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Author:
JH (GA)
How can I remove an old nut from a bolt that has been Teflon taped? I am trying to replace the valve in the toilet and this old nut is on the underside of toilet.
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Author:
packy (MA)
nuts and bolts hold the tank to the bowl. they have nothing to do with either the fill valve or the flush valve.
try to explain better just what 'valve' you are changing.
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Author:
sum (FL)
I wonder if he could be talking about the fill valve...the "bolt" being the threaded end of the fill valve body and the nut is the plastic hand tight nut to hold the valve in place?
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Author:
packy (MA)
that is the 64,000 dollar question..
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Author:
KennyD (VA)
This web site should consider not only consider adding dates to the posts so we have a clue when the comments were made, but modify the code so when you post an answer you can still see the question. For now, a work around to seeing the question is to open another tab or browser window, copy and paste the question address then go back to the original tab or page/window to answer.
This is my first post here and I'm not complaining, just an initial observation from years of posting on web sites.
The question was asked in a very unspecific way. Most toilets have a valve to shut the water off outside of the toilet, but the question included "in the toilet", which I will assume means in the tank of the toilet.
This person was likely working on the toilet when asking the question, and was hoping for an instant answer which will not happen on a message thread like this and has probably finished the work on the toilet by now. "Now" being a loose time frame because we have no time stamps on these posts! Good chance we will not see this question asker back at this point, but for future persons interested:
First of all, There should be no Teflon tape on any connection that is involved with the flush valve because Teflon tape is for pipe fittings. So whoever made that connection originally didn't know what they were doing. Also, Teflon tape alone would not normally cause a nut or fitting to seize, if anything it would keep it from seizing.
Knowing this, the person who made that connection incorrectly in the first place probably had a leak and thought the tape would help...and perhaps it did, but that's a case where the connection was made wrong and the tape was a band-aid. That person probbaly used two wrenches or a combination of pliers, vice grips or wrenches and tightened the stuffing out of it. So, that is the first approach, in reverse. A combination of pliers, vice grips or wrenches on both sides of the connection to remove with a lot of force.
In my experience, the problem I run in to (I'm a homeowner, not a plumber but I'm tired of trying to find a good reasonably priced plumber) is for some reason the plastic attachment and nut assembly (It's all plastic junk now, just try to find high quality toilet repair parts, the local plumbing supply told me they just aren't made anymore) seems to always seize up or cross-thread when you try to remove and the whole thing starts to turn inside the tank. Especially if it was over-tightened when installed. I've had my own installations do this when I inevitably have to replace the tank parts AGAIN in 3-6 years because they are all junk and have to be replaced regularly...even though I have soft well water.
I have stopped trying to take these fill valve assemblies off in the traditional way with the tank still on the toilet. When I replace anything in the tank, I just buy the whole flush and fill kit and plan to remove the whole tank, replace the tank to bowl gasket and everything. Its too aggravating working in what is usually a tight space to replace the fill valve anymore because they are all plastic junk and the people who engineer these things are clearly not plumbers and never have to actually work with the components themselves...or they are just dumb or evil. Some kits are getting better these days though.
When I pull the tank off, I lay it on a work blanket or old towels. If the main flush valve OR fill valve nut gives me a hard time, I break out any and all sawing devices I have, cutting devices such as heavy side snips, and vice grips, channel locks, pliers etc and I carefully but gleefully destroy these parts until they come off. Then usually provide some expletives and proclaim my dominance over the troublesome and outrageously moronically engineered parts. I am very skilled with tools though and a metal fabricator by trade, so I'm at an advantage over those dastardly parts. You also have to be careful you dont break your tank somehow. Ask a handy blue collar friend to help if you are not "hand tool" skilled.
Short story? Replace everything at one time, dont piece meal toilet repair. Its not worth the hassle and once you fix one thing, the next thing will need fixing and there you are again.
With the tank off, you have a better command, leverage and angle to get at those pesky parts. When you get everything back together (following instructions please!) you'll feel like a real handyman/woman and smile for a few days every time you flush your toilet...then take it for granted again until it breaks or leaks like we all do!
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
What is your definition of a "GOOD, INEXPENSIVE PLUMBER", because the two requirements SELDOM apply to one person. If someone wants an inexpensive plumber I tell them I have a couple of names I could give them. I would NEVER "remove the tank, take all the parts out, then replace EVERY THING", if the only problem was the fill valve.
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Author:
george 7941 (Canada)
I have removed hundreds of fill valves and do not run into any unusual difficulty removing the mounting nut, even when they are plastic and they never cross thread on me. Sometimes the nut is recessed and my trusty open end wrench will not engage the nut and I use a deep 1 1/8 socket to unscrew the nut.
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Author:
packy (MA)
george, some of the old eljer fill valves had white metal nuts securing the tank tube and another white metal nut tightening the fill valve to the tank. i had just one that i had to remove the tank from the bowl to get it apart.
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