Rustproof toilet tank bolts ?

[digdugger]

Are there any bolts sold that will NEVER rust? Changing them out is a major pain in the rear since there's a counter top two inches above the lid.

 

[Reach4]

Brass tank bolts will not rust. http://www.fluidmaster.com/our-products/toilet-parts/tank-para-pernos-tazon.html Neither will stainless steel. http://www.korky.com/tank-bowl-gaskets-accessories/toilet-tank-bowl-hardware-kit There are other brands.

A magnet will not be attracted to brass. So you could use that to check that the bolts are not brass-plated steel. Some stainless is attracted to a magnet.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Flapper]

You need brass bolts; most of the stuff you find in the stores are the cheap "brass plated" steel bolts which look like brass but aren't and they will rust. You need to look for real brass bolts that are 100% brass. One great way to get brass bolts is to go to the Habitat ReStore where you may find some nice brass bolts for cheap.

Stainless steel is good too.

 

[digdugger]

Thanks Flapper and Reach4. I'll look for the 100% moniker, and do the magnet check.

 

[Flapper]

You may not be able to find brass bolts at big box stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, etc; the only brass bolts you can get there are with the repair kits like the Fluidmaster kits which has real brass bolts, and the Korky kits which I think may be stainless steel but I am not sure. Maybe a hardware store like Ace or TrueValue would have some. A plumbing supply store must have some.

 

[WJcandee]

This is the kind of heavy-duty quality product I think you are looking for

http://www.lasco.net/tank-bolts-c-2937_323_373/38-brass-close-coupled-bolts-p-6234.html#.V7KH8pgrKUk

This set has, for each bolt, two rubber washers, too brass nuts and two brass washers. This allows you to double nut the tank installation. Rubber washer and bolt head inside the tank, metal washer and one nut outside the tank, then rubber washer, metal washer and other nut under the bowl.

 

[Flapper]

This is the kind of heavy-duty quality product I think you are looking for

http://www.lasco.net/tank-bolts-c-2937_323_373/38-brass-close-coupled-bolts-p-6234.html#.V7KH8pgrKUk

This set has, for each bolt, two rubber washers, too brass nuts and two brass washers. This allows you to double nut the tank installation. Rubber washer and bolt head inside the tank, metal washer and one nut outside the tank, then rubber washer, metal washer and other nut under the bowl.

That's a good kit; some kits, even if it has brass bolts, may have steel nuts and washers

 

[CountryBumkin]

I used plastic bolts on my install. With these bolts, and caulking around the base, its not going to move.
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Sioux-Chief-425-PB-2-1-2-Closet-Bolts-Bag-of-2

EDIT - I thought OP was looking for non-rusting mounting bolts, but I see in other replies, pictures of Tank to Bowl mounting bolts. So I guess I misunderstood.

 

[Terry]

I used plastic bolts on my install. With these bolts, and caulking around the base, its not going to move.
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Sioux-Chief-425-PB-2-1-2-Closet-Bolts-Bag-of-2

They were talking about tank to bowl, not at the floor.
The plastic works fine at the floor though.

 

[digdugger]

This is the kind of heavy-duty quality product I think you are looking for

http://www.lasco.net/tank-bolts-c-2937_323_373/38-brass-close-coupled-bolts-p-6234.html#.V7KH8pgrKUk

This set has, for each bolt, two rubber washers, too brass nuts and two brass washers. This allows you to double nut the tank installation. Rubber washer and bolt head inside the tank, metal washer and one nut outside the tank, then rubber washer, metal washer and other nut under the bowl.

The link is contradictory, Headline says solid brass, but bullet point below says "Brass *plated* components". Won't even brass-plated washers/bolts rust once they get an entryway via a scratch thru the plating? Also, is there a picture somewhere of this double-nutting process? I can't picture what you're describing. (But then again it was several years ago when I changed the bolts). First I thought, ah he means just alternating one nut/washer on top the other set (both underneath the bowl). Then reading your description again it sounds as if there'd be a nut in *between* the porcelain tank and porcelain bowl. Which sounds risky (the Nut, not so much the washer) for the tank to be resting on a pair of nuts? Again if there's a pic somewhere maybe you can just link to it?

I do like the nylon nut idea for the tank to floor from the other poster, since I never know how tight I can truly tighten the nuts before cracking the porcelain. As long as they're heavy duty and not cheap plastic, which they appear to be... I suppose no chance of cracking the porcelain with plastic ? You'd probably strip thru the threads before that happens!

 

[WJcandee]

It's not going to rest on anything. There is room for it. Toto tanks and bowls come this way from the factory, for example. Bolt head and one rubber washer in the tank. On the underside of the tank, brass washer and nut. Now you have a tank assembly. Place tank assembly on top of bowl, secure tank to bowl by placing underneath the bowl the rubber washer/metal washer/nut, in that order.

Yeah I know about that entry. The Lasco web page that Terry substituted says solid brass, and Lasco makes the stuff. I usually try to link to the manufacturer's page, but couldn't find it for some reason. Sioux Chief makes a similar set as well. Both are available at various places online. They also come in three-bolt packages for toilets with 3 bolts.

Wolverine Brass also makes a very nice tank-to-bowl set with solid brass components and a bolt with a huge head, but it's only available to professional plumbers.

 

[Flapper]

I used plastic bolts on my install. With these bolts, and caulking around the base, its not going to move.
http://www.supplyhouse.com/Sioux-Chief-425-PB-2-1-2-Closet-Bolts-Bag-of-2

EDIT - I thought OP was looking for non-rusting mounting bolts, but I see in other replies, pictures of Tank to Bowl mounting bolts. So I guess I misunderstood.

hmmm interesting; plastic bolts! Those would never have rust issues and are likely to be easily unscrewed, but can be easily cut if necessary.
And yeah the title says toilet tank bolts...

 

[digdugger]

Thanks now I understand, I imagine there must be a shallow indentation in the porcelain to allow for the nut in between. And sounds like you're confirming even the washers/bolts are solid brass.

 

[Flapper]

<--From Fluidmaster instructions. (note: they got the tank and bowl labels mixed up)

There is space for the extra nut. First, there is space between the tank and bowl for the gasket to fit, because of the ridges. Second, most toilets usually have like an indentation, like a funnel, in the bowl... so instead of just having a hole, it has like an indentation/funnel and then the hole down there... that gives plenty of space for the nut. The Fluidmaster image is vague.

So, first put rubber washer on bolt and insert bolt through toilet tank, then put metal washer and nut and tighten lightly. Then place tank on bowl and slide a rubber washer, metal washer, and then wingnut or larger nut.
The nut between tank and bowl is optional; if you don't want to do it then just place the tank on the bowl, put rubber washer on bolt, insert through tank and bowl, slide rubber washer, metal washer, then nut.

 

[Jadnashua]

If there's any offset in the holes, without a nut on the underside of the tank to make the seal with the head, you can have problems...plus, if the tank is essentially made water tight, you don't need the tank-bowl to be quite as tight and risk cracking one or the other if you overdo it.

 

[Flapper]

It's usually better to add the bolts. I had one situation where I had a leak and I tightened the nut under the bowl but that did not solve it, so I tightened the nut between the tank and bowl using a pliers and that solved it.
I know one plumber who never does it because he says it makes it more difficult to cut it.

Though I'm not sure how tight you should tighten the nut between the tank and bowl. The fluidmaster instructions say "hand tight"... I suppose that means tighten it by hand with no tools, so that's what I did, but that's barely tight at all, it only holds the bolt in place. So do you use a tool to tighten it? How many turns?

 

[Joe Corona]

Information is handy since I am in the middle of redoing the bathroom floor and had to remove the toilet. Since I am putting a new toilet seat on. I think I will use the plastic bolts from the old seat. Once the new flooring is down, a bead of caulking compound under the toilet along with the plastic bolts, should hold the toilet nice and secure. Rusted bolts has always been a problem until now.

 

[Joe Corona]

Awesome. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Jadnashua]

Solid brass versus brass plated steel won't rust and have sufficient strength and won't crack eventually. You can also buy them in stainless steel, which doesn't rust, either. The cheap ones are plated and should be avoided.