Unless you’re doing some bathroom remodeling, or adding a new bathroom to your home, you generally don’t spend much time thinking about the toilet or toilet repairs. Boston homeowners may be tempted to visit the local home improvement store and pick out whatever they have on the shelves. You could be doing yourself a little [...]
Toilet Troubles: Curing Common Toilet Problems
June 16th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Tips and Tricks · Toilets
Toilets give years of dependable and often maintenance-free service, so when problems arise, some homeowners don’t know what to do. Mechanically speaking, toilets are pretty simple devices, which is why they don’t often develop serious problems. Here are a few common toilet problems Boston homeowners may encounter, and what you can do to solve them. [...]
The good news is that I’m not in the shower this week, but I am still in the bathroom. Virtually, that is. A couple of weeks ago, I profiled a couple of low-flow showerheads that are designed to save water. This week, I’m featuring a dual-flush valve kit that can work with any conventional toilet. [...]
Grey Water Recycling In Boston Can Save Money
March 3rd, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Sump Pumps · Toilets
The average American uses between 80-100 gallons of fresh water each day. For those of us who live in water-rich areas, we may not think much of our water consumption. For those who live in water-poor areas, grey water is taking on a new significance. Grey is the new green, which means you don’t have [...]
Macerating Toilet May Be Ideal Boston Plumbing Solution
February 24th, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Tips and Tricks · Toilets
If you want to add a new toilet, but shrink at the thought of adding plumbing, Boston homeowners rejoice! A macerating toilet may be just what you’ve been looking for. Before you break any concrete or open up a floor, consider this elegant solution that will allow you to add a toilet in any room [...]
In last week’s post, I talked about the history of the flush toilet. The older gravity-fed toilets Boston homeowners are familiar with use several gallons of water to clear the bowl. Federal regulations and local building codes mandated the use of water-saving toilets, but the design of these devices didn’t always allow the bowl to [...]
Boston Standard Plumbing & Heating: Toilet Flush Technologies, Part 1
February 3rd, 2011 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Toilets
Power outages remind us of how difficult life can be without modern conveniences, but going without one relatively recent addition to modern households can be downright torture! I’m talking about the modern flush toilet. In Boston, there are a variety of toilet technologies in use, from the very old to the most modern. As Boston [...]
Removing and replacing the toilet sounds easy enough, but homeowners often have difficulty getting the wax ring properly seated. A bad seal is a disaster, so this part of the repair has to be right! Toilets can be very heavy and difficult to maneuver. You won’t be able to see the soil pipe while you’re [...]
Leaking Toilets 2 (or “Grouchy Homeowner, Hidden Water Damage”)
July 6th, 2010 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Toilets
In my last post, I tackled the subject of leaking toilets. No one, including plumbers, likes a leaking toilet. The “good” leaks are ones that involve the tank. Making adjustments or replacing simple hardware can often repair them. Best of all, you’re dealing with clean water. Now for the messy leaks: A leak can also [...]
Spotting Hidden Water Damage, Part 3: Leaking Toilets
June 29th, 2010 · DIY Blog · DIY Plumbing · Toilets
In the last couple of posts, I’ve written about hidden water damage from faucets and drains. There are other sources of water damage from leaks. Today’s post will look at leaking toilets Spotting hidden water damage from a leaking toilet can be a bit more difficult, depending upon what’s leaking and where the water’s going. [...]