FAQs

OEM stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturer”. This means anything from the original manufacturer that is sold to a second company to use in production of that second company’s product. In other words, many toilet manufacturers outsource for the internal working parts of the toilet, such as the fill valves, flush valves, or flappers. When this happens, they have the opportunity to use an existing part, or to spec something for the specific toilet. When the toilet manufacturer chooses to use an existing part, the manufacturer of the part can still sell that piece under their own name – these are considered “will fit” parts. If the toilet manufacturer chooses to spec something for the specific toilet, the part manufacturer can then only provide that part to the toilet manufacturer. What this means for you is that you can sometimes get the *exact same part* (by the original manufacturer of the OEM part), but under another name and at a better cost! So when your toilet’s internal working parts need to be replaced, you may have the option to use either the “OEM” part number or use the “will-fit” part number to order what you need. Please note that only some “will-fit” items are manufactured by the OEM manufacturer.

This depends on several factors; each time you use your toilet the trip lever, flapper, and fill valve are operated. You will find, however, that the flapper and fill valve are the parts most exposed to water and will be the first ones to wear out in most cases.

That depends on a number of variables and which parts. Water quality is one of the major factors. If your water source is heavily chlorinated then many parts won’t last long. Or if you have a lot of sand or grit or have a low pH or “aggressive” water source then parts simply won’t last as long as the ‘average’ length of time. Also the quality of the parts matters. The replaceable parts such as flappers and washers/seals generally will last at least four to five years on “average.”

If, after flushing, you find that the toilet continues to run, and you have discovered that by jiggling the handle it will stop; then the problem may be that the chain controlling the flapper is too long. When installing your flapper, you want the flapper chain’s S-hook in the hole closest to the handle with very little slack in the chain itself. By doing so, when the toilet is flushed, the chain will fall behind the flapper where it won’t snag and cause problems such as keeping the flapper from closing properly. Check to make sure that the flapper has enough clearance to close, i.e. not hitting the float ball when the water level drops. You also want to check to see that the toilet’s flush handle (aka tank lever) is installed securely so it can’t rotate too high, hitting the tank’s lid or other parts and sticking.

When water isn’t flowing into a toilet, generally start by shutting off the water supply then carefully remove the cap from the top of the fill valve in the tank (ball cock/float valve). Once the cap is removed, turn on the water slowly (usually a 2-person job) using a small plastic bowl over the opening to redirect the water down into the tank. If no water comes out the opening, then there is a clog in the line to the fill valve.

The next step is to shut off the water and remove the supply line from the bottom of the toilet, then redirect the supply line into a 5 gallon bucket and turn the valve back on. If you don’t get water out of the supply tube, then you have to shut off the water to the house and remove the valve from the wall, because your blockage is in the inlet to the valve.

First, you never want to reuse an old compression ring. Always remove and replace it with a new one. There are a couple of ways to remove a compression ring, but none of them are easy. We recommend using a tool designed specifically to remove compression rings, which is like a bearing puller. It fits behind the compression nut and grips it, then your turn the toggle nut till the nut and ring come off the copper. Remember: the crimp on the pipe must be cut away in order to avoid future leaks.

When the federal government mandated that new toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush,(although most states are requiring no more than 1.28 gallons per flush) manufacturers had to develop a toilet that would achieve this but that would also flush properly (clear the bowl) and carry the waste to the city sewer or septic system. Some of the early models did not do this properly. Since then, the complaints have forced the manufacturers to develop new ways of flushing toilets. One new way is the use of a pressurized toilet tank. This model looks like a regular toilet, but it has a pressure tank inside. When flushed, it works like a commercial toilet. A large surge of water enters the bowl and clears it of any waste. These toilets work well, but are not as quiet as a conventional models, but do eliminate the common toilet problems associated with the early 1.6-gallon models. Another way is to check the MaP rating (Maximum Performance rating) which is independent testing that identifies how well toilet models perform bulk waste removal using a realistic test media, and grades (ranks) each toilet model based on this performance to ensure a level playing field.

When considering a new fixture for your home, such as a toilet, we recommend that you choose a fixture made by one of the major manufacturers, such as American Standard, Kohler or ProFlo.

ADA-compliant chair/comfort height is a minimum of 17 inches and a maximum of 19 inches from the finished floor to the top of the toilet seat. Standard height toilets are typically 14 to 15 inches in height. Many prefer ADA-compliant height to make sitting down and standing back up easier.

Normally, unless a city specifically passes a local code that requires the change, you don’t have to make replacing a toilet or two a priority. Some jurisdictions that are having a problem with pure water sources are requiring that all toilets and faucets be switched to low flow. So if your city has water restrictions for lawn watering, drought conditions or a low water table, then they may require the switching of toilets.

The toilet fill valve measurements are measured from the inside bottom of the tank to the top of the fill valve. The threaded water supply shank that fits through the bottom of the tank is not included in this measurement.

This could be caused by many things. First, make sure to install the sized tube that is recommended per the manufacturer instructions. Use the clip that comes with it and do not just stick it into the overflow tube or it will go on and off every so often by itself. If that isn’t it, take some food coloring and place it in your tank. Wait a few hours and if some of the color has gone into the bowl then you probably need a new flapper.

Turn off the water supply and flush the toilet. Reach in and unhook the ears of the flapper and unhook the chain from the trip lever. Install an identical flapper to the original that came from the factory, or match up the flapper to a non-OEM flapper by taking it into the retailer or looking up on the internet to find the same looking one and print out to take into the retailer. Do expect to get your hands dirty from the old flapper. Simply reinstall the new one in reverse order. Note that should you have very old brass pipes inside of your toilet, you need to be careful not to be rough on them. The pipes can easily break and end up leaking.

After you have replaced your flapper, and the toilet tank bowl has refilled, the water fill valve should not leak (be going on and off in cycles). If it does, then we recommend putting some food coloring into your tank. This can help diagnose the problem. The colored water should not be going into the bowl (unless you flush the toilet of course). If the food color does seep into the bowl, then possibly the flapper is not the correct one, or the surface where the toilet flapper sit has eroded (feel below where the flapper touched the toilet and see if you can feel erosion/groove) or you may only need to add some slack to the chain.

In most cases, when this happens, it is a sign that either the float mechanism is faulty or the rubber of the flapper has become hard, preventing it from moving the way it should. Replacing the flapper could be a possible solution.

Most likely you may need a new flapper. There are several kinds of flappers in the market that are adjustable and can stay open either longer or close a lot quicker depending on what you require. All you need to do is look for an “adjustable” flapper and even if you have an expensive model toilet, it is always advisable to go with the part from the same model as this usually works best.

There are a few problems you can face with toilet flappers. One of these could be a flapper that closes too quickly. This might stop your toilet from completing a flush action or may leave very little water in the toilet bowl. To fix this, take off the cover of the back of the toilet and examine the flapper chain. If you find a lot of slack, take the chain off, pull it tight and loosen it by a link to cut the slack.

Visit your local hardware retailer and see about purchasing the genuine flapper from the brand of your toilet. Also, ensure that there are only 1 or 2 links of slack in the chain when you install the flapper. This should fix the leak.

This indicates that the trip lever is disconnected from the flapper. Look inside the bowl for a wire or chain that leads from the flapper up to the trip lever. The chain may have just disconnected from the lever, from the flapper, or the lever or chain may have broken.

If there is a break, you can check to be sure everything else is all right by physically raising the flapper. Flappers rise and float when pulled from the seat they rest in, so if you yank it up, it should do the rest of the work for you. If you get a proper flush from doing this, then you must 1) replace or repair the chain, or the clip that attaches the chain to the trip lever; and 2) replace or repair the flush lever.

There are several ways trip levers are mounted; the style will depend on the manufacturer’s shape of the tank, and the location of the flush valve. The styles are angle mount, side mount, front mount, right-hand mount, and offset. The angle mount typically has a 45° angle in the arm so that it can reach the flush valve located near the center of the tank. The side mount trip lever is for toilets that need a trip lever on the left side of the toilet tank (when standing and facing the toilet). Front mount toilets are one of the more common styles, and are mounted on the left/front of the tank (unless it is noted as “right hand mount”). Right hand mount is located on the right/front side of the tank. The offset trip lever has a long arm, and is angled to work around a less commonly angled tank shape.

Some trip levers have a metal handle and brass arm; however, as more and more homeowners opt to replace parts themselves, plastic replacement trip levers have become more readily available as a less expensive alternative. The metal trip levers are of superior quality when compared to plastic, and will far outlast them. Unfortunately, plastic trip levers are more likely to deteriorate than the all metal ones, making replacement more likely, more often. Additionally, brass levers are easier to adapt to odd tank shapes if you can’t find an original tank lever, as you can simply bend the lever to place it where you want it. Note, however, that bent or altered trip levers typically cannot be returned.

Make sure the leak isn’t coming from above and dribbling down the back of the toilet, as this is a “typical” undetected problem. If you aren’t sure where the leak is coming from, try putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and waiting a few hours.

The pressed wood seats that are manufactured today are generally well made. Wood seats don’t tend to “wiggle” much and should last 5 – 20 years (depending on usage and cleaning methods). If you drop the seat’s lid a lot, the paint will wear off. Plastic seats come in many grades and thicknesses. The lower priced ones tend to “wiggle” and move around while you are sitting on them. If you are going to buy a plastic seat, we strongly suggest that you pay extra and get a thick seat. The paint won’t wear off and a good quality, thick plastic toilet seat can’t be beat. They are more expensive but worth the price.

Per the manufacturer, there is a line that is sometimes visible at the front of the seat, usually just to the left or right of center. This is known as the “mold line” or “seam line”, where the liquid plastic molds (or “knits”) together during the manufacturing process. The line is usually more noticeable in darker seats, and runs the length of the seating rim in that spot on the seat. It”s important to note that it is not a weak point in the seat and will be smooth to the touch.