“No, no, it’s easy, I can handle it.” This is what you usually say to other members of the household when they suggest calling a plumber to repair or replace the handle of your broken toilet handle. But after trying it for some time, it doesn’t work, and you get irritated because the other members of the family are grinning at you because they can’t use the toilet.

Your toilet handle is old, rusted or damaged and you don’t have any alternative but to replace it. Repairing it can be a waste of time, and won’t last long. Even how many times you try to tighten the nut inside the tank, you’ll not fix it. When you replace it with an updated flush handle, you can get rid of those annoying wiggles, and it can make your toilet look better. But if you want to try it the DIY way, here are some tips for you.

Practical DIY steps to repair your broken toilet handle:

• Open the tank, and remove the tank lid – Since it’s brittle, lay it down on a piece of cloth or towel to avoid breaking it. Bring any product information and the old flush handle when you buy a new one.
• Remove the lift chain – You’ll notice that the toilet handle is connected to a long arm in the tank. That arm is attached to a chain that lifts up the flush valve. After seeing which hole is hooked to the chain, disconnect the clasp that holds it.
• Take out the old handle and replace it with a new one – In doing this, be careful in twisting the nut that holds the handle. Most of toilets have nuts that are left-handed threads, so, they turn in the opposite direction of a standard nut. If you force open it because you might have turned it tightly in the wrong direction, you might destroy the porcelain.

Cost of a new broken toilet handle

Purchasing one called “toilet trip lever,” which includes the flush handle and swing arm can be below $20, while the price of high-end toilets may be between $50 and $100.

This may appear to be a simple plumbing job to you, but if you’re busy, and you want to make the replacement of your broken toilet handle perfect, you can contact a reputable firm offering flat rate on materials and labor.