my toilet died last night.

I just got a new roof on my house a few weeks ago. Last night was the first really substantial rain (downpour) we have had since so it was the acid test for the roof. For the first hour of the rain I was running around the house inspecting all the areas that could spring leaks if there was a problem with the roof.

Just before bed I'm starting to calm down. No leaks, roof seems to be doing great.

Go to use the downstairs bathroom and step onto to the bathmat to find it completely soaked with water. FUCK! WATER IS COMING DOWN INSIDE THE WALL!!

Wait...what's this? Upon closer inspection, I discover that that tank on my toilet sprouted a completely random crack through the porcelain up the entire height of the tank and the tank was pissing water all over the floor. I was quite relieved to find this was the problem and not the roof Still need a new toilet now though -- this one is a POS and should have been replaced years ago. Anybody's tank just randomly crack in half? I had just been in that bathroom hours ago and no water. I almost wonder if one particularly loud thunder clap caused the crack to start.

Unfortunately, last time I had this toilet off the floor, the flange was nearly sacked. I barely got it to hold the toilet down to the floor and this is in a semi basement on a concrete slab.

So when the new toilet goes down (probably a Toto...wife wants to spend big $$$ and get something good. ) I already know I'm going to be dealing with a broken flange.

It's a metal flange on a PVC pipe coming out of the slab. Suggestions for replacement that don't involve jack hammering out the damn slab?

I can't help you with the flange, but I've been completely thrilled with my Caroma. We put in this one:

http://www.caromausa.com/products/index/cu_products71.php

It has been in for over three years and has never clogged. It also lowered our water usage by 500 gallons per month.

get a repair flange, and just lay it on top with some mastic and clamp it together.

You will need to go to a dedicated plumber's supply type store. Sometimes you can find a flange extension, its like half inch thick and can attach to the current flange, either by fasteners or epoxy. Then acquire a wax ring with an extended flange tube that is long enough to pass through both flanges. Depending on how high the extension is, you may have to cut down the wax ring a little or heat the piss out of it with a hair dryer and crush it in when installing the toilet. Both parts should collectively be under $20, with some quantity of beer.

Keep in mind, I'm a graphic designer, not a plumber. Hell.... I'm still getting oil in my SMRs radiator if that helps prove that I may not be the best resource. So when you go to the plumber supply, take a picture of your situation, make some measurements and the desk should be able to sort you out.

-db

That sounds about right,I used to do remodels for a living,toilets crack REAL easy,they are just a big piece of glass. They need a level area to sit on or they leak or crack,over tightening the tank or the foot can easily crack the newest most expensive toilet. Sometimes I would double up the wax ring or buy a thick one for a better seal.
Setting a toilet down too hard on a tile floor can crack it rt out of the box. No problem as long as your careful.
Women Love expensive toilets!!!!!!!!!!! Id rather have the carb parts for my Triumph in hand then a shiny toilet.

What is mastic?

A waterproof, putty-like paste used in building as a joint-sealer or filler.

I'd rather not ever have to plunge a toilet. I forgot all about the expense of mine after the first week of not having to plunge the thing every day. After a couple of months, the plunger ended up in the shed and hasn't seen the light of day since. I'm sure the water and time savings have paid for some other shiny things, not to mention not having to approach the flush button with trepidation every time we use the bathroom.

You are lucky you were home, I have seen what one of them cracked reservoirs can do to a house when left for a few hours, better call the insurance then.:huh

Can they crack on their own?....well we saw that happen once, lucky we were drinking at the kitchen table and saw the "flood" come out of the bathroom before it got into the carpets. Then we had to play "Drunken Plumbers"....

Then went home and.....put some fiberglass tape around my cracked reservoir, had never leaked but....!:eek1

You may want to look at them in line "Water shut off devices", cheap insurance.http://www.wattscanada.ca/pages/_products_details.asp?catId=1159&parCat=1386&pid=600&ref=2

My basement toilet flange was broken. Went to home depot ,picked up a part that looked like 1/3 of a flange . Slipped it
under the original flange and bolted it up. It works ok.

i want a tankless industrial model that will flush a soft ball with out clogging. you know the ones that cause a draft in the room when you flush. yeah that's what I'm getting when one of mine die.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jl3P7sjxCk

That Caroma I linked will pass a tennis ball. I tested it before installing it. I think a softball might be a bit too big. As for tankless, you need a largish supply line with good pressure for it to work, and they're not particularly efficient.

Are you sure it's the toilet leaking.

Maybe the toilet is just cracked and not leaking but the new roof is leaking around the vent.

Just a thought..................

Nah. It rained a good couple of hours after I cleaned up the water on the floor and there was no new water in the morning. Plus I could see the water dripping from the crack in the tank.

A good upper decker, with lots of corn, will seal it right up

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Upper+Decker

the ones I'm speaking of would destroy the softball not flush the thing whole... we have one at work i swear it creates a draft in the room with it's flushed. I swear that thing would take the hide off a softball and then destroy the innards. I'm joking here about the ball but not about the draft.

Get a KLR rider to repair it, at most it will cost ya duct tape, some silicone and maybe 2 cans of PBR.......

I keep trying to ignore the voices in my head when I peruse the list of topics... but the "toilet blew up" by Zappa keeps coming through! :huh

Flakes! Flakes!
Flakes! Flakes!
They don't do no good
They never be workin'
Whe they oughta should
They waste your time
They're wasting mine
California's got the most of them
Boy, they got a host of them

Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
They got the Flakes

Flakes! Flakes!

They can't fix yer brakes
You ask 'em, "Where's my motor?"
"Well, it was eaten by snakes..."
You can stab 'n' shoot 'n' spit
But they won't be fixin' it
They're lyin' an' lazy
They can be drivin' you crazy

Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
Swear t'God they got the most
At every business on the coast
[Take it away, Bob...]

I asked as nice as I could
If my job would
Somehow be finished by Friday
Well, them whole damn weekend
came 'n' went, Frankie
[Wanna buy some mandies, Bob?]
'N' they didn't do nothin'
But they charged me double for Sunday

You know, no matter what you do,
They gonna cheat 'n' rob you
Then they'll send you a bill
That'll get your senses reelin'
And if you do not pay
They got computer collectors
That'll get you so crazy
'Til your head'll go through th' ceilin'
Yes it will!

I'm a moron, 'n' this is my wife
She's frosting a cake
With a paper knife
All what we got here's
American made
It's a little bit cheesey,
But it's nicely displayed
Well we don't get excited when it
Crumbles 'n' breaks
We just get on the phone
And call up some Flakes
They rush on over
'N' wreck it some more
'N' we are so dumb
They're linin' up at our door
Well, the toilet went crazy
Yersterday afternoon
The plumber he says
"Never flush a tampoon!"
This great information
Cost me half a week's pay
And the toilet blew up
Later on the next day-ay-eee-ay
Blew up the next day
WOO-OOO

We are millions 'n' millions,
We're coming to get you
We're protected by unions
So don't let it upset you
Can't escape the conclusion
It's probably God's Will
That civilization
Will grind to a standstill
And we are the people
Who will make it all happen
While yer children is sleepin',
Yer puppy is crappin'
You might call us Flakes
Or something else you might coin us
But we know you're so greedy
That you'll probably join us

We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you
We're coming to get you, we're coming to get you...