Three Common Repairs In The Bathroom
The bathroom of the home, because of its constant use, will sometimes require some basic repairs.
The toilet fill valve will usually need replacing every three to five years, as the parts breakdown from the chemicals and sediments in the water creating "fill valve run-on", a condition where the valve continues to dispense water even though the toilet tank is full.
If you have hard water, the minerals in the water, such as calcium and lime will deteriorate the flapper, causing water to leak from the tank into the toilet. A showerhead will, over time, become clogged with minerals and sediment and cease to operate properly, resulting in loss of pressure and erratic spray.
All three of these problems are easy to correct and can be accomplished by the nonprofessional.
Replace Toilet Fill Valve
1. Purchase a new "Fluidmaster"' toilet fill valve at your home improvement center. I have found the "Fluidmaster" toilet fill valve to be the most durable when compared to other brands.
2. Turn off wat er supply to the toilet.
3. Flush toilet, holding down the handle, to let the tank empty of water. Use a sponge to mop up the remaining water in the tank.
4. Disconnect water supply hose (pipe) from the base of the fill valve using an adjustable wrench.
5. Disconnect rubber hose from overflow tube.
6. Unscrew the lock nut that holds the base of the fill valve to the tank, using adjustable wrench, remove old fill valve.
7. Install new toilet fill valve according to manufacturer's instructions
8. Adjust valve height, so the top of valve is higher than overflow tube, but lower than the rim of the tank.
9. Place new fill valve in position, hold down firmly and hand-tighten locknut at bottom of fill valve, then using adjustable wrench tighten another ½ turn, cut new rubber hose (provided) to proper length, attach one end to top of fill valve and clip the other end into the overflow tube.
10. Reattach water supply to fill valve, turn on water, adjust water level in tank by pinching the metal clip attached to float, move up or down to achieve desired tank water level.
Replace a Toilet Flapper
1. Turn off water supply to toilet tank, flush, holding down the handle to remove all water from tank, use a sponge to soak up remaining water in tank.
2. Remove old flapper from the wings on the overflow tube, disconnect flapper chain from flush handle lever.
3. Take old flapper to your home improvement center and buy a flapper that is similar in width and attachment hole placements.
4. Clean the rim where the flapper meets the toilet fill hole with a scouring pad or steel wool to remove any sediment, wipe with clean dry cloth.
5. Install new flapper onto wings of overflow tube, and connect flapper chain to flush handle lever.
6. Turn on water, adjust the flapper chain to proper length by test flushing.
Properly Cleaning a Showerhead
1. Remove the showerhead using an adjustable wrench to loosen the nut that connects it to the shower spout.
2. Disassemble showerhead; remove washer (if present), spray outlet, screen and any other parts that can be removed.
3. Take all showerhead parts (except washer and any rubber or plastic parts), and soak overnight in 'CLR' (brand name) a calcium, lime and rust removal solution or white vinegar.
4. The next day, inspect all parts for sediment deposits. Using a wire brush, clean all parts so they are free of sediment. If showerhead holes are clogged, take a needle or paperclip and remove any sediment.
5. If washer is worn, replace it, if parts appear corroded or damaged, replace them as well.
6. Reassemble showerhead.
7. Using Teflon tape, wrap the threads of the shower spout twice, and reinstall showerhead (the tape should prevent any leaks from occurring).
8. Turn on cold water and check for leaks.
When replacing the toilet fill valve, I recommend that you replace the flapper as well. You can purchase a toilet fill valve and flapper together in a kit.
If your showerhead is old, you may want to replace it, but the cleaning process mentioned above, should correct the operation of any showerhead.
These three repairs are inexpensive and easy to accomplish.
