DON'T FORGET TO JIGGLE the handle.

By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Make sure to hold the flusher down for at least three seconds.
Be careful when you sit down -- the seat's loose.
If you have to give guests a list of instructions before they use your toilet, then it's high time for some repairs.
Jim Durkin, of Better Plumbers and Home Improvement in Struthers and Youngstown, and Jim Shafer Jr., of Shafer Plumbing in Southington, gave advice on how to diagnose and handle some of the most common problems with the commode.
PROBLEM ONE:THE TOILET THAT LEAKS
Leaking toilets are the most common cause of high water bills, so if you've got one, you could be wasting gallons of water and flushing hundreds of dollars down the drain.
"Your water bill might be $15 to $20 higher each month if your toilet leaks," Shafer said.
Durkin recalled one extreme case where a customer's monthly water bill was sky high because a toilet was leaking a seven gallons of water a minute.
"Most people aren't aware that their toilet is leaking or that it is wasting water," Durkin said.
Some toilets leak around the base, but in this case, water seeped from the tank and into the bowl or down the drain.
A properly operating toilet will store water in the tank indefinitely without any running into the bowl until the toilet is flushed.
Shafer listed some of the most obvious signs of a leak:
UIf you have to jiggle the handle to stop the toilet from running.
USounds coming from the toilet when it is not being used.
UIf you have to hold the handle down to allow the tank to empty.
UIf you can see water trickling down the sides of the toilet bowl after it's been flushed.
UIf the toilet suddenly runs by itself for 15 seconds or so without anyone touching the flusher (Known among plumbers as "the phantom flusher," Shafer said this means you need a new stopper in the tank.)
But even if your toilet doesn't present any of these symptoms, it could still be leaking, Shafer said.
To find out for sure, Durkin and Shafer recommend putting five to 10 drops of food coloring in the tank and waiting about 15 to 20 minutes.
If, at the end of that time, you discover any colored water in the toilet bowl, then you know the toilet is leaking, they said.
What to do
Once you know for sure that your toilet is leaking, it helps to familiarize yourself with the working parts of a toilet so that you know how to proceed in fixing the leak.
Here are some parts you'll need to be able to identify if your home has the traditional tank toilet:
UBall cock or fill valve -- the water supply valve.
UFlapper (also called the stopper or tank ball) -- the rubbery plug at the bottom of the tank that is attached to the lift chain.
UFloat ball -- the ball that rides in the surface of the water in the tank. When the tank is full, the float ball shuts off the ball cock.
UFlush valve -- where the flapper and the flush valve seat connect.
UFlush valve seat -- the brass or plastic sealant ring at the bottom of the tank.
ULift arm -- the thin metal rod inside the tank that connects to the flush handle and raises the flapper valve.
UOverflow pipe -- the long, hollow tube fastened to the bottom of the tank.
PROBLEM TWO:FAULTY FLUSH VALVESAND FILL VALVES
Durkin said toilets that run all the time usually need a new flush valve or fill valve.
Shafer and Durkin said it is not difficult to replace a flush valve, and someone who is mechanically inclined can easily do so by simply following directions on the package of the product.
If you would rather call a professional, Durkin and Shafer said you should expect to pay about $50.
Durkin said replacing a fill valve is more involved because it usually requires an overhaul. Professionals typically charge around $65 to $100 to do the job.
Durkin and Shafer said that some people assume that if a toilet is leaking, they will see water on the floor, but this is a sign of a different type of leak.
It could mean that the wax sealing ring around the bottom of toilet has disintegrated, the tank is cracked or the tank has a problem with condensation.
PROBLEM THREE: A WORN OUT WAX SEALING RING
Wax sealing rings sit under the toilet and help it adhere to the floor.
Since moisture around the base of a toilet can damage flooring, a deteriorated wax sealing ring needs to be replaced promptly.
However, to do this job yourself, the entire toilet must be removed from the floor, a job that's not suitable for people who can't lift more than 35 pounds.
"That's how much the tank weighs, and you will have to detach it from the base in order to complete the job," Durkin said.
When buying a new wax sealing ring, also buy new nuts and bolts to mount the toilet to the floor, Shafer said.
The wax sealing ring costs under $10. Durkin said the type of wax ring must be compatible with the type of flooring in the bathroom.
"Certain types of wax rings will not adhere to certain types of floors, so make sure you know what you need before you buy one and go to the trouble of installing it," he said.
Doing it yourself
If you want to try to replace the wax sealing ring on your own, protect the floor around the toilet with old towels since while you are removing the toilet from the floor, there's bound to be some dripping.
If there is a caulk seal between the bowl and floor, you'll need to cut through it to get to the wax sealing ring. Next, you'll have to loosen the nuts and bolts that hold the toilet to the floor.
Once these are loose, rock the bowl from side to side to break it free from the old wax ring, then lift the toilet up and off the bolts and turn it on its side.
Clean old wax from the base of the bowl using alcohol or mineral spirits.
To make a new, tight seal, both the floor and the base must be clean and dry. Press the new wax ring evenly over the hole in the base of the toilet or over the hole in the floor, and insert the new mounting bolts into the slots.
The next step is the hard part. You have to lower the bowl down over the bolts evenly so that the toilet remains level. It helps to have someone to help you guide the toilet down over the bolts.
If this all sounds like too much work, call a professional. You can get a wax sealing ring replaced for around $75.
PROBLEM FOUR:CONDENSATION
Condensation on the outside of a toilet tank occurs when humid air in the bathroom touches the cold tank.
To conquer the condensation problem, Shafer said homeowners can buy a molded foam toilet liner kit for about $10 that insulates the inside of the tank.
Durkin said a do-it-yourselfer can handle this job, but there are a few things to be extra careful of.
"Follow the directions carefully regarding cementing the kit to a clean dry surface. If the surface isn't perfectly clean and dry, the insulation kit won't stick," he said.
One other thing to keep in mind is that if the toilet is leaking, condensation will be even worse because a constant exchange of cold water in the tank will keep the temperature in the tank much lower than the temperature in the room.
PREVENTIVEMAINTENANCE
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the lifespan of a toilet is about 50 years.
Here are a few tips to keep your commode flushing:
UNever use a toilet as a ladder. Don't stand on the lid or put pressure against the tank by leaning back on it.
UAs soon as the bristles have worn away on the toilet brush, get a new one. The bowl could become scratched once bristles wear down and metal is exposed, and once the bowl is scratched it will be more difficult to keep clean.
UDon't flush sanitary napkins, diapers, bandages, gum, facial tissues etc. down the toilet.
UNever pour boiling water into a toilet bowl or tank -- it could crack.
UDon't store items on the back of the toilet tank. If a comb, brush or toothbrush falls into the toilet bowl and accidentally gets flushed, it could become lodged inside the interior passageways of the toilet and you might have to replace the toilet, and heavy items stored on the back of the toilet tank could chip or crack the bowl if they fall in.
UIt's easy to crack porcelain when tightening nuts, so be very careful when using a wrench during toilet repairs.
MISC. TIPS
UReplacing the flusher on a toilet tank can be frustrating because the nut on the inside of the tank is threaded in the reverse way to how we usually remove nuts. To make matters easier, unscrew the nut clockwise.
UWhen changing a toilet seat, be careful if the bolts are rusted. Apply a penetrating lubricant to the bolts and wait several hours before proceeding. Use a long-handled, adjustable wrench to remove them, and never hit the bolts with a hammer to break them. Plastic bolts might need to be cut off with a hack saw if the their threads are worn.
UTo get your toilet extra clean, lower the water level before applying bowl cleaner.