Lift Chain May Be the Problem With Toilet
QUESTION: My toilet suddenly started acting up. I either have to hold down the handle for three seconds before it flushes or snap it really quickly to flush. Otherwise too little water flows to flush. What can I do?
ANSWER: There is probably too much slack in the lift chain. When you flip the handle, the rubber flapper lifts only slightly off the flush valve seat. The pressure of the water on the flapper causes it to re-seat on the flush valve, stopping water flow.
By holding the handle for three seconds, you are holding the flapper off the valve seat so that the water will flow into the bowl. The water rushing past the flapper holds it up after you release the handle. It also flushes when you snap the handle quickly because the jerky action forces the flapper up to a point where water flowing into the flush valve holds the flapper open after you release the handle.
There are several causes for a slack lift-chain. The chain may be slightly rusted, the hook connecting the chain to the trip lever may have stretched or the flapper may be deteriorating.
Regardless of the cause, the correction is simple: Eliminate the excessive slack in the chain. Do this by moving the chain hook to a different hole on the trip lever or by replacing the lift chain. Replace the flapper valve if it shows signs of wear or looks deteriorated.
Complete repair kits carried by most home centers and hardware stores should solve these and other flushing problems.
Vapor-Barrier Paint Can Prevent Blisters
Q: I have a ranch-style house that has no vapor barrier in the walls or ceiling. I recently added more insulation to the ceiling and have blown insulation into the walls. Now the paint outside the house is blistering. What should I do?
A: By blowing insulation into the walls, you’ve restricted the air flow inside the wall cavity. Consequently, the moisture-laden air that migrates from the interior of the house to the wall cavity cannot pass harmlessly outside. Instead, the moisture is absorbed by the wood siding, causing the paint to peel.
A vapor-barrier interior paint should correct this problem. This product, available at home improvement centers, is applied like a paint and can be used on a previously painted surface. It can also be used as a general-purpose primer for wallboard or plaster.
Oil Spots Give Way to the Proper Cleaner
Q: I am going to put a blacktop sealer on my asphalt driveway. This will be the third sealer application on a 7-year-old driveway. Oil spots from automobile leaks always show through after a sealer application. I have tried to raise the oil spots with gasoline, turpentine, lacquer thinner, methyl ethyl ketone and soaps. I have tried to hide the spots by painting over them with flat black spray paint, all to no avail. What will would cover these oil spots?
A: If you continue to attempt to remove or seal the oil spots with gasoline or some other petroleum product, you may have to patch that area of the driveway sooner than you expect. Those products will dissolve the asphalt binder.
Revere Products in Solon, Ohio, has just the product you need to keep oil spots from showing through the driveway sealer. The product is called Oil Spot Primer, and Revere claims that it will seal oil, grease, gas and chemical stains on asphalt.
A kit containing one gallon of sealer plus a quart of pavement cleaner costs about $30 plus shipping. Other kit sizes are available. For more information, write to Revere Products, 6680 Parkland Blvd., Solon, OH 44139 or call Revere at (800) 321-1976.
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To submit a question, write to Popular Mechanics, Reader Service Bureau, 224 W. 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019. The most interesting questions will be answered in a future column.