A $5 solution

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 62

For the past, I don't know how many months, my toilet has been hissing.  A quick search on the internet showed that the culprit is a worn out washer in the fill valve - the stem where water shoots in.  But my fill valve happens to not be showcased in any of the articles or DIY videos and the manufacturing has nothing on that valve - it's discontinued (more on that later). So since I can't replace the valve... I went to replace the entire thing.  Saturday... I bit the bullet and decided and bought two new fill valves... since both toilets were hissing.

Only to find out that the nut holding the valve to the toilet is a specialized hexagon valve that's over an inch in diameter.  I have nothing that can remove it.  On top of that.. the nut is on the end closest to the wall.. and there's literally no space for me to sneak my body in, let along a tool, let alone have any leverage for torquing.  I texted everyone asking for a tool... and my neighbor lent me his full arsenal.  Great guy... but none of the tool worked.  I needed a rudimentary hexagonal socket... one which I once had when I replaced my kitchen sink faucet.  No idea where it is.

After hours of twisting and turning... I threw in the towel.  Went to Home Depot (for the 2nd time) to pick up a set of sockets. $20. BAM!!! Worked liked a charm.  The nut came right off with the right tool (which I think is the key to being a good plumber, btw).  I was so happy... replaced everything and was ready to declare victory.  5 minutes after changing the valve...... the hissing came back.  

Dang it.  Something else was happening.  By now... I've read so many articles and papers on toilets, I was a downright expert.  I turned the water inlet off...and the water level continued to drop.  Which was causing the hissing...because the fill valve is trying to compensate for the fall... aka... hysteresis... aka... motorboating.  The water drops, the valve opens, water comes out little by little... HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.....

I tried the food color test.  But nothing was falling into the bowl!!! So it can't be the flapper. Which meant one thing... as validated by dozens of articles... take the darn toilet apart and replace the flush valve.  I had two more options to test before diving that deep.  Remove the bidet... which coincidentally... was around the time when the hissing started.  Or replace the flapper - which can't be the cause cuz the colored water was not falling from the tank to the bowl.  Examining the flapper... it was still in decent condition.  

Sunday morning before service started, I even skipped TWA, and I inched back into that crevice to remove the bidet.  Was hoping it wasn't the root cause... cuz we all love the bidet.  But needed to check the check mark.  And indeed... it wasn't it.  Water level kept dropping.  Last gasp before going full out and replacing the flush valve.... head to Home Depot and get a flapper.  Why not.  It's a 2 minute change... and costed me $5.  Third trip to Home Depot.  

After I got home... had lunch... started prepping for bible study while watching the Niners kick @$$.  And gosh darnit.... the hissing stopped.  It was the flapper afterall.  All those articles I read... that's always the first thing they recommend.  But I skip it and opt for the harder solution.  Cuz really... it can't be that simple, right???

So after it was all said and done... what took me 4 trips total to the Home Depot... ended up being a $5 solution.  No wonder Mario ended up with Princess Peach.  For someone to charge up the wazoo for such simple solutions... of course he gets the girl.  As for me... I found my Princess Peach.   Joyce was supportive every step of the way.  And she made that 4th and final trip to Home Depot when I was busy with everything else.  

As for the obsolete... no one uses ever fill valve that I have... well I'll be darned.  It's the exact same one that AM has.  *shrug*