(no subject)

[cblj_backup]

This afternoon my toilet broke. I didn't do anything, I just suddenly noticed it was hissing. Toilets aren't supposed to hiss.

So I investigated. As far as I could figure out, the tank was draining as fast as it was filling. I checked the seals, and after one of them spewed black stuff all over my hands, I decided maybe it wasn't the seals. Though I did wonder if there are squids living in my toilet. After the mice and wasps, I wouldn't be wholly shocked.

Anyway, the problem turned out to be with the flush lever, which is rusted so badly it is about to snap in half, and thus keeps slipping out of the output pump. BTW, in case any of you are unduly impressed right now, these are names I have made up, I don't know what the actual bits are called. According to the internet the output pump is actually called a flapper, but mine isn't a flap, it's a pump, so fuck 'em.

The thing to do seemed to be to reinforce the flush lever. I thought this might necessitate ordering sushi, because a chopstick would work perfectly but I didn't have any. I was casting about for duct tape when my eye fell on a Hello Kitty pencil in my pencil mug.

I didn't even know I owned a Hello Kitty pencil. I have no idea where it came from. It might be a magic pencil sent specifically to help me fix my toilet.

At any rate, now my toilet flushes again, with the aid of a Hello Kitty pencil duct taped to the flush lever. Thank you, Hello Kitty!

How is this my life.

Comments

[cateagle.livejournal.com]

What kind of clearance did they give you? Can you lift the top and slide it out from under the counter? That, at least, will give you some minimum of operating room for fixing things. Failing that, you'll definitely need to talk with your maintenance people before trouble hits and see if they can make access provisions without doing too much damage (depending on how they went about it, I can think of a few different ways of doing that without doing excessive damage to the decor).

[caffienekitty]

There might be enough room to get the lid off and about an inch of the open tank would be exposed from above. In a pinch I could do some very basic things with the assistance of a coathanger. I pretty much am the maintenance people as far as my apartment goes, so long as it doesn't affect any other units. As for he bathroom decor, I've been trying to sand the purple butterfly appliqués off the bathroom walls since I moved in. If it came down to toilet repair vs death of horrible pink bathroom counter, I know which would be getting sacrificed first, with impunity. Still, it's a pain and a pink counter is better than a busted counter. XD

[cateagle.livejournal.com]

Hinges and locking pins to hold the counter in place when it's folded down. My first thought would be a full-length piano-hinge along the back of the piece over the toilet for best support with spring-loaded locking pins to anchor it to the rest of the counter. You'd only have to cut the one section loose and then carefully add the extra hardware. You do want enough of the spring-loaded pins and sufficient engagement length on each to carry whatever load you might put on that section (say, if you used it for storage when you didn't need access).

[caffienekitty]

Very cool idea! I shall have to look into doing that, thank you!