Last year i got a plumber to replace the cistern on our toilet - standard, late 90s, plastic. It cost $260 parts and labour.
Now the ensuite toilet is playing up so it needs to be done. Having bugger all experience with getting plumbers in, was $260 reasonable or should i shop around this time? It took the bloke 15 mins and the Tradelink store is 2mins drive away, for context (Brisbane northside).
Thanks OzB's
Yep fair enough, thanks. Considered diy but i don't have a lot of time on my hands, plus factoring $260 if i stuff it up.
I thought plastic units might be <$100 but if they're 140 then yeah it's not too bad.
I hope you just havnt got water slowly dripping into your toilet bowl which just requires the big rubber seal to be replaced. Which you can do yourself for a couple dollars.
Yep that's the issue and yep i gave that a go. But was all pretty stuffed, every seal was perished so in fixing one i disturbed the next which then disintegrated… the whole thing had had it - not to mention aesthetics.
Are there a max of 2 seals? Inlet and outlet valve?
There were a couple on the inlet, top and bottom from memory. But yeah it all went to custard when i tried pulling it apart. 20 years old, what can you do?
@coztopia: I just replaced an outlet valve that was 28 years old. The rubber was falling apart. Luckily the rubber in the inlet valve was still okay (2 pieces).
Good luck.
The hardest part is trying to unclip the middle part ( if that makes sense.) If you can get that out, take it to bunnings and tell them your problem. Hopefully saves you a couple hundred,also the large seal stretches over the top don't try pull the plastic pieces apart.
That depends. What did you have for dinner the night before??
yeah that sounds right we just had 2 replaced at our place and was just under $500
Lol, having to deal with toilets and the relevant sanitary issues the price is very fair.
If I have an issue I go to Bunnings and get the Estilo complete suite for $92 with the trade card else it is I think 97.
Of course the parts are hyper expensive so if it is too dirty I just swap the entire kit and every 2nd time a seal for 10 bucks.
Sorry we do live in a throw away society can't help it was forced into by printer makers
Thanks for the replies all; i feel suitably shamed into at least having one more go at diy before calling in the pros. Cheers
Good on you for having another go. If you manage to fix it, the sense of pride and satisfaction will be enormous.
Recently did my own and the parts cost about $140 or so for a simple plastic unit. Takes about 15~30 mins to swap over.
I would happily have paid $260 to have it done if I knew nothing about it. If you break it down, it’s pretty reasonable. Plumber would have to cover the parts, travel, labour, GST. and overheads and the fact that he is playing with toilets. You could shop it around but I don’t think you would make any significant savings unless you supplied the parts yourself if you found them cheaper.