Have you ever had something major in your house that needed to be fixed and attempted to fix it yourself? Well today after weeks of a clogged toilet my husband attempted to fix the toilet in the guest bathroom; which is also the bathroom that our kids use. It became clogged when one of our kids (we don't know which one) put something in the toilet and attempted to flush it. Now mind you this isn't the first time it has happened. Previously we have suctioned a plastic fish, a Weeble toy, and other small toys. However this time something got stuck in the toilet and has been there for weeks. When whatever it is first got stuck you could use the toilet a little, but it soon got to where you couldn't flush it and our guest bathroom toilet hasn't been used in quite some time.
When my husband started to take the toilet a part it looked promising. I mean why pay $90 and hour plus materials for a plumber when you could potentially fix it yourself. He unscrewed everything and successfully lifted the toilet from the floor. Once he got the toilet to the point where he could use the snake from underneath I was called in to assist. Again, it was looking promising until the snake was inserted in the toilet from the bottom and he started to maneuver it around and couldn't pull out what was stuck. He went so far as to locate another item in the house that he could use to put inside the toilet from underneath to try and push whatever was stuck out. Well after about 30 minutes or so of trying we had to give up. We came to the conclusion that we will have to purchase a new toilet base because whatever is stuck will not come out. Before he began the repair project my husband priced the items in case we have to replace anything and replacing the toilet base will still be cheaper than calling a plumber, but why can't the kids stop putting things in the toilet. What is their fascination with flushing things?
Now we could be mad at the kids and we could of course punish them, but what good will that do. Kids will be kids. And even after we purchase a new base and secure it over the proper hole/pipe in the floor they will still be intrigued and curious about putting things in the toilet. Especially the youngest who is only 16 months old. Well I know we can't possibly be the only parents in the world who have had to fish things out of a toilet or repair a toilet because of something their kids did. So for all parents and do it yourselfers out there who want to take on the daunting task of fixing a toilet then here are some websites you can go to:
do it yourself
http://www.doityourself.com/scat/repairing
eHow
http://www.ehow.com/how_4811818_doityourself-toilet-repair.html
Fix a Toilet
http://www.fixatoilet.com/
Handy Household Hints
http://www.handyhouseholdhints.com/plumbing/do-it-yourself-toilet-repair/
These are just a few sites. There are many more sites out there that you can turn to for assistance. You can also go to Home Depot or Lowe's and speak with someone at the store and you can even purchase a book there or at any bookstore that sells repair books about fixing a toilet. If you do decide to fix a toilet or any other major appliance or household item you should first make sure you are up to the task. If the answer is yes then do your research. View multiple websites, speak to someone at a home repair store, purchase a book or check one out from your local library about how to fix the problem, and make sure you have all of the proper equipment to complete the task. The bottom line is you most definitely can do it if you have the determination and the drive, and it will save you money, but don't get over your head. If it looks like the task is more than you can handle then it is better to call in the experts. But if you can handle it then I say go for it and you will feel accomplished and you can add something else to the list of things that you can do and have done. That alone makes it all worthwhile.
