The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
First Aid For The Ailing Houses
The waste outlet of a toilet bowl is conical and fits into the funnel-shaped end of a lead or other pipe leading to the waste pipe. The joint at the bottom of the toilet is made tight against leaks of water and gas with a heavy washer and a packing, usually of putty. In the course of time, hardening and cracking of the putty may cause leaks. To replace the packing, the connection between the bowl and the flush tank is removed, and the bowl released by unscrewing the bolts that hold it down. The old putty can then be scraped out and replaced with new. Compounds can be obtained which are improvements on putty in not becoming quite hard.
The yellow film that appears on a white toilet seat is from perspiration and grease; it can be removed by rubbing with the cleaner used on the finish of an automobile before waxing.
One frequent problem (although this is not technically a plumbing repair) is closing a crack between the top and sides of the bathtub (or shower) and the wall. If allowed to remain, such a crack can cause serious damage to plaster on ceilings below by water dripping down. There are several excellent preparations for this repair. Tile-Set, Tile-Fix, Tub Caulk are three well-known names. Of a puttylike consistency, they are simply squeezed out of the tube as it is moved along the crack. A neat repair job is easy to achieve. These preparations never dry out thoroughly, so that they can accommodate any possible expansion or contraction.
CRACK IN LAUNDRY TUB
To mend a crack in a laundry tub, the crack is widened with a screwdriver or the handle end of a file to make a groove into which a patch can be forced. The groove is packed with soft cotton string smeared with white-lead paste. Several days should be allowed for drying before using the tub. This method can be used for tubs made of concrete, slate, or soapstone. Another method is to fill the crack with a paste made of powdered litharge and glycerin. As this hardens rather quickly, only a little at a time should be mixed. Epoxy resin may be used for laundry-tub repair (see section on Repairing Flush Tanks).
LEAKS IN CEMENT TANKS
To close leaks in laundry rubs and other tanks made of cement, slate, or stone, cut into the cement along the crack to make a groove 1/2 inch or deeper, using a slender cold chisel the handle end of a file, or similar tool. After wetting the old cement, fill the crack with a stiff mixture of 1 part portland cement and 2 parts sand, packing it in with a flat-ended tool and a hammer. Fill the tub with water, and leave it so for two days or longer to give time for the patch to cure and reach full density. Another method is to pack the groove with soft cotton cord well smeared with white-lead paste.
