We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

On Oct 21, 7:58 am, h wrote:
"John Gilmer" wrote in message

...

We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

Yes. We had an unnoticed hairline crack in the toilet tank in our upstairs
bathroom, and it decided to spring a leak while we were on vacation.
Luckily, the cat sitter showed up to feed the cats and noticed that it was
"raining" out the kitchen windows onto the deck. She shut off the water and
called us, so the disaster wasn't total. Still, the water had been squirting
out the crack for about 8-10 hours, and we had to completely gut the
kitchen. The ceiling had fallen, there was standing water in the toaster and
stove, the countertops had de-laminated, and the seals in all the windows
had failed.

I'd replace the toilet TODAY if I were you. Of course, YMMV.

After the fact...it's a good a idea to turn of the water supply or
pump when you leave for extended periods.

If it hasn't leaked...it may be fairly safe. You could dry-out the
tank and put some silicone caulk on the crack.

On 21 Oct, 08:40, "John Gilmer" wrote:
We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

My neighbor let a hairline crack on his toilet go...and then the crack
let go while he was at work. Luckily it was in the basement.

The unlucky part was that the slab sloped towards the opposite corner
of the basement so the hundreds of gallons of water flowed across the
entire *finished* basement.

wrote in message
If it hasn't leaked...it may be fairly safe. You could dry-out the
tank and put some silicone caulk on the crack.


BAD advice. Unlike metal, porcelain does not flex or bend and is prone to
catastrophic failure. It may last for a time, but it may just fall apart
and make a disaster once the water starts running and no one is home.

I'd turn the water off to the fixture and go shopping for a new toilet.

On 21 Oct, 10:27, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
wrote in message
If it hasn't leaked...it may be fairly safe. You could dry-out the
tank and put some silicone caulk on the crack.

BAD advice. Unlike metal, porcelain does not flex or bend and is prone to
catastrophic failure. It may last for a time, but it may just fall apart
and make a disaster once the water starts running and no one is home.

I'd turn the water off to the fixture and go shopping for a new toilet.

Unlike metal, porcelain does not flex or bend and is prone to
catastrophic failure

When I said my neighbor's hairline crack "let go", I should have
mentioned that he came home to find his toilet tank in pieces on the
floor. "Catastrophic failure" would be the proper term.

On Oct 21, 5:40 am, "John Gilmer" wrote:
We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

John-

As an owner of an old (1930) home, I understand your desire to keep
the house "original".

As the others have said, tanks are brittle and if they break, they can
fail suddenly & completely.

You've heard stories (here) of sudden, catastrophic failures.

And keeping the cracked tank is a risk.

Is the crack only is the glaze? (IMO that is crazing not a crack) Or
is the crack in the base material as well?

Having said all this, I had a wall mount toilet tank (1930) with a
long crack. It leaked slightly (about 4oz per day) which I caught in
a small plastic trash can. The water in my area has a tendency to
calcify leaks & cracks. Water heaters last in excess of 20 years.

Anyway, I finally found a replacement (wall hung) tank on Ebay & I
replaced it in June.
After letting is drip for 16 years.

In order to get the flush handle hardware off (the threads were
galled) I have to break the tank. I had to hit it rather forcefully
with a hammer (a couple blows) to get it to break. The tanks was
pretty hefty I'd say at least 3/8".

I guess I was pretty lucky to have the thing not break but now I have
a complete style & color match.

How important is the color match?

You could replace the current tank only (any color) & then start
looking for a color match.
You could buy a tank that matches up mechanically & have the bath tub
acrylic resurfacing done to get an exact color match.

Does the crack leak or weep? Kids in the house? How often does that
bathroom / toilet get used?
Second floor? First floor?

You could install a 1/4 turn shutoff & shut the toilet off every time
you leave the house. You could install an automatic toilet shutoff
valve that would activate in case of tank failure. Total water loss
would be limited to 5 gallons or so. Still a mess but not a disaster.

And do this until you find a color match toilet (or just the tank)

Having not seen the crack, so good assessment (size, location, etc) of
it is not possible.......so I can't see how bad it is but it doesn't
seem that bad IF its only in the glaze.

It all depends on your comfort level with risk.

The result of a tank failure will be water running at ~3gpm until you
discover the problem.

So what you've got (IMO) is a low probability event with extreme
consequences,

your call as how to handle it.



cheers
Bob

BobK207 writes:

The result of a tank failure will be water running at ~3gpm until you
discover the problem.

So what you've got (IMO) is a low probability event with extreme
consequences,

Seems to me the extreme consequences are a failure while someone
is sitting on it. Then you have a bare bottom in free fall toward
a pile of broken pieces of porcelain.

OUCH!

On Oct 21, 5:40 am, "John Gilmer" wrote:
We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

what is your google broken or something?

On Oct 21, 12:59 pm, Paige D'Winter wrote:
On Oct 21, 5:40 am, "John Gilmer" wrote:

We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

what is your google broken or something?

Why not put on one of those anti-flood supply hoses and leave it as is?

On Oct 21, 10:44 am, Dan Espen
wrote:
BobK207 writes:
The result of a tank failure will be water running at ~3gpm until you
discover the problem.

So what you've got (IMO) is a low probability event with extreme
consequences,

Seems to me the extreme consequences are a failure while someone
is sitting on it. Then you have a bare bottom in free fall toward
a pile of broken pieces of porcelain.

OUCH!

Dan-

The crack is in the tank, I don't see how a tank failure will result
in free fall.

Unless he sits on the tank to use the toilet.

You'll get wet as will the floor.

Bowl / commode failure, yes.......but not a, tank failure.

Subsequent poster suggested "anti-flood supply hoses"

sounds like a good idea

cheers
Bob

On Oct 21, 2:28 pm, BobK207 wrote:
On Oct 21, 10:44 am, Dan Espen
wrote:

BobK207 writes:
The result of a tank failure will be water running at ~3gpm until you
discover the problem.

So what you've got (IMO) is a low probability event with extreme
consequences,

Seems to me the extreme consequences are a failure while someone
is sitting on it. Then you have a bare bottom in free fall toward
a pile of broken pieces of porcelain.

OUCH!

Dan-

The crack is in the tank, I don't see how a tank failure will result
in free fall.

Unless he sits on the tank to use the toilet.

You'll get wet as will the floor.

Bowl / commode failure, yes.......but not a, tank failure.

Subsequent poster suggested "anti-flood supply hoses"

sounds like a good idea

cheers
Bob

Why are you quys wasting time a failure is a mess and doe's alot of
damge which insurance won't cover. REPLACE IT

On Oct 21, 12:42 pm, jim wrote:
On Oct 21, 2:28 pm, BobK207 wrote:



On Oct 21, 10:44 am, Dan Espen
wrote:

BobK207 writes:
The result of a tank failure will be water running at ~3gpm until you
discover the problem.

So what you've got (IMO) is a low probability event with extreme
consequences,

Seems to me the extreme consequences are a failure while someone
is sitting on it. Then you have a bare bottom in free fall toward
a pile of broken pieces of porcelain.

OUCH!

Dan-

The crack is in the tank, I don't see how a tank failure will result
in free fall.

Unless he sits on the tank to use the toilet.

You'll get wet as will the floor.

Bowl / commode failure, yes.......but not a, tank failure.

Subsequent poster suggested "anti-flood supply hoses"

sounds like a good idea

cheers
Bob

Why are you guys wasting time a failure is a mess and does a lot of
damage which insurance won't cover. REPLACE IT

Jim-

Because one of the OP's considerations is color match?

If the "crack" is only in the glaze & not in the base material it
could be a total non-problem.

A "anti-flood supply hose" could be an answer.

I've got a 1930 home with lavender (rose) & black bathroom.
Lavender pedestal sink, tub & toilet.....if I have a problem with the
sink or the toilet I guess I'll just replace it with a modern white
one? No.

Some people drive 65 Mustangs & assume the risks associated with that
decision. Their choice..

cheers
Bob

On Oct 21, 7:40 am, "John Gilmer" wrote:
We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

The base is most likely-not a problem...if the one in the tank is not
leaking...it probably won't unless leaned against.
You could dry the tank and put some silicone seal or epoxy over the
crack. But don't mess with the bolt at this precarious time.

On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:40:35 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:

We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK


I am not understanding the location of the crack. What bolt hole?
If you mean inside the tank, you can drain the tank, make sure it's
thoroughly dry and put a thick layer of epoxy across it. If it's the
bolts that hold it to the floor, you may not have as easy of a fix,
but at the same time you wont have any chance of a flood, just some
filthy water leaking after a flush. THere are no other bolts unless
this is an odd toilet.

On Oct 22, 4:46 am, wrote:
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:40:35 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:

We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

I am not understanding the location of the crack. What bolt hole?
If you mean inside the tank, you can drain the tank, make sure it's
thoroughly dry and put a thick layer of epoxy across it. If it's the
bolts that hold it to the floor, you may not have as easy of a fix,
but at the same time you wont have any chance of a flood, just some
filthy water leaking after a flush. THere are no other bolts unless
this is an odd toilet.

tank/inside/bolthole/crack...what's to get?!

On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 03:10:45 -0700, wrote:

On Oct 22, 4:46 am, wrote:
On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 08:40:35 -0400, "John Gilmer"
wrote:

We have an older house with a BLUE toilet and Tub. We can't get a color
matched replacment.

BUT the toilet tank has a visible hairline crack on the inside at the bolt
hole. The toilet itself has a hairline crack on the glaze at the base.

Is this an "accident waiting to happen? or what?

EMWTK

I am not understanding the location of the crack. What bolt hole?
If you mean inside the tank, you can drain the tank, make sure it's
thoroughly dry and put a thick layer of epoxy across it. If it's the
bolts that hold it to the floor, you may not have as easy of a fix,
but at the same time you wont have any chance of a flood, just some
filthy water leaking after a flush. THere are no other bolts unless
this is an odd toilet.

tank/inside/bolthole/crack...what's to get?!

Epoxy or JB Weld. The JB is extremely strong, I'd use that. JB is
actually an epoxy but stronger than most. Tank must be fully dry and
clean. I'd sand the surface after drying and cleaning to insure there
is no water scale left. I'd remove the bolts, and apply the epoxy,
after it drys at least 2 days, replace the bolts with a new set of
bolts and washers, or at least the washers. If crack goes right to
the bolt hole, the epoxy must be thin where the bolt and rubber
washers go or the washer wont seal. I'd use the epoxy on the bottom
of the tank too. I see no reason this tank cant be used for many more
years afterwards.

wrote in message
I see no reason this tank cant be used for many more
years afterwards.

Perhaps you don't but I certainly do. I've worked with ceramics. Once they
have stress, it is possible to fail at any time with no advance warning, no
creep of the crack. There is no flexibility. It may be next year, it may
be February of 2012, it may be at 1:00 AM tomorrow morning while you are
asleep.

replying to BobK207, Dix wrote:
Me too. 1960 milk Green and tank just developed hairline crack near bottom.
About a half cupful over night. I just keep thinking what if I lined it with co
Cement patch?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

replying to Edwin Pawlowski, Dix wrote:
Thanks. Best I get a new toilet. Hate parting with the old one. It's milk
glass Green matches even the metal tile surrounded nd and pristine bathtub.
But it's only material..shudder at the thought of flooding....


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

Dix posted for all of us...



replying to BobK207, Dix wrote:
Me too. 1960 milk Green and tank just developed hairline crack near bottom.
About a half cupful over night. I just keep thinking what if I lined it with co
Cement patch?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

Flex Seal?

--
Tekkie

On Monday, September 24, 2018 at 2:10:59 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
Dix posted for all of us...



replying to BobK207, Dix wrote:
Me too. 1960 milk Green and tank just developed hairline crack near bottom.
About a half cupful over night. I just keep thinking what if I lined it with co
Cement patch?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

Flex Seal?

--
Tekkie

Or silicone caulk, after it's been emptied out and allowed to completely
dry out. I guess the bigger question is what the future holds, where it;s
located, and what the consequences of failure are. If it's in a commercial
garage with a cement floor, I wouldn't be so worried. If it's a residence
and it's upstairs, I wouldn't screw around, I'd replace it. Who knows what
the failure mechanism is, it might go from a tiny leak to a bigger crack
suddenly.

trader_4 posted for all of us...



On Monday, September 24, 2018 at 2:10:59 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
Dix posted for all of us...



replying to BobK207, Dix wrote:
Me too. 1960 milk Green and tank just developed hairline crack near bottom.
About a half cupful over night. I just keep thinking what if I lined it with co
Cement patch?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

Flex Seal?

--
Tekkie

Or silicone caulk, after it's been emptied out and allowed to completely
dry out. I guess the bigger question is what the future holds, where it;s
located, and what the consequences of failure are. If it's in a commercial
garage with a cement floor, I wouldn't be so worried. If it's a residence
and it's upstairs, I wouldn't screw around, I'd replace it. Who knows what
the failure mechanism is, it might go from a tiny leak to a bigger crack
suddenly.

You have that right. I would just replace it. I was really being facetious
as Flex Seal is the newest 'miracle' product.

I wonder how it got cracked? Knocked with something? I could see the bowl
cracking from sketchy mounting but the tank? Oh well.

--
Tekkie

On 9/25/2018 1:43 PM, Tekkie® wrote:
trader_4 posted for all of us...



On Monday, September 24, 2018 at 2:10:59 PM UTC-4, Tekkie® wrote:
Dix posted for all of us...



replying to BobK207, Dix wrote:
Me too. 1960 milk Green and tank just developed hairline crack near bottom.
About a half cupful over night. I just keep thinking what if I lined it with co
Cement patch?


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-259925-.htm

Flex Seal?

--
Tekkie

Or silicone caulk, after it's been emptied out and allowed to completely
dry out. I guess the bigger question is what the future holds, where it;s
located, and what the consequences of failure are. If it's in a commercial
garage with a cement floor, I wouldn't be so worried. If it's a residence
and it's upstairs, I wouldn't screw around, I'd replace it. Who knows what
the failure mechanism is, it might go from a tiny leak to a bigger crack
suddenly.

You have that right. I would just replace it. I was really being facetious
as Flex Seal is the newest 'miracle' product.

I wonder how it got cracked? Knocked with something? I could see the bowl
cracking from sketchy mounting but the tank? Oh well.


I've had all my old toilets replaced in turn when problems developed.
Very happy with the newer low flush models as they use less water to
dump into the septic and better designed mechanisms are practically
trouble free. I also let my plumber do it. I can fix anything on a
toilet but discovered as many others have that tightening down too tight
can crack the porcelain.

On 9/25/2018 1:56 PM, Frank wrote:

I've had all my old toilets replaced in turn when problems developed.
Very happy with the newer low flush models as they use less water to
dump into the septic and better designed mechanisms are practically
trouble free.* I also let my plumber do it.* I can fix anything on a
toilet but discovered as many others have that tightening down too tight
can crack the porcelain.

Remodeled both bathrooms about 4 years ago. Put in Kohler 1.6 gpf,
comfort height and slow close seats. As you get older the comfort
height certainly is nice.

The 1.6 flush has never missed a perfect flush. Much better than the
originals of years ago that took two or three hits to clear.

On 9/25/2018 2:24 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 9/25/2018 1:56 PM, Frank wrote:

I've had all my old toilets replaced in turn when problems developed.
Very happy with the newer low flush models as they use less water to
dump into the septic and better designed mechanisms are practically
trouble free.* I also let my plumber do it.* I can fix anything on a
toilet but discovered as many others have that tightening down too
tight can crack the porcelain.

Remodeled both bathrooms about 4 years ago.* Put in Kohler 1.6 gpf,
comfort height and slow close seats.* As you get older the comfort
height certainly is nice.

The 1.6 flush has never missed a perfect flush.* Much better than the
originals of years ago that took two or three hits to clear.

I remember them cursing these toilets when they first came out but
apparently all the problems were solved with time. Also recall the days
to save water people put bricks in the toilets then needing to flush more.

Only new toilet I have that is fussy is a Toto with a 3 inch flapper and
a side mounted lever. Toilet has a great flush but I could only fix it
with OEM parts. Other Toto with a 2 inch flap and front lever is 20
years old and has never needed any fixing.