a simple problem requires a simple solution

in a much earlier blog, i wrote about how i was unsuccessful in fixing the leak in the water closet. i had tried changing the float - the black ball. i also tried adjusting the screw - tightening it - to bring the two contact points nearer, but to no avail. it seems that this is quite a common problem with many water closets.

after some years, the water closet tends to overflow or leak and, in time, you will see two thin black, ugly streaks in the middle of the bowl.

my friend victor narrowed the source of the problem to the worn washer. but when he tried to get the washer from the hardware store, they told him that he had to get the whole set - the arm with the floatation device which costs about $4. anyway, we got them for rm$8 each from a shop in senai, outside johor bahru.

we found out that the arm was too long for the water closet in our homes. so as not to waste the money spent, we took the washers from the two pieces we bought to replace the worn ones. still, it did not work.

our determination to fix the leak paid off. victor found a shop selling the correct washers at 80 cents a piece. he bought a few, one for his own flushing system and two pieces for. after replacing it with the new washer, it stopped leaking. so, he passed the other two washers to me.

i bought one washer from the home-fix hardware shop. they sold it to me for $1.20, 50% more than your neighbourhood hardware store.