How to Repair a Toilet Handle that Is Loose
- Detect the Problem. Before starting to fiddle with the handle, you need to make sure that the problem is not coming from somewhere else.
- Tighten the Handle. Locate the nut on the inner side of your toilet, and use your wrench to tighten it. ...
- Shorten the Chain Length. ...
- Fix the Tank Chains. ...
- Clean the Tank’s Mounting Nut. ...
- Call in a Plumber. ...
How to flush a toilet with no handle?
- Remove the toilet tank lid and place it somewhere safe.
- In case there’s no water in the tank, or if there’s not enough of it, fill a bucket with water and pour it into the tank. ...
- Pull the chain (or lift the flapper manually, if needed) and you’ll successfully flush your toilet without touching the broken handle.
How do you replace a toilet handle?
- Shut off the water supply to the toilet tank. ...
- Lift and remove the cover from the water tank. ...
- Locate the lift chain hooked to the handle rod. ...
- Unhook the chain from the handle rod.
- Remove the nut that is attached to the handle, holding it in place. ...
- Remove the handle and replace it with the new one. ...
How do I flush the toilet without the handle?
The best way to flush a toilet manually is:
- Remove the lid from the toilet tank.
- Determine if the chain is hooked to the flapper.
- If the chain is still attached to the flapper, pull on the chain to lift the flapper and flush the toilet.
- If the chain is detached from the flapper, reach down into the water and lift the flapper to flush the toilet.
How to clean the hinges on a toilet seat?
- Spray the outside of the toilet with a disinfectant bathroom cleaner and let the cleaner sit for a couple minutes, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Starting with the tank or top, wipe down the back, front and sides of the toilet all the way to the floor.
- Clean the toilet handle with a disinfecting wipe.
How long does it take to remove a toilet handle?
Toilet handles are easy to remove and install on your own in around 15 minutes. All you need to do is unscrew the old handle and then put the new handle in its place.
How to loosen a tank handle?
Locate the plastic or metal mounting nut that's holding your handle in place on the inside the top of the tank. Try twisting the nut clockwise by hand to see if you can loosen it. If not, grip the nut with a pair of locking pliers to get better leverage on it.
Who is Dave Jones?
Dave Jones is a Professional Plumber and the Midwest Regional Vice President at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup. In 1992, Jones joined Roto-Rooter as a drain service technician at the age of 18. Since then, he has risen through the ranks into positions of increasing authority.
How to tighten a toilet handle?
Tightening toilet handle nut. Remove the lid from the toilet tank and set it aside safely. Turn off water to your toilet either through the immediate shutoff valve or the main shutoff valve.
How does a toilet tank handle work?
Once you open the top part of the toilet tank, you will notice the handle from the inside is hooked to a valve called the flapper which opens up a leeway for water to get in. Once it’s in, the water will lift the float lever that rises the arm/ lift chain which then resets the handle to its usual upright position.
What does a loose handle on a tank mean?
A loose handle can easily mean you’re not initiating the handle, to begin with. Because the handle is fixed by reverse-threading, just tighten the nut by turning counterclockwise. Lastly, check the base of the tank where the flapper is to confirm the lift arm is also well connected to the flapper.
Why does my toilet handle slack?
The most obvious reason of loosening is wear and tear. The handle can also slack due to a disconnection or unfastened chain inside the toilet tank. You can simply fix this problem by replacing the handle, reconnecting the chain to the handle so it can gain pressure from the flapper underneath.
Why is my toilet tank loose?
Although the handle can be loose for multiple other reasons because the toilet tank features numerous components and any one of them could be faulty, your troubleshooting should start from the three parts of the tank.
What happens if the lift chain is loose?
If it’s loose, there will be no pressure to lift the flapper high enough to release water for a flush cycle. Adjust the chain length to just one inch approximately from the lever this way once you flush it will open the flapper completely.
How to turn a nut in a tank?
It should be directly opposite the handle (behind the porcelain). Take an adjustable wrench and try to turn the nut in a counterclockwise direction. Regulate your speed and tension until it’s snug.
