I'm fixing up a place and found out that the toilet doesn't work right
because the Jet in the bottom has an electrical wirenut in it.
Everytime you flush it corks the jet.
It's a good size nut, just a little bigger than the jet hole, that
wouldn't go through no matter what I tried.

Any ideas on how to fix this without buying a new toilet?

Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.

RayV wrote:
Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.


Thanks, but it is hard to get pliers in there, the nut doesn't portrude
to just grab it at the end and crack it. I would have to get a grip
through the jet hole...

The nut fits so nicely, it is almost like it is designed to cork it
that way! I'm suspecting somebody was settling a score.

What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?

Is there an acid or something like that that would disolve the nut but
not the toilet?

Thanks

Cafukahn wrote:
RayV wrote:
Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.


Thanks, but it is hard to get pliers in there, the nut doesn't
portrude to just grab it at the end and crack it. I would have to get
a grip through the jet hole...

The nut fits so nicely, it is almost like it is designed to cork it
that way! I'm suspecting somebody was settling a score.

What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?

Is there an acid or something like that that would disolve the nut but
not the toilet?

It's plastic - it should dissolve in something! Get another nut. Test
various solvents: Gasoline, Acetone, paint thinner, etc.

"HeyBub" wrote in message
...
Cafukahn wrote:
RayV wrote:
Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.


Thanks, but it is hard to get pliers in there, the nut doesn't
portrude to just grab it at the end and crack it. I would have to get
a grip through the jet hole...

The nut fits so nicely, it is almost like it is designed to cork it
that way! I'm suspecting somebody was settling a score.

What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?

Is there an acid or something like that that would disolve the nut but
not the toilet?

It's plastic - it should dissolve in something! Get another nut. Test
various solvents: Gasoline, Acetone, paint thinner, etc.
Be careful that any solvent doesn't dissolve a plastic waste pipe.
I did that a long time ago. I was cleaning paint brushes in a set tub and
did not flush adequately. The trap melted.


Charlie

Couple of amateur ideas. If there is any room to maneuver the nut, or
rotate it, take a piece of stiff wire and try to fish it backwards into
the tank. It got in there somehow, so my guess is that will work.
If you cannot maneuver the nut, you somehow have to reverse the water
flow back into the tank. Try a pump or siphon (if you have the nerve)
to suck the water from the bowl back into the tank. This would work
even better if you tape off any other jet holes at the top of the rim.
If you can accomplish this, my guess is that wire nut will be sucked
right back into the tank.
One last suggestion, try to figure out someway to epoxy or otherwise
attach the nut inside so its presence doesn't affect water flow. just
put a dab of epoxy on the end of a q-tip and smear it on the far side
of the jet hole, then press the wire nut to it. Although this isn't the
best solution, it will at least give you some temporary satisfaction
and the toilet will function.
Let me know if any of these sound feasible. Good luck

appear in the

On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:19:10 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Cafukahn wrote:
RayV wrote:
Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.


Thanks, but it is hard to get pliers in there, the nut doesn't
portrude to just grab it at the end and crack it. I would have to get
a grip through the jet hole...

The nut fits so nicely, it is almost like it is designed to cork it
that way! I'm suspecting somebody was settling a score.

What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?

Is there an acid or something like that that would disolve the nut but
not the toilet?

It's plastic - it should dissolve in something! Get another nut. Test
various solvents: Gasoline, Acetone, paint thinner, etc.


It's probably Nylon.
Nylon will eventually dissolve if you soak it in
any of Acetic Acid, Aqua Regia (not recommended)
Bromine, calcium cloride, calcium hypochlorate,
Carbolic Acid(I can never keep carbolic and carbonic
acid straight. One of them is wicked dangerous,
the other one is soda-water.) or concentrated
clorine.

Can't you just drill a couple holes in the nut,
and then use a pair of long-nosed needlenose
pliers like a spanner?

--Goedjn


(Oh, Solvents for plastics:
http://www.carlislesmp.com/solutionc...lventguide.pdf
)

On 26 Apr 2006 08:35:01 -0700, "RayV" wrote:

"What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?"

Don't know but it wil only cost $2.00 for the wax ring to try it. I'd
try this before pouring any caustic chemicals into the tank. A magnet
*may* help because a lot of wire nuts have a steel spring insert.

Good luck!
A drywall screw may catch in the wirenut and let you pull it.
--
Mr.E

"RayV" wrote in message
oups.com...
"What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?"

Don't know but it wil only cost $2.00 for the wax ring to try it. I'd
try this before pouring any caustic chemicals into the tank. A magnet
*may* help because a lot of wire nuts have a steel spring insert.

Good luck!


A blast of compressed air might chase it back into the main tank. Come to
think of it, a pressurized blast of water from a garden hose might do the
same thing. Rig up some sort of mini plunger to seal the hose onto the
opening.

dave wrote:
Couple of amateur ideas. If there is any room to maneuver the nut, or
rotate it, take a piece of stiff wire and try to fish it backwards into
the tank. It got in there somehow, so my guess is that will work.
If you cannot maneuver the nut, you somehow have to reverse the water
flow back into the tank. Try a pump or siphon (if you have the nerve)
to suck the water from the bowl back into the tank. This would work
even better if you tape off any other jet holes at the top of the rim.
If you can accomplish this, my guess is that wire nut will be sucked
right back into the tank.
One last suggestion, try to figure out someway to epoxy or otherwise
attach the nut inside so its presence doesn't affect water flow. just
put a dab of epoxy on the end of a q-tip and smear it on the far side
of the jet hole, then press the wire nut to it. Although this isn't the
best solution, it will at least give you some temporary satisfaction
and the toilet will function.
Let me know if any of these sound feasible. Good luck

appear in the


You can turn off the water supply, disconnect the
water supply tube, flush the toilet, and remove
the two nuts that hold the commode down in about 7
minutes, remove the tank, and have the base
outside in another 4 minutes. Same amount of time
to reinstall. So the only real factor is how long
will it take to shake the the nut out. 1 minute,
5 minutes, 10............

Seems like anything else would be a waste of time.
You could easily be still futzing around
siphoning water epoxying the wrong things
together, etc. after an hour or two without any
success.

Thanks Everybody!!!
Lots of good ideas. I'll unbolt it, haul it outside and flush the jet
in reverse with a garden hose, shake it, hug it and so on. if that
doesn't work, I may go the acid or epoxy route. Having it outside gives
me all the options without damaging the pipes below.

I tried the drywall screw yesterday - , but the nut is just barely to
big - I had to unscrew it...

On 25 Apr 2006 22:21:03 -0700, wrote:

I'm fixing up a place and found out that the toilet doesn't work right
because the Jet in the bottom has an electrical wirenut in it.
Everytime you flush it corks the jet.
It's a good size nut, just a little bigger than the jet hole, that
wouldn't go through no matter what I tried.

Any ideas on how to fix this without buying a new toilet?


Use a wet/dry shop vac in the tank outlet. stick some rags in the
outlets in the rim.

Now that just might work...

On 26 Apr 2006 07:58:30 -0700, "Cafukahn" wrote:


RayV wrote:
Try grabbing the end of it when flushing with a pair of pliers then
squeeze like hell to break it. Those nuts are tough, but the can be
cracked.


Thanks, but it is hard to get pliers in there, the nut doesn't portrude
to just grab it at the end and crack it. I would have to get a grip
through the jet hole...

The nut fits so nicely, it is almost like it is designed to cork it
that way! I'm suspecting somebody was settling a score.

What would be my chances of taking the toilet out, removing tank,
shaking the nut out?

Bfore I did that, I would try removing the tank and using a small jet
of water to get the nut back to the big entry place. You'll need a
helper. We are talking about inside the rim, right?

I have an adaptor that screws on to a kitchen faucet and then is the
right size for aquarium tubing to go inside. I didn't buy it, have
never seen another, and don't know where to get one.

Is there an acid or something like that that would disolve the nut but
not the toilet?

Thanks

I would use freshly chewed chewing gum on a suitable stick.

Really! This does work.

John

"RayV" wrote in message
oups.com...
Now that just might work...

Let us all know what finally worked. Use a new post like, "Got the nut out
of the toilet", to give us a heads up.


wrote in message
ups.com...
I'm fixing up a place and found out that the toilet doesn't work right
because the Jet in the bottom has an electrical wirenut in it.
Everytime you flush it corks the jet.
It's a good size nut, just a little bigger than the jet hole, that
wouldn't go through no matter what I tried.

Any ideas on how to fix this without buying a new toilet?

How about using one of those flexible claw grabbers?

Princess auto had them for a couple of bucks.

The surest method would be to remove the tank, take the base outdoors,
and flush/vacuum/shake the nut back to the inlet. (As mentioned
before)

Another thought: If the nut stays near the jet opening when not
flushing, if you have a conventional flush valve, and there's enough
room around the jet to work..

1. Use a loop of stiff wire to keep it out of the jet temporarily.
2. Get about 3 feet of string, ball it up in your hand, (tie one end
off), and let it get sucked through the flush valve as you open it.

(If you're lucky, the other end of the string will get drawn through
the jet.)

3. Drain the water from the bowl.
4. Use a hemostat or other locking grasper to pull the nut near the
opening.
5. Glue the string to the nut with some super glue.
6, Refill the bowl to support the weight of the nut.
6. Carefully pull it back into the tank


--
Email reply: please remove one letter from each side of "@"
Spammers are Scammers. Exterminate them.

"JM" wrote in message
...
I would use freshly chewed chewing gum on a suitable stick.

Really! This does work.

Is the gum still good afterwards?

THANKS everybody.

Took the toilet apart today.
Holding the bowl upside down and sticking a garden hose into it did the
trick immediately.
Was not a wire nut, it was the good-size cap of tube, must have been in
there for a long time..

Yes but it tastes a bit funny.

"Bob" wrote in message
. ..

"JM" wrote in message
...
I would use freshly chewed chewing gum on a suitable stick.

Really! This does work.

Is the gum still good afterwards?