Leaky Toilet Fix
At least it appears to be fixed - 2 days now and still holding.
Vinegar & baking soda.
Posting because my search for a fix went back to (2010?). Toilet seal wouldn't hold water last year, would leak dry within a couple of hours. Thought I needed a new seal but search convinced me to:
(Water turned off of course)
1. Put repeated doses of vinegar in the bowl to dissolve/soften any hard water deposits (and if there's one thing you can say about the water around here it's that it is HARD). I did this for almost 2 weeks.
2. Using toothbrush, fingers & hot soapy dish water, clean seal & ball valve as best I could. Still leaked, but only half as badly.
3. Put 1/2 cup baking soda in bowl followed by couple cups vinegar. Wait until all bubbles gone. Open valve and scrub everything with fingers & toothbrush, repeated several times.
4. Again a hot soapy dishwater wash & rinse.
If it still leaks it's a real s-l-o-w leak. The quart or so water I put in the bowl Saturday evening doesn't appear to have gone down any.
FWIW, no, I don't wear gloves washing the toilet (nor do I when dumping the tanks). Neither I nor DW are squeamish about germs. That's what soap & water are for. And we've handled plenty of 'that stuff' taking care of our own babies & grandbabies.
Vinegar & baking soda.
Posting because my search for a fix went back to (2010?). Toilet seal wouldn't hold water last year, would leak dry within a couple of hours. Thought I needed a new seal but search convinced me to:
(Water turned off of course)
1. Put repeated doses of vinegar in the bowl to dissolve/soften any hard water deposits (and if there's one thing you can say about the water around here it's that it is HARD). I did this for almost 2 weeks.
2. Using toothbrush, fingers & hot soapy dish water, clean seal & ball valve as best I could. Still leaked, but only half as badly.
3. Put 1/2 cup baking soda in bowl followed by couple cups vinegar. Wait until all bubbles gone. Open valve and scrub everything with fingers & toothbrush, repeated several times.
4. Again a hot soapy dishwater wash & rinse.
If it still leaks it's a real s-l-o-w leak. The quart or so water I put in the bowl Saturday evening doesn't appear to have gone down any.
FWIW, no, I don't wear gloves washing the toilet (nor do I when dumping the tanks). Neither I nor DW are squeamish about germs. That's what soap & water are for. And we've handled plenty of 'that stuff' taking care of our own babies & grandbabies.
