Hi, my name is Kat. I have worked in the front and back house of many restaurants, and I have also seen the game from the perspective of an owner. Although many people like to embrace complicated safety procedures, I believe you can accomplish just as much with smaller supplies and procedures. If you are ready to strip down your safety procedures and figure out easier, more effective ways to keep your staff safe, please explore this blog. It discusses everything from finding the perfect non-slip mats to buying the best oven mats or hot towels. It also looks at specific supplies you can get to reduce your liability in certain areas. Thanks for reading!
You've moved into your first apartment and are experiencing a rush of independence. And the growing knowledge that maintenance doesn't always respond as fast as you'd like, especially when it comes to problems that seem minor like a running toilet. Luckily, most common toilet problems are easy to fix and don't require either maintenance or a plumber to pay you an expensive visit.
Here are a couple of quick fixes that anyone should know when moving into their first apartment.
Stop Annoying Running by Checking the Flapper
The sound of a toilet constantly running ranks up there with dripping faucets in the (imaginary) index of annoyances. You've tried jiggling the handle and just shutting the door but the noise is still keeping you up at night. It's time for you to take a look in the tank of the toilet.
Remove the tank lid and set it carefully aside on the floor somewhere you won't trip over it. Look at all of the mechanisms inside the tank and find a round rubber plug piece that's located on the bottom of the tank --- meaning, the part of the tank that's under water. This is called the flapper.
The flapper is attached to a chain that then attaches to the flush arm. The flush arm, as the name suggests, is the backing mechanism to the flush handle that you use on the exterior of the tank. You flush the handle, the arm lifts the chain and the flapper, and water is able to refill the toilet bowl.
If the chain is too long, it can become trapped under the closing flapper. If the chain is too short, the flapper doesn't have enough slack to close all the way. Both of these problems can create a running toilet.
Test flush a few times with the tank lid off and see if your chain is the wrong length. If it is the wrong length, you can simply head to the plumbing supplies section of a store like Barstow Industrial Supply and purchase a cheap replacement chain and flapper unit. You should also do the replacement if your current chain length is fine but the flapper looks corroded or worn.
Slow or Noisy Refill
When you flush the toilet, does it seem to take longer to refill with water than most toilets you've used in the past? Has this problem existed since you moved in? The problem is likely a partially turned shut-off valve.
The shut-off valve is located at the back of the toilet near the floor. The valve is a lifesaver when your toilet is about to overflow and you need to stop the water from coming. But if a previous tenant turned it off and didn't fully turn it back on, the refilling water is partially restricted.
Turn the shut-off valve fully on by twisting it counterclockwise until it can no longer turn. Flush your toilet and see if the water refills faster. If you're still experiencing problems, call maintenance or a plumber to check for more serious plumbing issues.
Share23 March 2015
