Urban Renewal: Just Call Me Joe the Plumber

We have had quite some issues with plumbing the last few months, including a cracked tank that required replacing an entire toilet twice. I was none too pleased.

I couldn’t bring myself to call another plumber to come out and fix our loud toilet (different than the one that was replaced). Every few minutes it would fill the bowl with more water even though it had enough. It was very confused.

The sound of running water was just getting too annoying, so I took matters into my own hands. After doing some research online, I decided the best course of action was to replace the fill valve, which is the thing in your tank that rises as water comes in. I’m not a plumber, but I’m not afraid of fixing toilets either.

I picked up this Korky’s replacement fill valve at the local hardware store for $10 and kept it in case HB’s dad (the master of DIY) stopped by. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I asked HB’s dad if he thought I could fix it myself. His exact words: “You have a master’s degree in accounting. If you can read the instructions and look at the pictures, I think you will be fine.” That was just the encouragement I needed.

It took me about 30 minutes to disassemble the old valve and install the new one. A week later and it is still working fine. The best part is that there are no more random bouts of running water. Talk about empowerment! I’m still doing the happy dance!

I am putting this out there for anyone who is afraid of repairing toilets, the simple stuff of course. If you can read and understand pictures, then you can tackle projects like this. I promise the scariest part is putting your hands in the water for the first time. It was for me until I realized that my hands didn’t fall off, so I kept going (I definitely got a manicure after).

I do, however, recommend the Korky's brand of plumbing supplies not because I work for them or anything but because their supplies are made in the USA. You gotta love that.