PSA: Replacing a toilet flapper took me 4 hours because of a broken supply line

I thought it'd be a 20 minute swap, but the old supply line snapped when I touched it. Had to run to Home Depot twice because I grabbed the wrong size. Anyone else have a simple fix turn into an all-day project like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

norag661mo agoMost Upvoted

Used to roll my eyes at people complaining about jobs like this, but NOW I get it. Had a stuck garden hose valve last summer that I tried to fix myself, ended up having to shut off the whole water main for the house. That THREE HOUR trip to the hardware store because I kept buying the wrong fittings changed my whole attitude. Simple stuff can spiral into a nightmare REAL quick when you're dealing with old pipes. People who say "it's just a flapper" have clearly never fought with a 1980s supply line. Respect for sticking with it though, most people would have given up after hour two.

wadecooper1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this in my bones, @norag66. I spent an entire Saturday last fall trying to swap a toilet flapper and ended up flooding my bathroom because I didn't realize the shut-off valve was older than me. Had to call my neighbor who's a plumber just to get the water to stop running. By the time I was done, I'd bought three different kinds of flappers and still wasn't sure which one fit. Respect for hanging in there for hours, because at least you didn't have to text your wife asking if she knew how to turn the water off at the street.