my toilet is leaking from bottom of tank. every time i try to patch it with silicone another leak appears. how do i change out that assembly?

wet in lawndale, April 2009

You wont be able to fix it permanently with silicone - there is a special foam rubber washer (called a doughnut washer because of its shape) that is fixed between the cistern and the toilet pan. Yours is distorted and requires renewing. The cistern has to be unbolted from the pan to get access to this, unfortunately.

John, April 2009