Symptom: wet trim, wet wall, and bugs eating the trim.
I thought it might be a leak behind the wall, so I cut open the wall, and it wasn’t that. It was drier behind the wall, but the wallboard itself was damp.
Looking around, I noticed there was “gunk” in the grout, and determined that might be the cause.
First crack at fixing it was to replace the wax ring.
Splitting Nuts
Getting the bolt off was difficult. They were spinning freely, and maybe the ring is busted. Not sure. I had to get that nut off.
Couldn’t cut the bolt too easily, so I went looking for a nut breaker.
Found the nut splitter, and used it to split the nut. It worked. This one (size 3) was too big, but did the trick. A smaller one would have worked better. They are around $30 for a set here, and around $9 mail order.
I’m worried that the toilet flange is damaged. Here’s a Home Depot link to search for toilet flange things.
https://www.homedepot.com/s/toilet%20flange?NCNI-5
Basically, the bolt shouldn’t have spun around the way it did. That part of the flange might be damaged, or it’s possible the entire thing is more screwed up than expected – so would need to be repaired.
Replacing the Water Supply Angle Valve
Then, the supply angle valve was screwed up. It was leaky. I have to replace it.
Good news: the 1/4 turn valves are common. Bad news: Brasscraft’s has plastic insides. Good news: the ACE Hardware ones I’ve gotten before have worked very well for me. They are still being sold locally:
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/valves/shut-off-valves/4309563
The ones I got were good, but there’s a reviews saying these are kind of junky. Maybe. But it has a brass ball valve in there. The prior ones I purchased had brass balls.
The old ones I got had a 1/2″ FIP outlet, which is common in this house, but these have 3/8″ compression, so I’ll need to get a new supply hose.
Update: Got the Wrong One Sorta, but Not Really Wrong
The 1/2″ FIP on the inlet side was correct, but I got the wrong one. I had to go back and get the right one.
| Inlet | Outlet | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2″ FIP | 3/8″ OD Compression | This is the current standard. |
| 1/2″ FIP | 1/2″ OD Compression | This is for installations where you connect the faucet with a copper tube. |
| 1/2″ FIP | 7/8″ ???? | I saw this, but not sure what it’s for. |
| 1/2″ FIP | 1/2″ FIP | This works with the old supply line I had, but the valve was not available. |
At ACE, most of the hose options were 3/8″ comp, and 1/2″ FIP.
(I also feel like going half-inch to half-inch is better than going from half-inch to smaller, so you don’t get an increase in pressure and/or drop in volume, and a narrower path that can be more easily blocked by debris.)
I know this sounds like an ACE ad. It may as well be, because I’ve been happier with ACE than Home Depot or Lowes on bathroom stuff.
Spuds
I’m going to need a new spud, but I have to double check the works to see how worn out it is. A new kit costs $25, but it’s Fluidmaster, so… low trust. The old gear might be better.
I got the no-wax wax ring.
Initially, I was really feeling it, but now, I’m not so sure. Wax has a nice quality of being cheap, and self-healing to some extent.
I don’t think I’ve ever lifted this toilet in question, and the room was remodeled over 15 years ago. It’s just something I should do every 5-10 years.
This time, at least, I’m going to try this plastic thing for 10 years.