That time I tried to fix a leaky toilet and it took me 4 hours

So I woke up last Saturday with a slow drip coming from the tank of my toilet in the spare bathroom. I figured it would be a quick fix, maybe tighten a bolt or replace a rubber flapper, right? Well, I started at 9 AM and by 1 PM I was still staring at puddles on the floor. Turns out the old fill valve was so crusted with calcium that I had to use a wrench and some vinegar to even get it loose. Then I dropped a tiny washer down the drain and spent 30 minutes fishing it out with a coat hanger. The funny part is that after all that, the leak was fixed, but the new valve was so tight it made a whistling sound every time it refilled. I had to take it apart again and sand the rubber seat a bit to stop it. Has anyone else had a simple toilet fix turn into a whole morning project?

2 comments

2 Comments

samf9510h ago

That coat hanger fishing trip is where you knew you were in for the long haul.

lily_ramirez410h ago

Oh man, I feel your pain so hard on this one. That moment when you drop a tiny piece into the abyss of the toilet drain and realize your simple morning project just became a whole thing. I had a similar nightmare with my bathroom sink where the shutoff valve was so old it just crumbled in my hand. I spent two hours trying to figure out if I needed to call a plumber or if I could just shove a potato on the pipe to stop the water. The whistling thing is brutal too, I had a toilet that did that for months before I finally got sick of it and took the whole thing apart again. Glad you got it sorted even if it took way longer than expected.