How to Install a Toilet Handle
Lift the lid off of the toilet tank and make sure the tank is empty., Hold the handle in your non-dominant hand and remove the gasket and shank nut from the back of the handle., Remove chain from lever to the flapper. , Pull the stem out of the hole...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Lift the lid off of the toilet tank and make sure the tank is empty.
If the toilet has been in use previously, shut off the water supply to the toilet, then flush it to empty the tank.
If this is a new toilet, do not turn on the water supply until after the handle is installed. -
Step 2: Hold the handle in your non-dominant hand and remove the gasket and shank nut from the back of the handle.
The gasket is a rubber ring that sits behind the nut and helps to seal the handle from leaks.
Twisting the nut off the back of the handle will take the gasket with it.
Most toilet handles thread backward; turn the nut clockwise to loosen it. ,,,,,,, The lever arm is attached to the handle and reaches back into the tank where it attaches to the flapper with a chain.
Make sure its end is positioned directly above the toilet's flapper while its other end lines up with the end of the handle's shank. , Screw a wing nut onto the bottom end of the lever arm to hold it onto the handle. , The chain should loose enough that it will not pull on the flapper when the handle is level, but tight enough that pushing on the handle will pull the flapper up. ,,, Flush the toilet with the new handle to double check that it works. -
Step 3: Remove chain from lever to the flapper.
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Step 4: Pull the stem out of the hole in the side of the tank.
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Step 5: Get your toilet's new handle
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Step 6: Push new handle to the toilet's hole.
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Step 7: Push the gasket onto the stem of the handle inside the tank and thread the shank nut back on.
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Step 8: Turn it counterclockwise to tighten until it is snug up against the side of the tank.
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Step 9: Line up the lever arm with the handle and flapper.
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Step 10: Push the end of the lever arm down through the hole in the handle's shank.
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Step 11: Pick up the flapper chain and thread it through the hole on the lever arm.
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Step 12: Test the handle a few times to check and move the chain to a looser or tighter hole on the lever arm if necessary.
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Step 13: Replace the tank lid.
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Step 14: Turn on the water valve to fill the tank.
Detailed Guide
If the toilet has been in use previously, shut off the water supply to the toilet, then flush it to empty the tank.
If this is a new toilet, do not turn on the water supply until after the handle is installed.
The gasket is a rubber ring that sits behind the nut and helps to seal the handle from leaks.
Twisting the nut off the back of the handle will take the gasket with it.
Most toilet handles thread backward; turn the nut clockwise to loosen it. ,,,,,,, The lever arm is attached to the handle and reaches back into the tank where it attaches to the flapper with a chain.
Make sure its end is positioned directly above the toilet's flapper while its other end lines up with the end of the handle's shank. , Screw a wing nut onto the bottom end of the lever arm to hold it onto the handle. , The chain should loose enough that it will not pull on the flapper when the handle is level, but tight enough that pushing on the handle will pull the flapper up. ,,, Flush the toilet with the new handle to double check that it works.
About the Author
Sharon Taylor
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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