# Toilet Tank Rocking



## AlbacoreShuffle

I installed an American Standard Cadet last Saturday, and cant get that tank to set solid on the bowl.
Ive tightened it to the point I can here a cracking sound that tells me not to tighten any more.
It doesn't leak, but the home owner is not happy with the small movement between the tank and bowl.

Any tips on how to resolve this , would be greatly appreciated.


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## JPCPlumber

Try getting another tank to bowl kit with either a harder or thicker or thinner gasket.


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## Widdershins

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> I installed an American Standard Cadet last Saturday, and cant get that tank to set solid on the bowl.
> Ive tightened it to the point I can here a cracking sound that tells me not to tighten any more.
> It doesn't leak, but the home owner is not happy with the small movement between the tank and bowl.
> 
> Any tips on how to resolve this , would be greatly appreciated.


I've had the same problem with a few Champions -- Loosen it up a bit, put in some plastic shims and then snug it back down.


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## rocksteady

I do the shim thing on the Cadets also. They're cheap toilets and they come with the worst tank-to-bowl kits I have seen. I usually double nut tank-to-bowl bolts but there isn't room on the Cadets. Not my favorite toilet.








Paul


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## AlbacoreShuffle

Thanks Guys !
I'll give the shims a try.

What really frost my azz is the customer supplied the toilet and them wants to biotch about it.


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## PlumberJake

I put 2 new kohler's in for a lady today. Before her husband passed he had replaced the master bath toilet with an American Standard Champion. Before I left she asked if I could fix the 'wobbly' tank. I tightened each bolt about a half an inch. No cracks and no wobble now.:thumbsup:

It helps if you press down on the tank so that you don't have to use the bolts to get the extra compression out of the tank-to-bowl gasket.


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## Platinum824

*Homeowner provided*

I am positive that the products purchased from home improvement store are much lower quality than we plumbers are used to. This is why they are sold at a much lower price. I hate that the manufacturers do this. It makes us look bad when we charge more for our parts and then look like unskilled tradesman when we agree to let them supply the parts and we can not properly install them. When I try to explain to them the quality difference and how I will not warranty their products I look like a schmuck. I know american standard changes their cartridge in their faucet to a cheap piece of crap. Also it seems like the componts on other brands are cheal plastic rather than nice quality metal. 

I think I will start a new thread so that we can all bit#h about this problem because I have ran into it numerous times.


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## AlbacoreShuffle

Platinum824 said:


> I am positive that the products purchased from home improvement store are much lower quality than we plumbers are used to. This is why they are sold at a much lower price. I hate that the manufacturers do this. It makes us look bad when we charge more for our parts and then look like unskilled tradesman when we agree to let them supply the parts and we can not properly install them. When I try to explain to them the quality difference and how I will not warranty their products I look like a schmuck. I know american standard changes their cartridge in their faucet to a cheap piece of crap. Also it seems like the componts on other brands are cheal plastic rather than nice quality metal.
> 
> I think I will start a new thread so that we can all bit#h about this problem because I have ran into it numerous times.


While your at it post an introduction.


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## OldSchool

I had a real hard time to get this toilet to stop rocking


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## sikxsevn

I use a couple of the white flexible closet shims and a dab(just a dab!) of clear silicone to hold it all in place, and no more rocking, and you'll never notice it. When it's time to pull the tank a bit of gentle rocking back and forth once you pull te bolts, it'll come right off

Sent from my iPhon


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## DesertOkie

You can never stop this toilet from rocking!








Thank you, thank you very much.


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## vanisle plumber

The Cadet 3 have been this way for a while now. I've installed dozens of them and you just have to keep tightening them till it's solid. The cracking sound is just the finish of the porcelain. It sounds bad but it happens on almost every cadet 3 and I haven't cracked on yet.


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## MikeS

no kidding. These toilets these days just do that. Do people actually lean back on the tanks? I know I don't. But, another tip to tighten them up, add the extra nut between the tank and bowl.


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## Mega Smash

I had this exact same problem with a building full of American Standard PA toilets. The Tank to Bowl gaskets were so hard, that it made tightening it without rocking impossible.

American Standard assured me that I should be tightening it until the tank comes into contact with the bowl.

The solution (besides tightening them into oblivion) was to replace the rock-hard tank to bowl gaskets with softer ones from Master Plumber.

No rocks, no leaks, no cracks.


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## AlbacoreShuffle

*update*

So , 
I went back out Saturday and tightened up the tank to bowl bolts until there was no more rocking.
The Customer seem very happy with the results. 
He even told my " No More You break toilet " lol

Today the Azzhat calls and tells me that " your plumber charged me to much "
He didn't realize that I was the plumber that installed his toilet.
Mr Home owner says he "Looked it up on the Internet " and the bill should not have been over $200.

I Installed the toilet he supplied ( and hauled off the old one ) and also installed a new flange for $283 on a Saturday.
My original bid was $315, I knocked 10% off if I could start right now.

Just go's to show you that no matter what you do some people will never be happy.

He's threating me with a complaint to the BBB if I don't refund his money.

I politely told him to go pound sand, and please DO NOT call me again for any plumbing service you may need.


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## DesertOkie

AlbacoreShuffle said:


> So ,
> I went back out Saturday and tightened up the tank to bowl bolts until there was no more rocking.
> The Customer seem very happy with the results.
> He even told my " No More You break toilet " lol
> 
> Today the Azzhat calls and tells me that " your plumber charged me to much "
> He didn't realize that I was the plumber that installed his toilet.
> Mr Home owner says he "Looked it up on the Internet " and the bill should not have been over $200.
> 
> I Installed the toilet he supplied ( and hauled off the old one ) and also installed a new flange for $283 on a Saturday.
> My original bid was $315,* I knocked 10% off* if I could start right now.
> 
> Just go's to show you that no matter what you do some people will never be happy.
> 
> He's threating me with a complaint to the BBB if I don't refund his money.
> 
> I politely told him to go pound sand, and please DO NOT call me again for any plumbing service you may need.


No good deed goes unpunished.


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## SewerRat

Alb,

Tell him that you charge like a lawyer so if he reports you to the BBB for all this BS after working on his sh!++er on a Saturday afternoon and they contact you to inform you that there has been a complaint filed against your company that you will have to keep track of the time it takes to respond to the complaint via the proper channels and will be required to invoice him accordingly for your time. Including this phone call. And any time spent dealing with the BBB. And any time spent trying to collect the bill for your time spent negotiating. Tell him it's back up to $150.00 already, and climbing. And if he refuses to pay then you will come and _loosen his tank bolts!!! :laughing:_

JK, of course. Stupid people suck.


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## suzie

Platinum824 said:


> I am positive that the products purchased from home improvement store are much lower quality than we plumbers are used to. This is why they are sold at a much lower price. I hate that the manufacturers do this. It makes us look bad when we charge more for our parts and then look like unskilled tradesman when we agree to let them supply the parts and we can not properly install them. When I try to explain to them the quality difference and how I will not warranty their products I look like a schmuck. I know american standard changes their cartridge in their faucet to a cheap piece of crap. Also it seems like the componts on other brands are cheal plastic rather than nice quality metal.
> 
> I think I will start a new thread so that we can all bit#h about this problem because I have ran into it numerous times.


You can send her to Home desperate department where you can special order bathroom valves. They'll tell you or customer but you have to ask about the different grade in valves. and the quality in china thickness


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## Union Fitter 66

*Don't Over-tighten - use a brace*

At the point of hearing crunching in the porcelain you need to STOP ASAP! Go to Home Depot and buy a set of toilet tank braces that go between the wall and toilet tank. There's a specific product meant for this exact problem.


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## plumbdrum

Union Fitter 66 said:


> At the point of hearing crunching in the porcelain you need to STOP ASAP! Go to Home Depot and buy a set of toilet tank braces that go between the wall and toilet tank. There's a specific product meant for this exact problem.



Stop posting ASAP and go do an intro


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## wyrickmech

If it is just rocking add some soft stool shims between the tank and bowl.


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## BOBBYTUCSON

OldSchool said:


> I had a real hard time to get this toilet to stop rocking


Lmao. Only way that would work is a few ferncos ?


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## Nathan901

The generic tank to bowl gaskets Arne t the correct thickness for a lot of older toilets. I always double nut the tank bolts and tighten to where I think the gasket makes a good seal. Either 3/8 or 1/4 pex tubing makes a great shim. Rock hard every time.


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## HonestPlumb

Nathan901- Your right that some toilets take different gaskets. Especially Gerber, it takes a really thick one. My opinion, you hear china crunching ? Not a good sound !! I give my customers a choice, they supply it, they are responsible from start to forever! No guarantee. If it needs repair from the minute I put it in, they get charged. I supply it, they get a year guarantee. It needs repair with in a year, no charge ! The home improvement stores buy train loads of fixtures, that is why the manufacturer gives them such a cheap price. The quality control does not exist. The manufacturers are starting to make models available only at the home improvement stores. As well as the repair parts also ! It is getting out of control. Amazing how the manufacturers will tell you a bunch of BS to get you to use their products, when they are doing stuff like that. There are a few that will not sell to those places. There are fewer and fewer all the time though.


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