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News & ArtsSaturday, January 7, 2012
Life And You Thought the Republican Presidential Field Was Shitty...
Posted by Goldy on Sat, Jan 7, 2012 at 8:49 PM
In the live-Slog of tonight's Republican debate, which I regrettably missed, Frizzelle joked that I was absent due to a "santorum-related accident." Well, close.
After putting it off for way too long, I just finished replacing the wax ring on my toilet, and I'll spare you the details, but the task was every bit as godawful disgusting as I imagined it to be. Now that I'm familiar with the task the next one should go faster, but if I have the spare money I'm hiring myself a fucking plumber, because whatever they charge, this is one shitty job. Literally.
I don't think I'll ever feel clean again.
And for the record, if you have a choice, don't ever shop at any hardware store other than McLendon's. I got the wax ring replaced fine, but after reassembling the toilet, found the seals in the tank of my 40-plus-year old toilet leaking. The guy at McLendon's gave me exactly the advice and the parts that I needed. As usual.
2
Well, as you know, you only get into santorum-related accidents if you don't do the task correctly.
3
By the way, spreading santorum seems to be the top result when you Google or Bing santorum right now.
This is a different result than yesterday when Googling or Binging santorum resulted in spreading santorum appearing as the third result.
This is a different result than yesterday when Googling or Binging santorum resulted in spreading santorum appearing as the third result.
6
I caught this bit on the set of tubes in which Perry says he'll reinvade Iraq. I don't think he understands the meaning of the word "literally."
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/0…
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/0…
8
Once this whole "election" thing is over, how about a remake of Perfect Strangers with Rick Santorum as Larry and Dan Savage as Balki.
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previ…
http://images.starpulse.com/Photos/Previ…
9
If we had stainless steel toilets this would not be necessary. That would also be true of steel toilets, but removing your toilet every five years to sand and paint it is probably not something imaginable this side of the former iron curtain.
11
A leaking toilet belonging to Goldy? I'm surprised he wasn't posting blog posts then - after all the leak is the same material as a lot of his posts.
12
In my experience with DIY plumbing, the eternal truth is that you end up repairing 2-3 things besides (or instead of) what you first thought was needed.
Both the tap and drain sides will often soldier on for decades in daily use, but the second they receive unaccustomed disturbance (including mere ogling and wiggling), they fail in ways only a pro could have predicted. And yet I get suckered into trying repairs again and again because they look straightforward; I don't think I've ever finished a job without at least three trips to the hardware store.
Both the tap and drain sides will often soldier on for decades in daily use, but the second they receive unaccustomed disturbance (including mere ogling and wiggling), they fail in ways only a pro could have predicted. And yet I get suckered into trying repairs again and again because they look straightforward; I don't think I've ever finished a job without at least three trips to the hardware store.
13
I fret a bit less about all the thousands I've spent on rent, never to be seen again, when I hear homeowner horror stories like this.
14
Man you're OK, so if a problem like this comes up again, give me a shout, if I'm in town, and reasonably sober, and not making out with some hot guy in the men's room at Changes, I'll fix it for ya' won't charge what a plumber would just a drink or two...
15
You should probably think about swapping out your 40-year old toilet anyway. There are plenty of solid, low flow HE toilets out there.
16
So you probably have a toilet that wastes a ton of water and you didn't want to replace it with a modern, low flow toilet. Dumb, hypocritical move, Goldy.
17
@16, Actually, what I have, like nearly everything in my 100-year-old house, is non-standard dimensions, making replacing everything more expensive and complicated than one might think. The center of the pipe is less than 10 inches from the wall. Can't just pick up any old toilet and slip it in.
That said, the previous owners had placed a bottle in the tank, reducing the volume by about a liter, and it flushes fine.
That said, the previous owners had placed a bottle in the tank, reducing the volume by about a liter, and it flushes fine.
18
Those leakey gaskets (the flapper and the rubber between the tank and bowl) can waste fucking mega-gallons of water.
And when changing the wax ring....take the toilet out into the yard first thing, and give the bottom a good douching with the hose...without looking at it closely!
And when changing the wax ring....take the toilet out into the yard first thing, and give the bottom a good douching with the hose...without looking at it closely!
19
@ 17, in the case, I apologize. I hope you're doing what you can to make your home energy efficient, but realize that those old homes are a huge pain if they're not being renovated by the "This Old Home" crew.
21
@18: It was from where the tank screws in to the base that the leaks developed, and I was just going to replace the washers, but the guy at McLendon's wisely suggested I replace the gasket too, and steered me toward a $7 kit. As for the flapper, I replaced the innards of the tank about a decade ago; no leaks that I can tell.
23
I love McLendon's. I don't blame them for moving to a more spacious store in Renton but I really miss the character of the old place.
24
I'd caution you about McLendon paint. It's private label stuff, and I used to work in that factory. The place was similar to the underside of your 40yo toilet.
25
Goo Gone works magic when removing the old wax ring and the bits that come along. Douse the flange with that stuff, wait a few minutes, then use a rag to wipe it up and you should be ready for the new wax ring.
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