Installations And Repairs

Getting the layout right for your toilet is a must

For those who possess “handymanliness”, fixing or repairing your toilet isn’t all that complicated. As mentioned in the opening article of this site, the technology behind your standard toilet is fairly simple, which goes a long way to making the job of installing and repairing one less excruciating than you’d think.

There are some important things to think about before you even start to install a toilet. The bathroom is usually the smallest room in your house. Despite this, the major objects within it--the tub, the sink, the toilet--are pretty much married to their locations within the room. (That is, after all, why they’re called “fixtures”.) You can’t move a toilet around like a bookshelf or a TV stand if you don’t like its place in the room. So making good layout decisions is crucial before you get started.

If you do have to remove a toilet or move it to another location in the room, be careful not to damage the toilet itself or leave any indication on the floor that the toilet used to be in a different spot. At the end of the day, your porcelain throne should arise naturally out of its space in the bathroom and look like it has always been there.

Repairing a toilet yourself will depend on how high-end you’ve gone with your purchase. You should be able to fix a standard commode with a minimum of tools and know-how. On the other hand, if you’ve purchased a high-tech, automated toilet from TOTO or Caroma, it’s best to speak directly to the dealer or distributor for repair options.

Remember: of all the technical marvels in your house, the toilet is one of the most important. A poorly installed or broken toilet will quickly become an icky nuisance for you, your family and houseguests.

For those who don’t mind paying for it, though, you can choose to pay a plumber to come in and do the job, to guarantee that it is done right. For most of us, the cost can be worth the peace of mind you will receive by having your toilet fixed professionally.