Results for "toilet shutoff valve"

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

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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

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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

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Supply Shutoff Easy 30–45 minutes 11 👍 0

Why Is My Toilet Supply Line Leaking?

Looked under the tank this morning and spotted a slow drip coming from the supply line — there's already a small puddle forming on the floor. Got my tools out and I'm ready to tackle this myself, I just want to make sure I understand what's actually causing it before I start swapping parts. The line doesn't look obviously cracked, so I'm not sure if it's the fittings, the washers, or the line itself that's the problem. Is this something I can diagnose and fix on my own, or are there situations where I'd need to call someone in?…more

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 2–3 hours 8 👍 0

How to Reseat a Toilet After It Leaks

Three days ago my wife pointed out a faint wet ring forming around the bottom of the toilet in unit 2, and now that I'm looking at it closely I can't stop thinking about the damage it could be doing to the subfloor. Guests are checking in this weekend, so I need to sort this out fast. I've mopped it up twice and it keeps coming back, especially right after the toilet is flushed.

I've heard the fix involves pulling the toilet and replacing something called a wax ring, but I want to make sure that's actually the right diagnosis before I tear everything apart. Is reseating the toilet the right move here, and if so, what's the full process? Want to make sure I do this properly and don't leave guests with a bigger problem than when I started.…more

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Install Replace Medium 2–4 hours (including removal and cleanup) 13 👍 0

How to Install a New Toilet: Step-by-Step Guide

My apartment's toilet has to be at least 15 or 20 years old at this point, and it's starting to show its age in a big way — the handle keeps sticking, the flapper goes constantly, and I've noticed some discoloration at the base that worries me. My landlord has given me the green light to swap it out myself if I want to handle it, and honestly I'd rather just have a fresh, efficient unit in there.

I've never pulled and set a toilet before, but I'm reasonably handy and I want to understand what I'm getting into. Are there different ways to approach this job, and what are the main things I should know before I start? I'd hate to get halfway through and realize I'm in over my head.…more

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 1.5–2 hours 18 👍 0

How to Replace a Toilet Wax Ring (Step-by-Step)

Nobody wants to walk into the bathroom and catch that unmistakable sewer-gas smell drifting up from around the base of the toilet. Mine has been giving off a faint but definite odor, and when I kneel down close to the floor I can feel a slight dampness on the tile right after a flush — not a puddle, just a hint of moisture. The toilet rocks ever so slightly when I sit on it, which makes me think the seal underneath has finally given out.

I've owned the house about five years and this toilet was here before I moved in, so I have no idea when the wax ring was last touched. I'd like to tackle this myself on a weekend if it's a reasonable DIY job. What's the best approach for replacing the wax ring, what parts should I grab, and are there any traps I should watch out for before I commit to pulling the whole toilet?…more

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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

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Wax Ring Flange Medium 2–3 hours including drying time 9 👍 0

Toilet Leaking From the Bottom? Here's Why

Looked under the bathroom vanity the other day and noticed a small puddle spreading across the tile right at the foot of the toilet. Now that I'm paying attention, there seem to be three things wrong at the same time: water pooling at the base after every flush, a slight rocking motion when I sit down, AND a faint sewer smell that wasn't there before. My small bathroom already feels cramped, so having a wet floor on top of everything else is driving me crazy.

I've blotted the water dry a couple of times and it keeps coming back — always seems to show up right after someone flushes, not just randomly throughout the day. The toilet itself is several years old and I can't remember it ever being serviced. Not sure if all three symptoms are connected or if I'm dealing with multiple separate issues.…more

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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

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Running Toilet Easy 30 minutes 8 👍 0

Why Does My Toilet Keep Filling With Water?

Found myself staring at a toilet that won't stop cycling on and off after all that heavy rain we had last week — the tank fills up, I hear it click off, and then a few minutes later it kicks back on again like it's topping itself up. My house is older, probably original plumbing from the late 70s, so I wasn't sure if the wet weather had something to do with it or if something finally gave out inside the tank. It's been doing this around the clock, and I can hear it from the hallway at night.

I haven't touched the toilet at all, and nothing looks obviously broken when I lift the lid. The water level seems normal, but the fill valve just keeps cycling. Is this something I can sort out myself, or am I looking at a bigger problem?…more

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Wax Ring vs Waxless Toilet Seal

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Leaks Base Floor Medium 30–90 minutes depending on cause 16 👍 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

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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

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Tank Problems Medium 1–3 hours (tank swap, once parts are sourced) 8 👍 0

Cracked Toilet Tank: Repair or Replace?

Looked under the lid of our toilet tank the other day while chasing down a slow drip, and sure enough there's a visible crack running along the inside wall. Now I'm trying to decide between attempting some kind of repair versus just swapping out the tank entirely — or maybe even replacing the whole toilet. We have two kids and this is the busiest bathroom in the house, so I don't want to be without it for long, but I also don't want to slap a band-aid on something that's going to fail on me in a few months.

I'm not totally clear on what causes these cracks in the first place — is it age, water pressure, something I did wrong? And honestly, I'm not sure if a DIY repair is even a realistic option or if it just delays the inevitable. Would love to understand what I'm actually dealing with before I drag my family to the hardware store.…more

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Running Toilet Easy 30–60 minutes 9 👍 0

How to Stop a Running Toilet for Good

Three times now I've come home to that maddening hissing sound coming from the bathroom, and I'm completely over it. It's the same toilet in the main bath, and every time I jiggle the handle it stops for a while — but within a few days the running starts up again. I replaced the flapper myself last month thinking that would fix it for good, but here we are.

As a first-time homeowner I'm trying to handle as much of this myself as possible, but I honestly don't know if I'm just buying the wrong parts or if there's a bigger issue hiding inside the tank. The toilet is probably original to the house, so it's not brand new. Is there a systematic way to actually diagnose what's causing this so I can fix it once and for all instead of slapping a bandage on it every few weeks?…more

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