Subject: [Shop-talk] Sealing toilet tank mounting bolts?

From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:16:54 -0500

I bought 3 Kohler Cimarron toilets for a job I'm doing, because the one in my house is great. Well, the new ones are very different and I should have read all the reviews on the Home Depot site.

The tank-to-bowl connection is made with 2 bolts that pass through grommets. These grommets expand as the bolts are tightened, sealing the holes in the tank through which they pass. Problem is, quality control let some tanks through with holes oversize enough that the grommets won't seal. Kohler even sent me a new supposedly redesigned grommet kit, which slowed down the leaks to a drip once per minute. They said they'd send a new tank but can't expedite it, so we're looking at after Thanksgiving, and no guarantee that the new tank won't also be mismanufactured.

My thought is to use a sealant on the grommets. Kohler said "we don't advise that", but I really need to wrap this up. Is there a rubber-compatible, submergeable sealant that will work in this application?

Another thought I just had is to add washers on top of the bowl where the bottom of the grommets sit so that the grommets are compressed another 1/16". But I don't want the grommets to then start leaking on the inside along the bolt if I overcompress and they open up. 

There are images near the bottom of this page:

https://www.faucet.com/kohler-k-31615-white-cimarron-1-28-gpf-toilet-tank-only-left-hand-lever/f4091621#reviews

thanks,
jim
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From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2024 09:49:54 -0500

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So, it looks like the grommets don't compress enough because the toilet
tank rests on the center hole before they squeeze out enough?  If so, I
would either:

A - Use some silicone sealer (for kitchens and bathrooms) around the
grommet in the tank hole as I put it together, or

B - Use a large plastic washer as a shim between the grommet and the bowl
top ledge.  This would require some careful guesswork, I reckon, to get
the right thickness to do the job correctly.

I might go all SAT and choose "Both A and B".

I don't understand why they don't want you to use sealer, as I assume they
are replacing the defective parts.

On Thu, Nov 21, 2024 at 8:43=E2=80=AFAM Jim Franklin <[email-masked]=
g> wrote:

> I bought 3 Kohler Cimarron toilets for a job I'm doing, because the one i=
n
> my house is great. Well, the new ones are very different and I should hav=
e
> read all the reviews on the Home Depot site.
>
> The tank-to-bowl connection is made with 2 bolts that pass through
> grommets. These grommets expand as the bolts are tightened, sealing the
> holes in the tank through which they pass. Problem is, quality control le=
t
> some tanks through with holes oversize enough that the grommets won't sea=
l.
> Kohler even sent me a new supposedly redesigned grommet kit, which slowed
> down the leaks to a drip once per minute. They said they'd send a new tan=
k
> but can't expedite it, so we're looking at after Thanksgiving, and no
> guarantee that the new tank won't also be mismanufactured.
>
> My thought is to use a sealant on the grommets. Kohler said "we don't
> advise that", but I really need to wrap this up. Is there a
> rubber-compatible, submergeable sealant that will work in this applicatio=
n?
>
> Another thought I just had is to add washers on top of the bowl where the
> bottom of the grommets sit so that the grommets are compressed another
> 1/16". But I don't want the grommets to then start leaking on the inside
> along the bolt if I overcompress and they open up.
>
> https://www.faucet.com/kohler-k-31615-white-cimarron-1-28-gpf-toilet-tank=
-only-left-hand-lever/f4091621#reviews
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">So, it looks like the grommets don&#39;t compress enough b=
ecause the toilet tank rests on the center=C2=A0hole before they squeeze ou=
t enough?=C2=A0 If so, I would either:<div><br></div><div>A - Use some sili=
cone sealer (for kitchens and bathrooms) around the grommet in the tank=C2=
=A0hole as I put it together, or=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>B - Use a l=
arge plastic washer as a shim between the grommet and the bowl top ledge.=
=C2=A0 This would require some careful guesswork, I reckon, to get the=C2=
=A0right thickness to do the job=C2=A0correctly.</div><div><br></div><div>I=
 might go all SAT and choose &quot;Both A and B&quot;.<br><br>I don&#39;t u=
nderstand why they=C2=A0don&#39;t want you to use sealer, as I assume they =
are replacing the defective parts.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div=
><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Th=
u, Nov 21, 2024 at 8:43=E2=80=AFAM Jim Franklin &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:james=
[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquo=
te class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px =
solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I bought 3 Kohler Cimarron toilets=
 for a job I&#39;m doing, because the one in my house is great. Well, the n=
ew ones are very different and I should have read all the reviews on the Ho=
me Depot site.<br>
<br>
The tank-to-bowl connection is made with 2 bolts that pass through grommets=
. These grommets expand as the bolts are tightened, sealing the holes in th=
e tank through which they pass. Problem is, quality control let some tanks =
through with holes oversize enough that the grommets won&#39;t seal. Kohler=
 even sent me a new supposedly redesigned grommet kit, which slowed down th=
e leaks to a drip once per minute. They said they&#39;d send a new tank but=
 can&#39;t expedite it, so we&#39;re looking at after Thanksgiving, and no =
guarantee that the new tank won&#39;t also be mismanufactured.<br>
<br>
My thought is to use a sealant on the grommets. Kohler said &quot;we don&#3=
9;t advise that&quot;, but I really need to wrap this up. Is there a rubber=
-compatible, submergeable sealant that will work in this application?<br>
<br>
Another thought I just had is to add washers on top of the bowl where the b=
ottom of the grommets sit so that the grommets are compressed another 1/16&=
quot;. But I don&#39;t want the grommets to then start leaking on the insid=
e along the bolt if I overcompress and they open up. <br>
<br>
There are images near the bottom of this page:<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"https://www.faucet.com/kohler-k-31615-white-cimarron-1-28-gpf-to=
ilet-tank-only-left-hand-lever/f4091621#reviews" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=
=3D"_blank">https://www.faucet.com/kohler-k-31615-white-cimarron-1-28-gpf-t=
oilet-tank-only-left-hand-lever/f4091621#reviews</a><br>
<br>
thanks,<br>
jim<br>
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<br>
</blockquote></div>

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