15 Minutes to Install

I believe that most homeowners who attempt their own repair projects have been faced with the following phrase or one similar to it included in the instructions: 

Installation Time: 15 minutes

What does that phrase mean? 

Jeremy and I gained an understanding of the rich and full meaning of these instructions the other afternoon/evening as we determined to repair a malfunctioning toilet. 

The Bolt Connection the Tank to the Toilet
Finding a Place to Saw
October 16, 2019

In all fairness, the instructions were absolutely true! It only took 15 minutes to install the complete toilet innards replacement kit. It, however,  took two and a half hours, including three trips back to my house for additional tools, to get the toilet prepared for the installation. That is the missing part of the instructions--how long will it take to get the project ready for the installation. 

In the case of the toilet in question, the installation was the easy part because the bolts holding the tank to the bowl were badly corroded and could not be loosened. They had to be hacksawed. By hand. And even though there were only two bolts, the way that they were installed required three cuts to fully remove the bolts. The final cut had to be done with just the blade, removed from the saw because of the tolerances and the concern about damaging or breaking the porcelain tank. It was a slow and tortuous project as at times we were both crammed into a very small bathroom working together to remove the tank from the bowl to facilitate installation of the complete new tank system.

But we were victorious! The toilet finally was defeated and the installation went smoothly.

It is just strange that an expected 15 minute project took almost three hours. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD