Sometimes I pretend to be one. This past weekend, I finally decided to fix our toilet that seems to keep running as the flush chain keeps hanging. Since I had to muck with the toilet, I decided to replace the major components. It isn’t rocket science to do plumbing, but it is harder than it looks. I figured I could replace the parts in 30-45 minutes. I open the directions (after the trip to Home Depot), unscrew some of the stuff and then get to removing the bolts from the tank. The bolts were rusted and wouldn’t budge. 2 hours later after using my Dremel to cut them off (without putting a hole in the tank), I managed to get the bolts off and put the toilet back together. I didn’t see any leaks from what I put back together, but the next day, the only part I didn’t replace started leaking…another trip to Home Depot to get that part. This part only took about 45 minutes to replace instead of the 3.5 hours to get the other parts replaced. However, I cheated and gave up installing the “LeakSentry” feature as the little piece of plastic didn’t want to cooperate.
So, after a few days, my toilet isn’t leaking and it was a job well done (knock on wood).
This experience (I curse plumbing work every time I tackle it), reminds me of a Fraiser episode where Niles is talking to the plumber working on the toilet. In Niles’s “I’m better than you attitude”, he considers the plumber just a hired hand that doesn’t make as much money as he does since he’s a psychiatrist. They are talking about their cars and determine that the plumber had the same BMW that Niles had. Niles inquires as to why he doesn’t have it anymore and the plumber responded that it was too small and he got the larger model. (OK, maybe my synopsis isn’t great, but you get the idea.) I have a new found respect for plumbers and while I might not want to pay whatever rate they charge, it is probably better than me doing a plumbing job myself and doing it wrong.
Scott, I had to do the same thing last week for one of our tanks – I replaced the whole of the guts. But I have a leak from where the supply line comes into the flush valve assembly (not the connection, but rather where the valve assembly comes through the tank).
So I have to spend some time with it trying to keep the water IN. Bah!