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Thank you for using ToiletTankLids.com. Below are some tips to help you avoid damaging your toilet tank lid.

Toilets and their tank lids are made of vitreous china. This vitreous, glazed surface is glass-like and therefore smooth and slippery, the same as glass. The china body is made of clay, much like pottery, and therefore heavy, the same as pottery.

Toilet tank lids weigh 10 pounds on average. The ratio of a lid's weight to its size is high. This is deceiving to one's natural instinct when seeing a lid and deciding how to pick it up.

In summary, toilet tank lids are heavy, slippery, and fragile. So, with these factoids in mind, here is how we recommend you handle toilet tank lids:

Handling a lid:

~ Handle with dry hands only.

~ Always use two hands.

~ Lift and carry from the under-side.

~ When removing or installing a lid, stand or sit directly in front of the toilet and hold the lid on the left and right sides.

~ Use care not to hit or bump the lid against the tank.

Storing a lid off of a toilet:

~ Do not lean it vertically against a wall or other support. (Odds are it will slip, fall and break.)

~ Do not set the lid on, or in contact with, a hard surface such as tile, marble, cast iron, steel. (If you must do this, insulate it with a towel or blanket.)

~ Do not set the lid on a counter. (Odds are it will get bumped and fall.)

~ Do not store the lid in the bath tub. (Odds are it will slip, fall and break.)

~ Do not set the lid on the floor. (Odds are it will get kicked and broken.)

~ In other words, do not store the lid in the bathroom. Take it to a bedroom and set it on the bed. (Then place an orange cone on top of it. ...Just kidding!)

~ Second choice is another room on carpet or a cushioned chair.

The Best of Quotes From Our Experienced Customers:

"I stored the toilet in the garage during the remodel. The lid was on a tool box. The dog went by and bumped it. It smashed into many pieces."

"I broke the lid. I leaned it against a wall and it slid down the wall and broke."

"This is the last time I let my sister paint my bathroom while drinking ;) ." (Norris 1979, White, 2007)

"In a cleaning frenzy before selling our house, I removed the tank cover. It slipped out of my hand and smashed into pieces on the floor."

"My husband was fixing the toilet. The lid was on the floor. He dropped a tool and it hit the lid."

"The flush handle was not working right. The nanny picked up the lid to check on the handle. The lid slipped out of her hand."

"I removed the top to clean. I turned away to get something and heard it breaking."

"I lifted the front to look inside. The cover slid off the back, went between the toilet and the wall, and broke when it hit the floor."

"I removed the lid to wash it. I stood it up in the tub to dry. It slipped and fell and broke into three pieces. I cut my hand when I picked it up."

"I was painting the walls. I bumped the lid and it fell off and broke."

"My dog broke my lid the other day during a thunderstorm."

"My son needed ten stitches in his hand."

"We removed the toilet during the remodel. The tank slid out of the back of the truck and smashed on the street when the employee drove off without closing the tail-gate." (American Standard wall mounted Glenwall, 2004)

"I was removing wallpaper and I slipped and hit the toilet and the top fell off and broke."

"I can hold my baby with one hand, so I thought I could lift the lid with one hand. ...Not." (American Standard 4078, White, 2006)

"By the way your tips on handling lids was helpful, but I wish that I read it prior to playing with the lid.  When broken they are like razor blades." (American Standard F2005 White, 2006)

"The other lid is in a million pieces out in the garage, as it slipped off the seat onto my foot. 2 weeks and 3 stitches later, I can finally put on a shoe!." (Vitromex White, 2007)

"The Sloan FlushMate pressure tank blew up and shot the lid into the air. It crashed onto the floor and broke into a hundred pieces. Luckily no one was in there when it happened." (American Standard 4086 Bone, 2007)

Caution - Warning:

~ If your lid (or other vitreous china) does become broken, be very careful of the sharp pieces. They are like glass and are just as dangerous when broken.

~ If you are using a lid that has broken or chipped edges, take a fine file and carefully smooth down the sharp edges. Or remove the lid and do not use it.

That's it! ...More than you wanted to know. But, "Better safe than sorry."

Tjader Sales, Manufacturers' Rep ~ Glossary of Plumbing Terms ~ Plumbing Tips ~ Toiletology ~ Donations to Public Schools & Housing

E-mail: Gary@Tjader.com ~ Phone: 650-483-1139

(Please read FAQs before calling.)