Frank vs the toilet
Jul. 7th, 2012 04:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fbhjrOver the winter we had some toilet problems and had our landlord fix them. Because of this we almost got kicked out of the place we’ve lived 18 1/2 years.
So, when both toilets began doing that small not quite turning off when they should, I decided to fix them myself.
Those of you who don’t know me that well will probably say something like “Well, Frank is a mechanical engineer with more than 2 1/2 decades of experience, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Those who do know me well will shout “Run for the hills! Frank’s picked up a wrench!”
Of course, those are likely to be the people who remember my fixing another toilet with balloons and super glue.
I am not handy. I’m a decent engineer because pencils and CAD systems have erasers and edit features. Not to mention spell checks.
While my dyslexia can be an annoyance on the computer system, a hefty turn to a water seal the wrong direction can, and has, cause geysers of water to go flying all over earlier apartments.
(And as bad as it can be with pipes, never, never, never let me try to do more than change a tire on a car. Some of my coworkers still bring up the headlight that was held in place by tie wraps. But, they have to admit, it stayed on all winter.)
After spending the morning at work, taking my wife to lunch, then shopping for presents I went to the Home Despot and bought two “complete universal toilet kits”.
Of course, it turned out you needed tools and that was part of the “complete universal”. But, I had prepared for this and bought tools so it was OK. (Except the hacksaw. I didn’t expect to need a hacksaw to fix the toilet.)
And, they’re fixed.
That’s all you need to know, right?
Buckets, towels, saws, and all that are irrelevant.
I fixed two toilets and ended up only using one kit.
Yay!
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no subject
Date: 2012-07-08 12:38 am (UTC)Feels good, doesn't it?
When the 'hopper' gets clogged up, I admit I have a sense of satisfaction/victory when I grab the plunger
and get the clog down and all.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-08 01:58 am (UTC)This was replacing the float valve that wouldn't fully shut off.
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Date: 2012-07-08 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-08 02:34 am (UTC)But, now they shut off as they should and don't keep running.
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Date: 2012-07-08 07:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-08 10:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-09 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-09 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-09 01:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-13 10:53 pm (UTC)