I recently have been taking on a number of home Do-It-Yourself projects.  In these economic times, who couldn’t use saving a little cash on a home repair or renovation?  DYI must be all the rage.

The most daunting yet was when my toilet started leaking.  I researched the problem and determined that it was definitely the wax seal, meaning that I’d have to pull out the entire toilet just to replace that seal.  After talking it over with my wife, we decided that since we hated the old toilet anyway, and it would hardly be any more work, that we’d just replace the whole toilet while we were at it.

Now, in better times, I might have called a plumber for something as serious as that.  A toilet is not something that you want to screw up!  But it was not just an opportunity to save money, but an opportunity to learn, and I’m glad I took it.

Yes, there was a part where it was pretty disgusting.  I have a whole new appreciation for plumbers now, and the ____ that they must deal with.  But, you know, other than the heavy lifting, (you don’t really think about how toilets can easily weigh 100lbs. or more, which can be a bit much to heft up a flight of stairs by yourself) it was actually a lot easier than I expected it to be.  And though I was a little worried that I might have done something wrong, there have been no leaks since, so I know I got it right.

It was a strangely rewarding experience.

I love learning new things, and new skills.  What fun is life if you’re not at least challenged a little?  And now I know that if I ever have to do it again, I can replace an old toilet.

And in this time of economic struggle, I invite you to do the same.  Well, okay, so it doesn’t have to be something as gross as a toilet.  But try something new.  Do something yourself that you normally would have paid someone else to do.  Get out of your comfort zone and learn.  It’s a great feeling when you accomplish something that you never expected to be tested with.  And who couldn’t use saving a little money these days?

As for the toilet itself, an American Standard Cadet 3, I highly recommend it!  I don’t know how they get so much flushing power out of a WaterSense 1.28 gallon flush, but boy do they ever!  You really can go green without suffering from a lack of performance.