Replies

1. 
   IMERC | Jul 21, 2004 04:26am | #1

   Use it more often and try to stay away from off shore toilets in the future...

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....

                                                                      WOW!!!   What a Ride!
   

2. 
   maverick | Jul 21, 2004 04:31am | #2

   Look at the toilet tank. Towards the top, usually on the left side there is a small chrome handle. Push down on it.

1. 
   jpainter | Jul 21, 2004 10:12pm | #14

   Maverick:

   Obnoxious. And very funny.

   J Painter

3. 
   4Lorn1 | Jul 21, 2004 05:26am | #3

   Possibly it is in the water lines, requiring treatment upstream, but if it is just in the toilet itself you can add hydrogen peroxide to the tank. A pint in the tank should do it. Non-toxic and cheap, under a dollar, it is worth a try.

   I would toss it in just before going to bed. Allowing a greater amount of time for it to work undiluted and undisturbed.

4. 
   UncleDunc | Jul 21, 2004 05:40am | #4

   I'd try bleach first, just because I have it in the house and don't have any peroxide.

1. 
   IMERC | Jul 21, 2004 05:48am | #6

   Bleach will eat up the seals, gaskets, flapper and fill valve in short order..

   Seems like he is letting the water go stagnet...

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

1. 
   UncleDunc | Jul 21, 2004 07:16am | #8

   Really? Is that personal experience or folklore? My bleach bottle doesn't say anything about not using it on rubber or other elastomers.

1. 
   IMERC | Jul 21, 2004 08:20am | #11

   Experience....

   Over more than a few for that reason...

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

1. 
   stonefever | Jul 21, 2004 10:16pm | #15

   Happened to me, too.  But I believe my bleech concentration was too high at the time...

2. 
   BillHartmann | Jul 22, 2004 05:09am | #16

   On a slightly different note I am working on this 25 year old house fixing up minor issues such as bad faucets and burned out light bulbs and sticky doors.

   The house has 4 Kohler one piece toilets and on city water.

   One has a leaky flush ball.

   Another one had a leaky fill valve. But the flsuh ball was one big gooey mess. I could not tell what is was suppose to be and I think that it was miss shaped, but it was such a sticky mess that it sealed it'self into the seat.

   I have no idea why this one toilet had this problem and not the others.

2. 
   IMERC | Jul 21, 2004 08:24am | #12

   It only takes a few parts per million to work... I think it's 5 to 8PPM... A strong solution is not good....

   So what will it take.. A half of teaspoon full.. or less... a quarter...

   Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

5. 
   DanH | Jul 21, 2004 05:46am | #5

   I'll bet that one toilet (the clean one) is on soft water and the other on hard water.

6. 
   jagwah | Jul 21, 2004 06:46am | #7

   I saw that movie back in the early 50's or 60's. It was with a young Steve Mcquine. That's how it begins just a little blob. Then one day your sittin there readin the funnies and

   BLAM! up the ye hole.

   I think they used Nukes or was it the voice of Wayne Newton.In any case I'd run. 

    

7. 
   hammer1 | Jul 21, 2004 07:36am | #9

   Tidy Bowl

8. 
   WayneL5 | Jul 21, 2004 07:41am | #10

   If it's mold, then bleach will kill it.  Try cleaning with a mild bleach solution with a small amount of plain soap or dish detergent.  Don't mix bleach with any other kinds of chemical cleaners or anything containing acid or ammonia or it will release toxic fumes!  If soaking in this for a few minutes removes the stain, it's likely mold.  If this doesn't clean it, it may not be mold, but some type of chemical stain, possibly from the pipes feeding the toilet.

   Are you on a municipal (chlorinated) supply?  If so, mold is very unlikely, even if the tank weren't used for a month at a time.

1. 
   4Lorn1 | Jul 21, 2004 09:40am | #13

   If it is what I think it is, a particularly nasty black slime with a foul odor, it will be resistant to chlorine and a fair amount of heat. High concentrations might kill it but it is a highly anaerobic breed. Critters don't like oxygen. Peroxide wipes it out.

   I learned about it from a plumber. Seems a lot of local wells have these spores in them and in combination with magnesium in the water, either from hard water or the magnesium anode in a water heater, and just a bit of stagnation this stuff grows in, water filters, water heaters and toilet tanks. Especially in warmer weather.

   I first saw this stuff in my water filter when I tracked down a vague foul smell to the water. Kind of like low tide. Plumber told me to add peroxide and let it set for a while. Heavily diluted the peroxide is not toxic. Worked like a charm.

1. 
   CCooper | Jul 22, 2004 08:51am | #17

   Hi,

   What you described sounds just like what I have -- down to the high magnesium in the water (I have a private well).  I'm going to try the hydrogen peroxide tonight.  Thanks a bunch.