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Posted by Tony on February 25, 2007, 6:16 pm
Thanks for the replies....I had a suspicion that the actuator might be
going bad in that it was original and I had just replaced the seat disk
for it a couple of months ago.
I have replaced toilets before, have replaced flappers and fill valves
on toilets, but never an actuator like this. Yes, I did consider a new
toilet but wanted to consider the option of how easy (or difficult)
replacing the actuator would be. If the replies were that it was a 10
minute job with little to go wrong, then I would consider it with the
decision to replace the toilet later. If the part is difficult to get,
or if it is a job with the potential to do more damage if something
breaks off, then I'd just assume replace the toilet. The toilet is in
the basement so it doesn't get much use at all as compared to the other
two in the house. Usually, since it's just 2 people in the house, that
toilet maybe get one use per week just because the other two are more
accessible. The one downstairs is more of a "if we have company over"
toilet.
Big_Jake wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I've got a 30-35 year old American Standard toilet that needs to have
>>>>>> the actuator assembly replaced. Symptom is that when I flush, the
>>>>>> actuator tips back beyond the point where the actuator can fall back and
>>>>>> enable the toilet to refill. As such, I have to jiggle the handle a
>>>>>> little to get that to happen. I've looked at the plumbing supply
>>>>>> websites and I'm "assuming" that the part I need is the "Actuator for
>>>>>> Old American Standard Toilets". I looked at the #4 and #5 AS actuators
>>>>>> and I'm guessing they are for more modern AS toilets than mine. So I'm
>>>>>> basing it on the age of the toilet. So before I do this, I have a couple
>>>>>> questions that hopefully someone could answer as this will be the first
>>>>>> time I've replaced an actuator:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1) How do these actuators fail...in other words, what on the actuator
>>>>>> causes the assembly to tip back beyond the point of resealing the toilet?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2) How easy (or hard) is it to replace the assembly? I've been on a
>>>>>> couple other sites and some posters reference leaking problems at the
>>>>>> base after replacing one of these.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 3)Does the whole assembly have to be replaced or can the base of the
>>>>>> actuator be left on and the rest of the new actuator be fitted onto the
>>>>>> base of the old actuator?
>>>>>>
>>>>> Honestly Tony, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but why troubleshoot
>>>>> and fix a 35 year old toilet when you can pick up a nice Kohler
>>>>> Wellworth at Home Depot for about $100?
>>>>>
>>>> I'm not Tony, but
>>>>
>>>> A toilet he knows he's satisfied with instead of one that he might not
>>>> be.
>>>>
>>>> A half hour installation time instead of 2 hours
>>>> (or 10 minutes installation time instead of an hour)
>>>>
>>>> 20 dollars instead of 100 dollars,
>>>> compound interest on 80 dollars for 20, 30, 40 years = 500 to 4000
>>>> dollars
>>>>
>>>> An extra vacation, or never being short of money, or
>>>> not depending on your chidren or handouts from the government for
>>>> expenses when you're old, PRICELESS.
>>>>
>>>>> JK
>>>>>
>>> The payback for a toilet using less than half the water of the one it
>>> replaces can be very short, depending on what you pay for water.
>>>
>> Right. Depending. And that is one of the things he would have to
>> worry about, a low-volume toilet that doesnt' flush well, should he
>> get a Toto, etc.
>>
>> My point was that frequently there are posts here that seem to think
>> that money is not an issue, or that say "Do it right" even though
>> there are no safety issues and wrong will be good enough (not that
>> repairing the toilet is wrong). Saying Just spend a hundred instead
>> of around 20 seemed like one of those.
>>
>>
>>> Who takes 2 hours to install a toilet?
>>>
>> I gave two possibilites, 2 hours and 1 hour.
>>
>> Plenty of people take 2 hours and longer, especially on the first
>> time, which this likely is. The wax ring, the supply pipe has to be
>> rebent or replaced to fit the new toilet, it kinks when he tries to
>> bend it partly because he's never done it before. He has to go to the
>> store again to get a new one. He has to wait in line again to check
>> out. You know this group is read by lots of amateurs and those who
>> have never done it before. The OP asked questions a pro would not
>> have asked.
>>
>>
>>> JK
>>>
>
> I guess I am always thinking in the landlord mindset - spend $100 now
> to get something that will start saving me money today, and which
> should pay for itself eventually. The other advantage for me is
> standardization. Nearly all my older toilets are 3.5 gallon
> Mansfields, and I have switched to 1.6 gallon Kohler Wellworths with
> the change in the US rules. I can keep a very limited stock of parts
> on hand and be ready for anything. Obviously this wouldn't matter to
> the OP or many other homeowners, but it probably isn't a bad idea to
> spend the extra $3 to have a spare flapper on hand.
>
> JK
>
>
>
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