In Between Eating and Reading

In Between Eating and Reading you discover your toilet has a small leak. Here is my instructions after struggling for half a Saturday night. I am in no way a plumber or a do it yourself kinda gal but with a limited budget you have no choice but to roll up your sleeves and give it a shot. This in now way is a how to or a fix all for your problems but just a few tips that may help. Tips that were not included in the instructions I got from the internet or the back of the screw and gasket packet at Home Depot. My leak was coming from the back bolt that screws the water tank to the toilet. Internet solution the gaskets are blown. Remove tank replace screws and gaskets.
Since two bolts were dry I determined I would not remove the whole tank and just the one leaky bolt and gasket. You may want to call a friend for this.
1.Flush tank and turn off water at wall so that the tank does not fill again. Water will still remain in the tank. After trying to get it all out with a sponge as they recommend I decided to unscrew the bolt and hold a mason jar to collect the fast draining water. Be prepared to sacrifice a few towels. Four on my last count.
2. Remove old bolt and gasket by putting one hand down into the tank with a flat head screwdriver to hold the screw in place will you use the other hand to go under the tank and unscrew bolt with pliers. Are you picturing this?
3.Follow the instructions to put the new bolt in. The bolts in the package are not put together the way they are supposed to be applied to the said toilet. Diagram on the back should be. Bolt, Washer, gasket (gasket always against the porcelain), thread down to connect to toilet. I found warming up the gasket so it formed to the bowl helped create a better seal. They are stiff when they come out of the packet and leaked worse the first time around. Yes this is the edited version of 3 hours, 4 tries later.
5. Put on the gasket, washer, nut underside. Once again hold down the bolt on inside the tank with flat end screwdriver and wrap other hand around under tank tighten the bolt on with pliers.
6. Holding down the screw on the inside of tank stops you from screwing the bolt from the top into the nut which could warp your gasket.
7. Turn water back on and hope for the best, check for leaks, and take about a week to get your water pressure just right.
Back to my book!