Wednesday, October 3, 2012

New Commode

 So when it rains it pours right? Amiright?
Right.

So a couple weeks ago I had a major plumbing backup happen. Toilet  tub, you name it, it was backing up. It was fixed almost 24hrs later thanks to Rotor Rooter.

In that time I noticed that the toilet was leaking under the house as well.. My house has a crawlspace and thankfully the bathroom is located on an exterior wall that overlooks the back yard.. So I was able to go to the backyard, look under and see water dripping. I thought, "Well gee, isn't this just great?!".

After this backup, I also noticed the toilet seeping water from underneath. A clear indicator that the wax ring was going.. So I called Henry Plumbing. They previously replaced both of my outside spigots and so far is the only plumber I've used in town.

When I called about my concerns, I was told that the City of Savannah had a voucher program for FREE low flush toilets for residents that have homes prior to 1993. Ka-ching! My home being 1946 definitely qualified.

I was directed to the website to fill out the application form, within in 5 business days I had a lovely voucher in the mail. I went to Sandpiper Supply one sunny afternoon and scooped up the new toilet.

Michael from Henry Plumbing came to install-- while I could've most likely done this myself, considering I didn't know what was causing the leak underneath, I thought it was better for the pros.

First order of business was to remove the old commode.
 A good ol' sawzaw was used to slice the unit in half for easier transport. As part of the voucher program you had to bring the old unit to the local landfill so it could be crushed and used as road fill.
 Once the toilet was removed, I was left with a very nasty looking wax ring, and flange.
 It was discovered that the flange connected to the cast iron pipe going under the house was completely rusted and unattached. Michael went to the supply store and picked up a new flange.
 Once the flange was in place, the new wax ring went on.
 Much better already!!
 The new bowl was set in place followed by the new tank. The hose was connected, water was turned back on and it was tested. No leaking under the house, no leaking from under the toilet. Woot! The replacement of the flange corrected the under the house issue.
 With the new commode in place and up and running, I took the old to the landfill along with my disposal voucher. Now all that's left to do is caulk around the base..
 A small yet needed update around the Casa. What's been a replacement around your home?



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2 comments:

  1. We had a close call that almost required replacement while installing windows in our former screen porch. My father-in-law was over and decided to "help" by using the air-nailer to attach the j channel to the window. Unfortunately, that is not the proper use or technique to attach j channel. It is supposed to be hand nailed into the plywood sheathing, not into the side of the window. Luckily he just put a quarter sized hold in the vinyl around the window (some sealant tape fixed it right up) and didn't bust the entire window or shatter the glass, which would have been an extremely expensive replacement.

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    1. Oh that stinks! It's amazing what a little nail can do-- I once lived in an apartment that got water damage to the kitchen-all because the unit above had a pip punctured with a nail when the cabinets were mounted to the wall.. Go figure! Glad you didn't have to replace the window!

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