Fixing a Whistling Toilet

For a few weeks I noticed my toilet had begun to make a whistling noise while flushing.  I figured something was not right so I looked it up online.  Based on the information, it looked like it was the fill valve that was making the noise while refilling the tank.  These are pretty cheap so they recommend replacing it if it is making a whistling noise.

I had installed this fill valve about 4 years back and I still had the original box. It was a Fluidmaster Complete Kit and I noticed there was a 5 year warranty on it.  Since it was within this time, I figured I would contact them to see if I could get a replacement part.  I found the email contact online and explained the issue.

I expected to get a reply about how I would have to mail in the original receipt and the defective part.  You know, a difficult process that would make it not even worth the hassle, but to my surprise, almost immediately, I received a response from Fluidmaster saying they would send one out, all they needed was my address. Great!  So I provided them with the info and within a few days a new replacement part showed up!  That is what I call great service!

So I go to install the new part.  I figured it would be pretty easy based on the instructions.  I turned off the water supply and drained the tank.  I used a sponge to get all the extra water out and cleaned out the tank in the process.

Next I started to unscrew the old fill valve.  At first it was going ok, but then it got stuck.  I found out later that you have to unscrew the water supply part first, then unscrew the fill valve from the tank.  I did it in the reverse order so they ended up getting stuck together.  I could not budge them one way or the other. Luckily there was a handyman in my building who had some specific tools to help get them unstuck. He came by to help remove the old fill valve and install the new one.

So now it is good as new and does not make a whistling noise.  So if your toilet is whistling, chances are it is the fill valve.  If you are going to install a new one, check the warranty on the old one. Also make sure to unscrew the water supply part first before unscrewing the fill valve from the tank. 

Utopia on Fox Review

The new reality show Utopia debuted on Fox last night. I'm a fan of reality shows so I decided to check it out. It takes a group of strangers from all different backgrounds and puts them in an environment where they basically have to learn to live off the land and work together to create a new society. It is an ongoing show that is supposed to go for at least a year with the opportunity for new people to join the Utopia throughout the year and of course to option for people to leave or get kicked out of the group decides.

I watched the 2 hour premiere and overall my impression is that it is very much a typical reality show with lots of drama among the participants. They pick very different personalities so this causes conflict easily among the group members. There have already been plenty of fights and arguments and even a make shift trial on whether one of the members should be exiled from the community based on his actions.

The show is similar to Big Brother in the fact that it will be on several times a week and has a live stream to go along with the weekly shows. Utopia is still just getting started so it will take a few more episodes to get a good judgment on this show, but overall I will tune in next episode to see how the series progresses.

Did you watch the premiere of Utopia? What did you think about it?