Toilet Tank Leak - Around Bolts connecting Tank to Bowl

I recently noted that my toilet was linking around the tank bolts. I got a new set of tank bolts, fabric covered washers, etc., and reconnected the two. After awhile, leaks through both tank bolts. I've purchased more washers and tried a vareity of ways in connecting them - still leaks. I thought I was sqeezing the farbic covered washer too hard, than that I was not squeezing it enough, etc. I'm stumped.

Any suggestions as to how I can get a good seal in the tank so that nothing leaks out along the bolt???

Thanks -- David Jacobson, Arlington, VA

Reply to
DangerMan
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David wrote:>I recently noted that my toilet was linking around the tank bolts. I

You could put a little plumbers grease on the washers. Tom Work at your leisure!

Reply to
Tom

You're doing it wrong. Start again. Take the tank off. Start by putting the big metal washer on the bolt, then a rubber one. Put it into the hole. Then slip another of the wide rubber washers on, from the underside. Next, another wide metal washer. Next, a thin nut to fit on the bolt, to snug things together. So you shoult have-bolt head, metal washer, rubber washer, porcelain, rubber washer, metal washer, nut.

Do the same thing on the other side.

Now, you should be able to carry the tank around, and the bolts and flapper valve should be preventing any leaks.

Advantage of doing it this way with the bolts is that you can snug the thin bolt really tight without concern about breaking the porcelain. And you can verify that you don't have a leaker.

After you've done the bolt and nut combo on the tank, then attach tank to commode (with the gasket in the middle, of course, at the 2" center opening)(use a new one, verify that it's the correct one) and without having to be concerned about making the nut at the bottom so tight to stop a leak.

Reply to
Michael Baugh

I had one leaking like that in an apartment and the slumlord wouldn't fix it. A tube of brown Permatex gook from the auto parts store fixed it without having to take anything apart. It still didn't leak when I moved out a year later. Bob

Reply to
rck

Alas, that's just what I've done Bolt/metal washer/fabric washer inside the tank, fabric washer /metal washer/ nut of the understide of the tank -- snug it up tight. Doesn't leak at first, but eventually it does????

Any suggestions?

DJ in VA

Reply to
DangerMan

Instead of using the 'fabric washer', I generally just get some big, garden variety rubber washers. I'd sooner use a few stacked pieces of duct tape in a pinch. Never have had a leak.

Reply to
Michael Baugh

Thanks, Michael. I had one set of fabric washers left so I gave it one more try:

bolt/metal washer/fabric washer on the inside of the tank, fabric washer/metal washer/nut right under the tank,. I tightened each until I heard a slight "grown" from the tank and backed off a little. (Generally, I've found that overtightening can create more leaks than undertightening, but in this case I tightened it down hard.

Tank then put in place on the bowl and a fabric washer/metal washer/nut used to snug it to the bowl turn by turn with a level. About two hours, no signs of leaks, fingers crossed.

If this doesn't work, I'll try the different rubber washers you suggest. I've probably done this 5 times over the years, first time I've had a problem.

Thanks for your help.

Reply to
DangerMan

I'm not impressed with the need to be gentle about the snugging to the inside and outside of the bottom of the tank. Single thickness that it is, I don't think you have a need to be concerned about making it too tight. If, instead, you were tightening the other nut without the intermediate one, there's a good chance of breaking the tank. I cut some washers out of an old garbage container lid, and I had those suckers tight. Not a leak in two years, at which point the guy cut some out of a bicycle tire inner tube, when he was doing a remodel. A new kit was less than two dollars, but he claimed that if it wasn't 'rigged' like it had been before, it was destined to leak.

Reply to
Michael Baugh

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