Template Tools
How to fix a sweating toilet PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Monday, 17 August 2009 14:31
A sweating toilet is much more than just an annoyance, the condensation running down your toilet can seep under your bathroom’s flooring, rotting the plywood subfloor and soaking into the floor joists. It can also stain baseboard molding, soak drywall and lead to mildew.

Why does a toilet sweat?
When the weather becomes hot and humid, it means that moisture is in the air. The water entering the toilet tank from its supply line is much colder, anywhere from 50° to 60°F. When the warm moist air in your house comes into contact with the toilet’s cool porcelain surfaces, the moisture in the air condenses, turning back to water. And even though a toilet will sweats only on warm, humid days, it can “sweat” quite a bit of water very quickly.

Just add Heat

Some toilet manufacturers claim that toilet-tank insulators they produce will cure sweaty toilets. Most of these insulators don’t work well if at all. There are only two proven ways to stop toilets from sweating. The first is to use an air conditioner or dehumidifier; they will dry out the air in the bathroom. But what if you don't have one of these units or don't want to run it all summer? The second solution is to install an anti-sweat valve in the toilet’s water-supply line. The way this valve works is it adds a little hot water to the line, raising the water temperature in the toilet enough to warm up the tank and bowl and prevent condensation from forming/

You can buy anti-sweat valves at a hardware store or plumbing-supply dealer. They come in both adjustable and preset types. The adjustable models are generally recommended (even though they can cost about $10 more). The adjustable version will allow you to adjust the water temperature and turn off the hot-water altogether when you don’t need it.
Preparation steps

First shut off the main water valve to the entire house, then drain both the hot-and cold-water lines by opening up all the sink and tub faucets and flushing all the toilets.
To avoid burning or melting the internal components of the valve with a soldering torch, you should make all connections to the valve with brass compression adapters (about $1.50 each). First loosely thread a 5/8 x 5/8-in. compression adapter into each of the three valve ports. Hold the valve against the horizontal cold-water pipe with the lower inlet port even with the pipe. Mark the spot where the center outlet port of the valve intersects the vertical pipe section, also mark the location of the lower inlet port on the horizontal pipe. Use a hacksaw to carefully cut out the pipe section.

Next, solder a 90-degree L-fitting to the vertical pipe coming down from the back of the toilet, then with a 6-in.-long stub of 1/2-in.-dia. Pipe, extend it. Use lead-free solder and a MAPP gas torch --lead-free solder because it’s relatively hard, and MAPP gas burns hotter and works faster than propane does. The cold-water line’s ready for the valve, so locate a nearby hot-water line (e.g. under your sink) and cut out a section to accept a new copper T-fitting. Splice the T-fitting into the line and assemble a short vertical riser pipe with a 90-degree L-fitting and short horizontal pipe stub. Point the stub toward the spot beneath the toilet where the valve will be installed. Solder the T- and L-connections. To reach the valve location, add a length of pipe.

Valve Installation
Coat the male threads of the three brass compression adapters lightly with a pipe joint compound (also referred to as “pipe dope”). Thread the adapters into the valve ports and then tighten each with a wrench. Slide a nut and compression ring onto each pipe end and then insert the pipes into the adapters. Coat each compression ring with joint compound and thread the nuts onto the adapters. Carefully tighten each nut with a wrench, make sure not to overtighten. Turn the main water valve back on and immediately check for any leaks.

Check the termperature
A flathead screwdriver will adjust the temperature of the water flowing through the valve. Turn the cold-water adjustment screw counter-clockwise to open it all the way. Next turn the hot-water screw clockwise until it closes completely. Flush the toilet and open the hot-water side by turning the adjustment screw counter-clockwise 180 degrees. Wait at least an hour and then check for any condensation. If there is still some condensation, open up the hot-water side of the valve another 45 degrees. Still need to open it more? Try another 45 degrees. Finding the right water temperature will likely take several flushes over 1-2 days. But when the water in the tank closes in on room temperature, the sweating will stop.
Last Updated ( Monday, 17 August 2009 14:33 )
 

Sponsored Links