Free a Stuck Shower Cartridge
Using a rubber drain-pipe coupling as a full-surface grip to turn out a seized shower cartridge that a wrench can't budge.
Buy the Right Toilet Rebuild Kit by Checking the Drain Size and the Tank Gasket First
Technique: Size a Toilet Rebuild Kit
The Problem
Most toilet rebuild kits fit most toilets, which is exactly why the ones that don't catch you out — you get home, start the job with the water off and the tank drained, and find the new flush valve doesn't seat or the gasket won't seal.
The good news is there are only two variables to check on the vast majority of toilets.
The Technique
Check these before you buy:
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The flush valve drain size. Look at the opening in the bottom of the tank that the flapper sits over. It's either two inch or three inch. The large majority are two inch, which is why three-inch toilets are the ones that catch people — the kit on the shelf is usually the two-inch one.
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The tank-to-bowl gasket. This sits between the tank and the bowl, under the flush valve. They vary in thickness, and some are a collar type with small feet that have to sit down into the opening rather than flat against it. If you're unsure which yours needs, a collar gasket is generally the safer buy.
That's it. Once the drain size and the gasket are right, most kits will do the job.
Pro tip: If you can't identify the toilet, his suggestion is to look up the brand — and failing that, reverse-image-search a photo of it. Manufacturers stamp a model number inside the tank or on the underside of the lid, which is faster if you're already in there with the lid off.
Pro tip: Measure the drain rather than eyeballing it. Two and three inches don't look as different as they sound when you're staring into a tank, and it's the single check that decides whether the kit fits at all.
Safety note: Shut the supply off and drain the tank before removing anything. Tank hardware seizes with age, and the porcelain around the flush-valve nut is what cracks when a stuck nut meets a long lever — if it won't move, penetrating oil and patience beat force, because a cracked tank means a new toilet.
Electrical, plumbing, and structural work may be regulated where you live — check local code before you start, and note that a permit may be required. More in our disclaimer.
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