Selecting, Installing and Repairing Toilets
A few days ago I noticed a small amount of water leaking out from under the base of the toilet in the Master Bath of my home in Pleasant Ridge, which prompted me on Tuesday to have it serviced by one of the neighborhood plumbers to determine what was wrong and how to fix it. It turns out the cause of the leak had to do with the bolts that tie into the toilet mounting flange being improperly aligned and undersized, which made for a vulnerable connection. Fortunately, after about an hour of the plumber removing the toilet, reinstalling larger bolts and a new wax seal, and resetting the toilet in a new bed of grout, everything turned out better than ever.
I am always fascinated to see skilled trades people performing their craft, so it was a neat learning experience to see the plumber in action. Afterwords, he pointed out to me that the location of the bolts in the Mansfield brand of toilets (which I have in my house) is not centered within the base, which makes it easier for the toilet to become dislodged from the mounting flange when compared to a brand like Kohler that has and extended base to better center the bolts, providing a more secure connection. Below is an image of the different brands (Kohler on the left and Mansield on the right), highlighting the location of the bolts relative to the base. Something for me to consider when purchasing selecting toilets for the Oakley Home 2.0 project.
