Am I becoming frugal?

[corn18]

Toilet started leaking at the base yesterday. I did what I usually do and turned off the water, locked the door so no one used it and called a plumber. Can't get out there until next week. DW not happy about that with Easter dinner coming along. I have changed those wax donuts before and I never enjoyed it. Old wax, bolts that strip, water everywhere (and not the good kind). But I could save $165. So I gave it a go.

First nut came off fine. Second nut got stuck and the bolt spun. Great. Here we go again. Got out the dremel and cut it off. Toilet off, no water came out. Yeah. Clean off poopy wax. Install new bolt. Put in new wax donut. Put toilet back in place. FIrst nut went on no problem. Could this be my lucky day? Second nut, NO PROBLEM. Tightened everything up, turned the water back on and no leaks. 15 minutes of labor and not too much trouble. ANd I saved $165.

If it doesn't start leaking again, I'm going to feel quite proud of myself. Not that I couldn't do it, I know I can. It's that I DID do it vs. paying someone else. That's the feel good part.

Tom

[snafu]

Good on you! Those wax flanges are supposed to last 20 yrs. Plumbers charge as much as 2 hrs. for your 15 minutes work. Do you track cost 'avoidance?' or transfer that sum to EF or household maintenance? We keep a maintenance 'log' in our household binder to track work done and resultant cost, seasonal work to be done and updates/upgrades as they will factor in should we decide to sell. Our realtor found it helpful to be able to tell other agents the roof had been replaced 9 years ago, new insulation blown to 40C 12 years ago, AC still on warranty etc. when we sold the house.

Most people won't even try to fix but I find that You Tube has simple to follow instruction for most basic fixes. WD40, one of the bits on the battery op drill/screw driver and small tube of silicone sealant [dries out over time] are a good combo. Did you have a wax donut and correct size bolts at hand? Suggest small line of silicone around the base of commode smoothed out with a popsicle stick if you don't have that plastic gizmoo.

When we had to change the flapper in one toilet we bought two kits thinking the next one would go soon...

[corn18]

Did you have a wax donut and correct size bolts at hand?

I did. From the last repair I did 4 years ago. This is the third toilet that needed new wax in the 5 years we have owned the house. I did the first one. Plumber did the second. I did this one. The issue is the hardwood floors make the gap too big for just one donut, so I have to double up. I put a flanged one in the bottom and then a regular donut on the toilet and then they mash together nicely. I could see where the original donut had not made good contact with the toilet.

[snafu]

Tom, do you keep a list of spring/fall/winter seasonal household tasks? Each spring we take a hard look at roof tiles, change out furnace filter, order the free spring check/clean our natural gas provider offers, check out the BBQ/fill tank, check interior paint for touch-ups, steam or clean windows, trim & tracks, vacuum drapes, throw curtains on 'Air' [dryer], check medicine cabinet for expired items and check 1st aid kit? Our biggest task is windows so we do one room per evening or get everyone to do one room and get it all done in one day...if it ever stops snowing

[creditcardfree]

Great job saving money with your DIY!

[mo0n]

errr...you have wood floors in your bathrooms?

(btw, high five on the DIY fix)

[QuarterMillionMan]

Nice job Tom. I worked as a plumber myself for 10 years and changing the toilet wax ring is something I could do in my sleep, not to boast but just speaking from experience. These are some things I also would have done. Using a two feet level I would have leveled the toilet bowl (both sideways, and forward & backwards) with lead or plastic shims between the toilet bowl and the floor so that the toilet bowl would not rock side to side or backwards & forwards. A rocking toilet can cause the wax ring to leak over time and nothing beats a firm, solid, mounted toilet. I always expect the side bolts to lock-up so I keep a Makita grinder handy to grind off the stuck nut, or as you did grinding it off with the Dremel tool. In addition, I use new side bolts and throw away the old side bolts, using the longest threaded bolts available cutting off the excess threads with either the Makita grinder or a close quarters hack saw in order that the China cap can press into place thereafter). After installation and making sure of no leaks, I would use Kwik seal caulking around the base/floor. Just my 2 cents.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Nice job Tom. I worked as a plumber myself for 10 years and changing the toilet wax ring is something I could do in my sleep, not to boast but just speaking from experience. These are some things I also would have done. Using a two feet level I would have leveled the toilet bowl (both sideways, and forward & backwards) with lead or plastic shims between the toilet bowl and the floor so that the toilet bowl would not rock side to side or backwards & forwards. A rocking toilet can cause the wax ring to leak over time and nothing beats a firm, solid, mounted toilet. I always expect the side bolts to lock-up so I keep a Makita grinder handy to grind off the stuck nut, or as you did grinding it off with the Dremel tool. In addition, I use new side bolts and throw away the old side bolts, using the longest threaded bolts available cutting off the excess threads with either the Makita grinder or a close quarters hack saw in order that the China cap can press into place thereafter). After installation and making sure of no leaks, I would use Kwik seal caulking around the base/floor. Just my 2 cents.

This is helpful knowledge to have. This is why I like posting in forums, you learn knowledge like this.

[feh]

Well done!

Not only does "fixing it yourself" save money, it's also empowering. Whenever there's a task around the house, the first thing I ask myself is "can I do this myself, or do I need an expert?".

We lost a tree in a storm a week ago. My wife wanted me to call somebody to deal with it...nope. I was perfectly capable of cutting it up and stacking/burning myself. A couple hours of work and hundreds of dollars not spent.

[corn18]

errr...you have wood floors in your bathrooms?

(btw, high five on the DIY fix)

Well, I guess they call it a powder room. It's the bathroom that just has the commode and a sink. It's on our main floor which is all hardwood.

[mo0n]

I'm only cringing because wood doesn't really get along with water that well. Has is warped any because of the toilet leaks?

[corn18]

I'm only cringing because wood doesn't really get along with water that well. Has is warped any because of the toilet leaks?

Seems ok. We caught it right away. But as it turns out, today it is still leaking. I thought it was weird that some of the leak looked like water had been sprayed vs. pooling. Now I know it isn't the donut. It was the junction between the seat and bowl. Tightened the 3 nuts and leak is gone. Sure glad I didn't pay $165 for that.

[JoeP]

Congrats. I wouldn't call that kind of repair frugal, just smart. Now you know what it is NOT which which will help you determine the real problem.

Yep, done all kinds of home improvement myself, and find the experience educational and fulfilling. Some things are simply too much for me: roofing, excavating, installing an exterior door and frame and making it look good, laying carpet, seal coating driveway.

Bears repeating: "Knowledge is good."

[QuarterMillionMan]

Congrats. I wouldn't call that kind of repair frugal, just smart. Now you know what it is NOT which which will help you determine the real problem.

Yep, done all kinds of home improvement myself, and find the experience educational and fulfilling. Some things are simply too much for me: roofing, excavating, installing an exterior door and frame and making it look good, laying carpet, seal coating driveway.

Bears repeating: "Knowledge is good."

Good points. I won't do anything electrical, nor would I do open heart surgery on myself (lol). I'd leave that to the physician.

[corn18]

Coming off my recent success with the lu, I now am thinking about repairing my mailbox instead of buying a new one. The rivet that acts as a hinge on the right side has broken and the door is falling off. Replacement box would cost $24.95 off Amazon. Figure I could just put a little bolt and nut on to replace the rivet hinge and be done for free. Other than the broken rivet, the box seems fine.

I think I will fix it. We are blowing through the food and house budget because I didn't plan properly for Easter dinner. Apparently it costs more to host Easter dinner than it would have cost to just take all 10 of us out to a very nice dinner. Not because we bought so much food (which we did) but because we apparently also had to decorate the house in an Easter theme. Ugh.

Tom