Plumbing Maintenance

Related Courses

Key Questions

The following key questions are answered in this module:

When is it required to replace a wax ring?
A wax ring should be replaced when an old toilet is being replaced by a new one or when there is a leak at the bottom of the toilet or urinal.

What tools should be available when replacing a wax ring?
When replacing a wax ring, a pail, sponge, adjustable wrench, screwdriver, scraper, such as a putty knife, and new wax ring kit should be available.

What is the appropriate PPE when performing work around restroom toilets and urinals?
Water resistant gloves, long sleeved clothing and face shield would be recommended while doing this work.

What is a flushometer?
Flushometers are a valve used for releasing a predetermined amount of water with each flush to a toilet or urinal.

When should a hand auger or "plumber's snake" be used?
When sewer or floor drains become plugged and restrict or reduce flow to the sewer system, it may become necessary to use a hand auger to clear the obstruction.

Sample Video Transcript

Below is a transcript of the video sample provided for this module:

Flushometers are a valve used for releasing a predetermined amount of water with each flush to a toilet or urinal. Flushometers use water directly from the building water supply system rather than from a tank as used on residential toilets. When a flushometer, is flushed, a change in pressure occurs that lifts a cup or diaphragm that allows water to pass through from the water supply line to flush the toilet or urinal. A flushometer is usually used in a commercial building rest rooms where higher pressures and larger pipe sizes provide the needed water pressure and volume to effectively flush toilets and urinals. Flushometers are manufactured by Sloan and other companies. Since many of these valves are supplied by Sloan, they may be referred to as Sloan valves. This replacement procedure covers the process required to replace the control stop to the spud flange. The tools required to perform the replacement of the Flushometer valves assembly are straight blade screwdriver and a smooth jawed spud wrench. Smooth jaw wrenches are necessary to prevent damage to the chrome finish of the Sloan valve parts. The first step in replacing the Flushometer valve is to shut off the water supply ahead of the stop valve or at the stop valve. The stop valve has a removable cover and under it is an adjusting screw that should be turned clockwise to close the valve. The stop coupling that connects the Flushometer valve to the stop valve is disconnected using the spud wrench. Next disconnect the outlet coupling from the Sloan valve to the vacuum breaker and remove the Sloan valve. The spud coupling can now be loosened and the vacuum breaker assembly removed. We can now install the new Flushometer valve and vacuum breaker by the reverse operation. Install the new Sloan valve onto the stop valve by connecting the stop valve coupler. Next install the vacuum breaker coupler onto the Sloan valve outlet. Now the spud coupler can be tightened with the spud wrench. Turn the water back on and check for leaks and adjust the flush flow using the adjusting screw on the stop valve. The last step is to clean the area of stains and water to prevent slips and falls.