Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [toilet]

For questions specifically regarding sanitation fixtures designed for removal of human waste, generally referred to as toilets but also including urinals and bidets. Topics include designs, installation, repair, plumbing supply and drainage, and sanitary concerns including cleaning.

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How can I remove a lemon from a toilet drain?

My little boy flushed a whole lemon down the toilet. It is stuck. What can I use to remove the lemon?
Kristin Westrup
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Purpose of Fill Valve Tube Going into Overflow Drain

I can easily understand the purpose of the overflow tube itself, but why is the little black hose that comes from the fill valve placed down into the overflow tube? On my toilet, there is a strong stream of water that comes from the black hose, and…
Buck
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This fell out of my toilet when I unscrewed the supply line. What is it?

I needed to replace my toilet’s tank to toilet gasket, and in the process disconnected the toilet’s supply line. The rubber “screw like” object shown above fell out when I did this. After finishing the gasket replacement, I forgot to put this…
objectivesea
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Are toilets supposed to be caulked to the floor?

I've heard that in some cases toilets are supposed to be caulked to the floor. I replaced both toilets in the condo I moved into last week, and one was calked to the floor, and one was not. One difference was that toilet where caulk was present is…
Billy ONeal
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Are water boilers dangerous when showering?

Where I'm from (Serbia) everybody says to turn off the water boiler (the container that heats up water and stores it for use in the bathroom and shower) when you take a shower or use the bathtub. They say that if the boiler becomes faulty, the…
NeoXx
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Why do my toilets flush slowly and often incompletely?

I have three toilets that all flush slowly and incompletely. I've adjusted the chain to ensure the flap raises completely. I've raised the float to ensure the tank fills nice and high. Yet I have this nagging issue on all my toilets. It often takes…
allnightgrocery
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How do I fix a sticking toilet refill float?

After flushing, my toilet doesn't sense that it needs to refill. See the below image. If I so much as gently touch the gray piece, the toilet starts to refill. Any easy fixes?
maxedison
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Can a toilet get "too old" to the point where it can never be unclogged and must be replaced?

We had an issue where a toilet that worked fine since we moved in 6 years ago recently would not flush. I took a plunger to it and snaked from the roof and it helped in that the toilet would slowly drain out (15 seconds) but never give that typical…
Niles
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Why does the shower get cold when I flush, and how can I prevent it?

When the shower is running and someone flushes a toilet, why does the shower get cold (or sometimes hot) in some houses, but not others? More importantly, would fixing that require replacing the water heater, or re-doing the piping in the entire…
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
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Is it safe to flush newspaper down the toilet?

Recently an Australian newspaper printed several blank pages to help readers who may have run out of toilet paper. Would it be safe to flush pieces of newspaper down the toilet?
pacoverflow
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18
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How can I stop a toilet seat from rapidly loosening?

The seat on my toilet always works itself loose. It has plastic thumb-screw-style nuts that tighten on to bolts on the underside of the toilet. The left nut works itself loose over the course of a few days of normal use. I can tighten it again…
Jean-Paul Calderone
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Should my toilet flange sit on top of the backer board or the tile of the floor?

The bathroom model saga continues. The old toilet flange was rusting, and the subfloor was rotting, so I pulled up the subfloor around the toilet, and replaced the drain pipe with ABS, and an elbow. The plan is to tile this bathroom. So my…
MarkD
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When bolting down a porcelain toilet, how tight is "too tight"?

Tightening bolts on the base of a toilet is the one thing about toilet installation that has me the most nervous. They say not to over-tighten, but how tight is too tight before the porcelain is subject to cracking? Do I tighten until I can't…
oscilatingcretin
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How do I fix a leaky toilet that only leaks from underneath?

I am noticing some water spots on my concrete in my (unfinished) basement. When I look up for the cause of the water I can see water dripping around the hole that is used for the sewer pipe for the toilet (upstairs). (Note: there is a lot of duct…
Vaccano
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Ok to put bleach in toilet tank?

My toilet's tank has a lot of dark brown scum growing on the walls. I assume it's some kind of mold or bacteria. The water itself isn't cloudy, but when you flush, some of the scum comes loose and gets dragged along. It then clings to the toilet…
Jessica
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