u/RealSugarPlumFairy

Check out 13 Down in the August 18 2026 edition of the. New Yorker crossword by Aimee Lucido.

I had to remove the old American Standard toilet so I could extract a plastic part that came dislodged from a toilet brush. It was a disc shaped piece about the size of a CD that sat on top of the brush that acted like a lid when you put it back in the brush holder. This part got lodged when the brush fell apart and was a bugger to retrieve. The only way I got it out was by removing the toilet and then using a shop vac to suck it out. It was really lodged in there. Probably because of the plunger action before that. Anyways those toilet brushes are bad news and should be outlawed.

But my main issue now is how to remove and replace the bolts from the flange. This is an old flange like probably mid 1950's and I am not sure because I did not remove all the wax ring yet but I am wondering if there was no key hole opening present on those flanges. The bolts right now are no good. One of them just spins and the other is broken off at the bottom and does not hold obviously.

The toilet is functioning now and is sitting on the flange with the weight and gravity holding it steady. I plan to attack this problem ASAP...

So what is my next step?

I had to remove the old American Standard toilet so I could extract a plastic part that came dislodged from a toilet brush. It was a disc shaped piece about the size of a CD that sat on top of the brush that acted like a lid when you put it back in the brush holder. This part got lodged when the brush fell apart and was a bugger to retrieve. The only way I got it out was by removing the toilet and then using a shop vac to suck it out. It was really lodged in there. Probably because of the plunger action before that. Anyways those toilet brushes are bad news and should be outlawed.

But my main issue now is how to remove and replace the bolts from the flange. This is an old flange like probably mid 1950's and I am not sure because I did not remove all the wax ring yet but I am wondering if there was no key hole opening present on those flanges. The bolts right now are no good. One of them just spins and the other is broken off at the bottom and does not hold obviously.

The toilet is functioning now and is sitting on the flange with the weight and gravity holding it steady. I plan to attack this problem ASAP...

So what is my next step?

I had to remove the old American Standard toilet so I could extract a plastic part that came dislodged from a toilet brush. It was a disc shaped piece about the size of a CD that sat on top of the brush that acted like a lid when you put it back in the brush holder. This part got lodged when the brush fell apart and was a bugger to retrieve. The only way I got it out was by removing the toilet and then using a shop vac to suck it out. It was really lodged in there. Probably because of the plunger action before that. Anyways those toilet brushes are bad news and should be outlawed.

But my main issue now is how to remove and replace the bolts from the flange. This is an old flange like probably mid 1950's and I am not sure because I did not remove all the wax ring yet but I am wondering if there was no key hole opening present on those flanges. The bolts right now are no good. One of them just spins and the other is broken off at the bottom and does not hold obviously.

The toilet is functioning now and is sitting on the flange with the weight and gravity holding it steady. I plan to attack this problem ASAP...

So what is my next step?

I had to remove the old American Standard toilet so I could extract a plastic part that came dislodged from a toilet brush. It was a disc shaped piece about the size of a CD that sat on top of the brush that acted like a lid when you put it back in the brush holder. This part got lodged when the brush fell apart and was a bugger to retrieve. The only way I got it out was by removing the toilet and then using a shop vac to suck it out. It was really lodged in there. Probably because of the plunger action before that. Anyways those toilet brushes are bad news and should be outlawed.

But my main issue now is how to remove and replace the bolts from the flange. This is an old flange like probably mid 1950's and I am not sure because I did not remove all the wax ring yet but I am wondering if there was no key hole opening present on those flanges. The bolts right now are no good. One of them just spins and the other is broken off at the bottom and does not hold obviously.

The toilet is functioning now and is sitting on the flange with the weight and gravity holding it steady. I plan to attack this problem ASAP...

So what is my next step?

The new developments in shoe technology has lead to lighter shoes but the compromise is that they are not as durable as they used to be. There is less hard rubber under the sole of most shoes now and consequently I am finding my shoes wear out at least twice as fast as they used to. What shoes are out there that offer decent durability?

Got the replacement part and am just about to attempt the replacement. The only issue I can see maybe having a bit of trouble with is the temperature sensor wire. Is it pretty straightforward? Do I just pull out the old one from the hole and push the new one in after straightening it out or is there something else I should know about. Thanks in advance for your help!

Got the replacement part and am just about to attempt the replacement. The only issue I can see maybe having a bit of trouble with is the temperature sensor wire. Is it pretty straightforward? Do I just pull out the old one from the hole and push the new one in after straightening it out or is there something else I should know about. Thanks in advance for your help!

Got the replacement part and am just about to attempt the replacement. The only issue I can see maybe having a bit of trouble with is the temperature sensor wire. Is it pretty straightforward? Do I just pull out the old one from the hole and push the new one in after straightening it out or is there something else I should know about. Thanks in advance for your help!