Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "How do I change my toilet trip lever?"
A. Changing a toilet trip lever is a very simple DIY project that almost anyone can complete. Check out our short video below to learn how to change your flush lever.
Q. "What are the most commonly replaced toilet parts?"
A. This depends on several factors; each time you use your toilet the trip lever, flapper, and fill valve are operated. You will find, however, that the flapper and fill valve are the parts most exposed to water and will be the first ones to wear out in most cases.
Q. "What is the difference between "OEM" and "will-fit" parts? And what does OEM mean anyway?"
A. "OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer". This means anything from the original manufacturer that is sold to a second company to use in production of that second company's product. In other words, many toilet manufacturers outsource for the internal working parts of the toilet, such as the fill valves, flush valves, or flappers. When this happens, they have the opportunity to use an existing part, or to spec something for the specific toilet. When the toilet manufacturer chooses to use an existing part, the manufacturer of the part can still sell that piece under their own name. If the toilet manufacturer chooses to spec something for the specific toilet, the part manufacturer can then only provide that part to the toilet manufacturer. What this means for you is that you can sometimes get the *exact same part* (by the original manufacturer of the OEM part), but under another name and at a better cost! So when your toilet's internal working parts need to be replaced, you may have the option to use either the "OEM" part number or use the "will-fit" part number to order what you need. Please note that only some "will-fit" items are manufactured by the OEM manufacturer. If this is essential to your repair, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to check for you.
Q. "How do I tell what type of toilet trip lever I have?"
A. To determine what type of trip lever you have, you will need to note where the trip lever is mounted on the outside, then open the toilet tank and see how it is mounted, and how it is angled towards the flush valve. Once you have determined how your trip lever is installed in relation to the tank and flush valve, you should be able to select a trip lever from our extensive offerings.
Q. "How do I tell what type of mount my trip lever is?"
A. There are several ways trip levers are mounted; the style will depend on the manufacturer's shape of the tank, and the location of the flush valve. The styles are angle mount, side mount, front mount, right-hand mount, and offset. The angle mount typically has a 45° angle in the arm so that it can reach the flush valve located near the center of the tank. The side mount trip lever is for toilets that need a trip lever on the left side of the toilet tank (when standing and facing the toilet). Front mount toilets are one of the more common styles, and are mounted on the left/front of the tank (unless it is noted as "right hand mount"). Right hand mount is located on the right/front side of the tank. The offset trip lever has a long arm, and is angled to work around a less commonly angled tank shape.
Q. "What are the trip levers made of?"
A. Some trip levers have a metal handle and brass arm; however, as more and more homeowners opt to replace parts themselves, plastic replacement trip levers have become more readily available as a less expensive alternative. The metal trip levers are of superior quality when compared to plastic, and will far outlast them. Unfortunately, plastic trip levers are more likely to deteriorate than the all metal ones, making replacement more likely, more often. A real value in an all-metal trip lever would be the front left mount brass tank lever. Additional metal trip levers that we offer are indicated in the product descriptions.
