My great toilet tear down disaster last sunday

I decided to fix a slow leak in my toilet tank last Sunday around 2pm. Got the flapper off fine but then the fill valve nut just crumbled in my hand, old plastic I guess. Water shot straight up like a geyser all over my bathroom floor for a good 30 seconds before I found the shutoff. Had to bike to Ace Hardware still soaking wet, but they had the exact part for $8.47. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a complete mess?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jason1mo agoMost Upvoted

The flapper on my kitchen sink did basically the same thing last year. I was just trying to tighten a loose handle and the whole valve assembly snapped off inside the wall. @grace419 you're totally right, it's like the universe saves up all its little pranks for when you think you've got a quick 20 minute job. I ended up with water spraying into my cabinets for a solid minute before I could shut off the main valve. Had to replace half the drywall underneath because it got all swollen and gross. The part itself was like $6 but the plywood and paint cost me another forty bucks and a whole Saturday.

grace4191mo ago

Isn't it funny how one tiny plastic piece breaking can spiral into a whole afternoon of chaos? It's like the universe tests us on the dumbest days when we just thought we'd knock out a quick chore. I swear, every time I try to fix one thing around the house, three other things fall apart.