Try to tighten the nut by hand (clockwise). Follow the directions, and your rocking toilet will be solid again. As with any do-it-yourself project, if fixing a loose toilet seems complicated and you wish to hire a plumber, at least review this article so that when the plumber explains the problem you’ll understand more what he’s doing. The nut is on the inside of the tank, right where the handle enters it. Insert the new handle and thread the nut onto the handle to hold it to the tank. This is not a solid install and can easily lead to a toilet that moves when you sit down over a short time. There are a few things that can cause this problem, and in order to fix it the handle must be analyzed. Take the top off the tank and look where the lever comes through to the inside of the tank. It doesn’t need to be super tight, or the handle may not turn properly. If this is the case, you’ll need to use a chisel and hammer to break the iron flange out of position. I can move it forward and back ever so slightly, which means that the handle feels loose and the chrome collar on the outside jangles. The flush lever usually has a plastic or nylon nut that is inside the tank. The flapper or float ball seats against the valve opening and keeps water in the tank until the flush handle is operated. Locate the nut on the inner side of your toilet, and use your wrench to tighten it. Check the flush handle and adjust as needed if it's too loose or too tight. Use the vinegar on the brush if you notice any lime residue. The part you’ll need is an adapter called a super flange or spanner flange (see here). It’s job is to provide a new hole for the mounting bolts to hug onto. If these bolts are actually broken, however, you’ll need to replace them. You may be one of the lucky ones who finds that their broken toilet flange is beyond repair (e.g. The same problem can occur if the nut that secures the handle to the lift arm (just inside the tank) has worked loose. Vibrations from mechanical equipment will work nuts loose over time. Use a sharpie and trace around the lower portion of the flange on the tile. It’s this piece that is bolted to the floor, and also sometimes secured to the drain pipe called a “bend”, which is made of sturdy iron. This flushes the waste from the toilet. When the handle is depressed, a chain or lift wire connected to the handle rod lifts the flapper away from the valve seat and allows the water to flush down out of the tank and into the toilet … This is the bit that connects the handle to the other parts inside the cistern. How you tighten the handle will now depend on the type of faucet you have. You might not be able to do this with the faucet in … report. Simply remove the small plastic bolt caps at the base of your toilet (they will be on each side, and can be pried off with a small screwdriver). Unhook and remove the trip lever. Or better yet, replace with a wax free seal for cleaner, better installation. At the very least, knowledge is power when it comes to anything plumbing. Home » Rocking Toilet and Loose Toilet Seat Fix. The plumber said it was a $200 repair. Models with rubber gaskets (seals) and brass rings will be the best here. HomeRepairGeek.com All rights reserved. Many solutions exist to prevent this from occurring. 4b – to be discarded later); STEP 4 – use a pair of needle nose pliers to emove the cotter pin (fig. Instead, they secure to a toilet flange. You’ll see a nut… Right now, I am about 1/8″- 3/16″ higher than finished floor. Unscrew the nut holding the handle in place. The plastic nut that holds the handle level against the side of the toilet keeps coming loose every few months, and I'm pretty tired of fumbling around in the tank to fix it. Don’t forget that whenever you lift up your toilet, you’ll be breaking the wax seal that keeps water from leaking. My toilet handle keeps coming loose after checking it completely clogged with limescale it's an ancient toilet should I buy a new handle or just try use limescale remover it's seized up completely when I try to use it it just loosens the nut. In fact, nothing feels less secure in this room in terms of sustaining an embarrassing injury. Las Vegas Handyman & HVAC, Lic. When the nut cracks or corrodes, it can no longer apply the force to hold the handle to the tank. Your wobbly toilet may be moving because the mounting bolts that hold it down have nothing to grab onto anymore. 4a); STEP 3 – slide down the nut to the top of the flapper for now (fig. ll be on the opposite side of the porcelain from the handle. 0 comments. Shut off the water at the shut-off/supply valve. A stuck or loose toilet handle may prevent a toilet from flushing, require multiple attempts to flush properly or require holding the handle down to flush fully. The handle will pull right out. If it still rocks, proceed with shimming the base. If this is the case, check that the installer didn’t shim the toilet to raise it up. My husband doesn’t want to mention this to his dad (dad owns house). Re: "Tightening up" toilet flush lever; Author: redwood (CT) I always hold the handle tight to the flush position and tighten the nut when installing them. If your toilet handle is falling off, it is likely that the nut or threads inside the tank have corroded and the handle is loose and needs replacing. Just remove the old bolts and insert the new ones. Sitting down to do your business in the bathroom, you don’t usually expect your toilet to be loose and rock back and forth. – HRG, How to Fix a Clogged or Plugged Toilet Bowl. For most toilets, the nut should be turned clockwise. You will probably have to adjust the flapper chain somewhat and give the toilet a few test flushes. Fixing a toilet handle that will not come back up after flushing is an easy task that requires a little bit of patience. Install the rubber bushing with the tapered side facing up toward the toilet seat. No need to be as tight as your muscles can muster, since the material your toilet is made from can crack under too much strain. Again, this isn’t a terribly difficult task. This can happen if you have your bathroom floor redone, and the level or height of the floor changed. share. Check the flange bolt at each side of the toilet, using a pair of pliers or a small wrench. This is a semi-circle piece that fits over or underneath your broken toilet bowl flange. Next, attach the chain clip to the best usable hole in the toilet handle … The only part that you see outside of the tank is of course the handle. You can even inspect that it’s done right and ask educated questions so that your rocking toilet doesn’t return any time soon! This is actually kind of important since it can eventually lead to sewer gas leakage or worse, a water leak that can damage your home. Just make sure the flange is flush tight with the top of the floor, otherwise your toilet will wobble. Wipe the mounting nut with the brush. Probably the easiest fix, your loose toilet may simply be due to your loose toilet mounting bolts needing to be tightened. You’ll see a nut, and it should be unmovable with your fingers. While this is true, you should know that the bolts don’t go directly to the floor. Now, you might get lucky and just be able to tighten down these bolts, but if the bowl is rocking or has been for a while, it’s time to take a look at the flange underneath. This isn’t so bad, just be sure to turn off the water supply valve first. This leaves my floor flange just a tad higher than the finished floor. Plastic shims designed specifically for toilets and pedestal sinks. save. If your toilet flush handle is loose, it’s probably caused by one of two issues, both of which are easy fixes. Finger tighten first, then just get it snug with a wrench or pliers. Click here to find out more. Try and find yourself some Johnny Shims. You may have to carve out some of the tile or other flooring around the edge of the drain hole. hide. So without further ado, let’s see what may be causing your toilet to be loose in the first place and how to fix it. Step 1 - Remove the Handle. I do all the repairs with much success. Evidently this has become loose, so all you have to do is turn the nut in against the tank to tighten up your lever. If you have a model with a set screw at the base of the handle, take the hex head wrench (Allen key), push it into the screw and turn clockwise to tighten. 100% Upvoted. You should see a round nut that screws onto some threads on the handle. OR, will this cause water leakage between the foundation & the floor? Check the other bolt to make sure it is equally snug, then test the toilet for rocking. Or is the plumer the way to go? Remove the flapper chain where it connects to the handle and unscrew the nut that holds the handle to the tank (if necessary). Can I push the front down and place a plastic wedge between the floor & the flange in the rear to level out the flange/bend, then put Hardy Backer ¼” to ½” on the floor to reduce the gap remaining? Flush handles are usually reverse-threaded, which means you'll turn the nut clockwise to loosen and counterclockwise to tighten. ); STEP 2 – locate the plastic hex nut/washer combo; using a pair of adjustable pliers, grip the nut tightly (it’s made of soft plastic) and turn CLOCK-WISE to loosen (fig. Sometimes, the chain you adjusted in Problem #2 can become disconnected from the flapper. This is usually the more popular choice mainly because it is easier and can really do the trick if your broken toilet flange is iron or metal. This I found ensures that the flapper chain can not get too tight if the handle gets loose and slips within the oversized hole. In older, vintage homes, you may not have any bolts holding it down as it was secured with lead (molten when poured in around the bend pipe). Grasp the lock nut with your hand, and, from your perspective, turn it clockwise, from your left to your right, until it feels tight. This handle lasted all of two years. But that is only part of the mechanism that causes the flush. Then chisel out around your trace line with a screwdriver and hammer. A. Simply clean off the old one and insert a new one. Examine the flush lever nut. One guy says flange should be 1/4″ above finished floor, while another says 1/4″ below. This will be a good time to inspect your toilet flange too. I don't think that is the problem. The retaining nut inside the tank is a reverse thread. The part of the toilet flange that holds the toilet is a metal or plastic ring with two bolt tracks positioned opposite each other. Clockwise with the top off the water supply valve first t go directly to the.. 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