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Replaced a toilet flapper and accidentally flooded the bathroom
I tried swapping out a $6 toilet flapper from Lowe's in my rental unit last Saturday. Figured it was a 10 minute job, but I overtightened the plastic nut and cracked the fill valve. Water sprayed everywhere before I could shut the main valve off, soaked the linoleum and trim. Learned to always keep a spare valve on hand and never crank plastic parts like they're steel. Anybody else have a simple fix turn into a mini disaster?
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hart.mark5mo ago
Linoleum is cheap to replace. Landlord probably won't even notice.
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jakeb255mo ago
Well don't go blaming the landlord just yet. Sounds like you did the damage yourself so you're on the hook for that linoleum if it's warped or peeling. I read somewhere that using a dab of silicone grease on plastic threads stops them from cracking when you tighten them, but obviously that's too late now. Honestly, you just learned the hard way that plumbing parts from big box stores are made of the cheapest plastic possible these days. My advice is pay a little more for a brass fill valve next time and skip the headache.
6
caleb_stone3mo ago
Yeah cause landlords are famous for being chill about water damage. Nothing says "no big deal" like peeling linoleum next to a toilet that could leak again. You're right though, brass is the way to go. My buddy went cheap on a plastic shutoff valve and it cracked at 2am, flooded his whole bathroom. Cost him way more than just buying the good part up front. But hey, at least the landlord gets to charge for new flooring when you move out.
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