In this video I just wanted to walk you through the motions should you decide to replace one of these old style brass flush valves. Its the same steps you’d take to install a plastic flush valve on your toilet tank.
These flush valves were generally found in the old style wall hung tiolet tanks which used way too much water.That’s why I always recommend upgrading to a modern water efficient tank and bowl combination when faced with this type of repair.
Back in the day this was a standard repair that we would run across every day, but removing the tank from the bowl was not an easy task.
The bolts in those days were made of white metal as opposed to brass and in most cases had to be cut off. Now, I will cover that procedure in a separate video, but for now we’ll talk about the flush valve.
The key here is that the large 2″ metal nut that holds the valve in place in most cases will have to be cut in a few places and then pried off with a thin blade screw driver.
If the hack saw was to awkward to get down to the porcelain, I would remove it from it’s frame and using the blade alone get down as close as I could to the surface of the tank.
I would start with a blade that’s 24 teeth per inch and end up with a 32 teeth per inch blade. When the Lennox close quarter saw became available I found it to be most useful for this task.
The next tip is to always use a 2″ metal or even plastic friction washer to place between the new 2″ locknut and the bottom of the tank.
They may not always come with the new flush valve, but using one will keep it from binding against the bottom of the tank.
Not too difficult a task and if you take it slow you shouldn’t have any issues at all.
Again, in todays world, if you’re faced between changing out an outdated flush valve or installing a new water efficient tank and bowl, go with the new equipment. You won’t be sorry.
HAPPY PLUMBING!
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