shutoff Easy 5–10 minutes 10 👍 0

How to Shut Off Water to Just Your Toilet

During a conversation with a plumber who came out for a running toilet, he mentioned I'd need to shut off the main water supply to the house before doing anything. That seemed extreme to me — I've seen what looks like a small valve right behind the toilet near the floor, and I always assumed that was specifically for shutting off just the toilet without cutting water to the whole house. Am I wrong about that?

I'm trying to handle some of the simpler repairs myself now that I own this place, and I'd really like to understand how that little valve works and whether it's actually safe to rely on. The plumber made it sound like those valves are unreliable, but is that a reason to bypass it entirely, or is there a way to test it first?…more

Read answer

Tank Problems Easy 1–2 hours (plus drying time for foam liner adhesive) 9 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Tank Sweating? Causes & Fixes

Nobody can seem to give me a straight answer on this. My neighbor says it's a leak from the tank bolts, the guy at the hardware store told me I need some kind of anti-sweat valve, and every YouTube video I watched went in a completely different direction. All I know is that every summer morning I walk into the bathroom and the outside of my toilet tank is dripping wet — there's even a puddle forming on the floor around the base. At first I thought the toilet was leaking, but I wiped the tank dry and the water came back without even flushing it.

I've got an older home and the bathroom doesn't have great airflow. I'm not sure if that matters. Is this actually condensation, or could it be a slow leak I'm missing? And more importantly, what do I actually do about it — is this a serious problem or just annoying?…more

Read answer

Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–45 minutes 9 👍 0

Toilet Tank Not Filling? Here's Why & How to Fix It

Nobody wants to discover that their vacation home toilet is struggling to fill the tank — especially when you've just arrived and you're already dealing with a list of things to check on. My toilet is running through water like crazy trying to refill, or sometimes barely filling at all, and it's making the whole flush cycle take forever. I noticed it right when I got here this trip, and the tank just sits there making a hissing noise without ever reaching a normal water level.

I'm not sure if it's something that happened while the house was sitting empty or if it's been a gradual thing I missed on my last visit. Either way, the toilet is burning through refill attempts and either running constantly or just not completing the fill cycle at all. Would love to know what's going on and how to keep it from happening again.…more

Read answer

Bidets Washlets Easy 30–45 minutes 6 👍 0

Bidet Leaking at Supply Connection? Here's the Fix

Nobody in my house ever dealt with plumbing drama until we installed a bidet seat last month — and now there's a steady drip coming from where the hose connects to the water supply. My neighbor put in the same type of add-on bidet years ago and swears she's never had a single problem with it. Meanwhile, I'm mopping up under the toilet every other day and wondering what I'm doing wrong.

The leak seems to be right at the T-valve fitting where it meets the shutoff valve. I hand-tightened everything during install and then gave it an extra turn with pliers like the instructions said, but water just keeps seeping out. Could it be the angle of the connection, the water pressure in our house, or is this something that needs a replacement part?

We have two kids and the bathroom gets heavy use, so I'd really love to fix this properly rather than just slapping a towel down and ignoring it. Hoping someone can walk me through what's actually going wrong and how to sort it out for good.…more

Read answer

Bidets Washlets Easy 1–3 hours depending on seat type 13 👍 0

How to Connect a Bidet to Your Toilet Water Supply

During my Saturday morning planning session, I realized this would be the perfect weekend to finally install the bidet attachment I've had sitting in its box for two months. My bathroom has a standard toilet with the shutoff valve accessible behind it, and the bidet kit came with what looks like a T-shaped fitting and two hoses — but I want to make sure I understand the connection sequence before I start turning things off and pulling apart my water supply line.

I'm comfortable with basic home repairs, but plumbing always makes me a little nervous about leaks. I'd love to know exactly what order to connect everything, whether I need any extra materials like Teflon tape, and what to watch for once I turn the water back on. I'm planning to do this solo, so knowing the full picture ahead of time would really help me feel confident going in.…more

Read answer

Fill Flush Valves Easy 45–60 minutes 24 👍 0

How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve (Step-by-Step)

Found that my toilet tank starts making a constant trickling sound whenever the temperature outside climbs above about 85°F — during cooler months it works perfectly fine. I popped the lid off the tank and it looks like the fill valve is the culprit, maybe warped or worn from the heat cycling, because water just keeps creeping past it. The toilet is about eight or nine years old, two-piece, standard builder-grade setup.

I've never swapped out a fill valve before and I want to make sure I do it right the first time without cracking anything or ending up with a leak under the tank. What's the correct process for pulling the old valve and getting a new one seated and adjusted properly?…more

Read answer

Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 9 👍 0

Water Around Toilet Base? Here's Why & How to Fix It

My maintenance team flagged a water issue at one of the units — there's a small but persistent puddle forming around the base of the toilet, and I'm trying to narrow down the cause before I send someone in to fix it. The building's maintenance guide says the toilet was recently reseated with a new wax ring, so that should rule out a failed seal — but the water keeps coming back regardless.

What's throwing me off is that the manual points to the wax ring as the default culprit for base leaks, yet I'm not sure that's actually what's happening here given the recent work. I need to figure out whether we're dealing with a condensation issue, a loose connection somewhere, or something else entirely before authorizing a full toilet pull.…more

Read answer

Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–60 minutes depending on the cause 17 👍 0

Toilet Won't Flush? Diagnose & Fix It Fast

During my weekend home inspection walkthrough, I noticed the toilet in our main bathroom has basically stopped flushing properly — you press the handle and almost nothing happens, or it flushes so weakly that stuff doesn't go down. Before I run out and buy a bunch of replacement parts or call a plumber, I want to understand what's actually going on inside the tank. Is this usually a cheap DIY fix, or am I looking at something more serious? I'm handy enough to swap out basic parts but I've never dug into toilet internals before.…more

Read answer

Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 17 👍 0

Water Leaking Around Toilet Base? Here's Why

During my first week settling into this rental, I noticed water collecting around the bottom of the toilet. I've never dealt with this before and honestly wasn't sure if it was just condensation or something more serious. The floor around the base is consistently damp, and it seems to get worse after flushing. Is this a wax ring issue, or could it be something simpler? I don't want to panic my landlord over nothing, but I also don't want to ignore something that could cause real damage.…more

Read answer

Bidets Washlets Easy 30–60 minutes 14 👍 0

How to Install a Bidet on an Existing Toilet

Three days of heavy rain last week had me stuck indoors with nothing to do but finally research something I've been putting off — adding a bidet to the main bathroom. My house is older and the bathroom fixtures are original, so I'm a little nervous about making changes without breaking something. I've watched a few videos and it looks manageable, but I want to make sure I understand the full process before I start disconnecting things.

I have an older-style toilet with a standard shut-off valve on the wall behind it. Is there anything I should know before buying a bidet attachment or seat? I don't know whether to go with a simple spray attachment or an electric washlet-style seat, and I'm not sure if my setup will handle either type. Any guidance on the steps involved and what to expect would be really appreciated.…more

Read answer

Product Ranking 6 compared

Wax Ring vs Waxless Toilet Seal

4.4 (5,833 reviews)

Wax Ring Flange Medium 2–3 hours 8 👍 0

How to Fix a Broken Toilet Flange (DIY Guide)

My toilet has been rocking slightly and leaking at the base ever since the moving crew repositioned it when we had new flooring put down in the bathroom last month. I pulled the toilet myself to take a look and found the flange is cracked on one side — one of the bolt slots is completely broken off. The pipe below looks fine, so I don't think I need to replace the whole drain, but the flange itself is clearly damaged. Is this something I can repair with a repair ring, or do I need to swap the whole flange out? I'd rather avoid calling a plumber if this is a manageable DIY fix.…more

Read answer

Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–60 minutes 8 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Flushing Slowly and Weakly?

Nobody warned me how frustrating it would be to tackle what looked like a simple toilet fix, only to have the problem linger. Replaced the flapper yesterday after reading it was the likely culprit for a sluggish flush, but the bowl still barely clears when I hit the handle — water kind of drifts around rather than pulling everything down with any real force.

The toilet is in my condo's main bathroom and has been here since I moved in. It's a standard two-piece unit, nothing fancy. I adjusted the water level in the tank while I was in there and it looks full to the marked line, so I'm not sure what else to check. Could there be something else going on that I overlooked, or is a weak flush always a sign of a bigger issue?…more

Read answer

Install Replace Medium 1–2 hours 13 👍 0

How to Remove an Old Toilet: DIY vs. Pro Guide

Three of my rental units need their aging toilets swapped out, and I'm standing in the plumbing aisle of the hardware store trying to figure out exactly what I need to buy before I start pulling them. I've got a handyman coming to do the actual installs, but I want to have everything on hand and understand the process so I'm not caught off guard if something goes sideways — like a rusted bolt or a cracked flange.

What tools should I have ready, what replacement parts should I grab at the same time, and are there any points in the removal where a landlord really should just step back and call a licensed plumber instead of pushing through? I'd rather know ahead of time what a 'stop and call someone' situation looks like than find out mid-job.…more

Read answer

Fill Flush Valves Easy 30–60 minutes 11 👍 0

Toilet Hissing After Flushing? Here's Why

Nobody ever told me how many weird sounds a toilet could make — I just assumed they flushed and that was it. But ours has started making this soft, almost constant hissing noise after every flush, and it seems to go on for a while before it finally stops. I can hear it from the hallway, which feels embarrassing when we have guests over.

I'm probably missing something super obvious here, but I genuinely have no idea if this is a water pressure thing, an air thing, or just the toilet being old. The house is a few years old and I don't think the toilet has ever been serviced. Is this something I should be worried about, or is it just a minor annoyance I can fix myself?…more

Read answer

Loading more Q&A...

You've seen all 19 Q&A articles!