This post on “How To Cut Off A Toilet Tank Handle” is going to be a short one, as I agree with that old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In this case, it’s the video below which will unlock my trade secrets. Moving on, we all should know by now that when tightening pipe, fittings, nuts, bolts etc, it’s clockwise to tighten and counter clockwise to loosen or remove. The simplest way to remember this is that popular phrase “righty tighty / lefty loosey”.
But “stop the clock”, when we’re talking about toilet tank levers, that old phrase goes out the window! You see manufacturers figured out a long time ago that by constantly flushing your toilet, the handle would eventually become loose. So enter the reverse thread in which you would tighten to the left and loosen or remove to the right, thus keeping the tank lever from eventually flopping around.
Many older vintage toilet tank levers were made of a cheap white metal composite which would eventually fuse to the threads of the handle making it impossible to remove. Keep tightening in the wrong direction and you’re guaranteed to crack the toilet tank! When that happens the only solution is to cut it off or run the risk of replacing your toilet, especially if you’re not aware of the reverse threads.
Most homeowners aren’t aware and that’s exactly why I made this video “How To Cut Off A Toilet Tank Handle”. So why not check out the video and leave your comments, I would love to know what you think. Remember “righty tighty / lefty loosey” does not apply! As always, you can e-mail your questions to me at info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.
Best Regards & Happy Plumbing!
Bob
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