Took me 4 hours to change a toilet flapper in my Rio Rancho house

I thought swapping a toilet flapper would be a 15 minute job, but the old nut was completely fused on from hard water. After breaking two wrenches and a trip to Home Depot on Coors for a different tool, I finally got it done. For anyone on well water in ABQ, get a rust penetrant spray before you even start. Has anyone else dealt with seized plumbing parts in this area?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannaho5215d ago

Girl I FEEL you on that old seized nut! I spent a whole Saturday wrestling with the supply line under my sink in my NE Heights house because the hard water basically welded it to the shutoff valve. Had to cut the whole thing out and replace the valve too after soaking it in vinegar overnight AND hitting it with a torch. Rio Rancho water is no joke, that mineral buildup forms FAST.

elliotr3914d ago

@hannaho52 you're right about Rio Rancho water being rough. I see this pattern everywhere in ABQ with older houses - the mineral content just grabs onto every thread and seal you have. It's like the plumbing is actively working against you sometimes. I had to learn the hard way that every job around here takes twice as long because you're fighting both the fixture and the water chemistry. Soaking things in CLR overnight has saved me a few times since then.