Cracked toilet tank

[EngTeach]

My tenant told me this morning that last night he heard a "boom" in the bathroom and when he went in the tank was cracked and leaking he drained it and shut off the feed below the toilet. I have someone coming to replace the toilet...hopefully today. It is old and it is their only toilet. :(

My question is this: last week my hot water heater was leaking and the valve was replaced. Could some type of pressure have caused this? we did not shut off the water when he replaced the valve and it was a simple job. Stopped the leak and all has been well (and dry) since then.

Any ideas?Thanks

[Count-A-Strong]

By 'tank' I assume (always dangerous) that you mean cistern. If so this is not pressurised in any way so that can't be a factor.

[EngTeach]

I doubt he dropped something on it and wouldn't fess up. The lid seemed fine. The tenant is my good friend's uncle so I think if he did it he would own up.

The toilet in question is at least 50 years old. It was either here when my folks bought the house or they had it put in shortly after in the mid 60's...I am not upset about replacing it. One of the joys of owning an older home.

By tank I mean the place where the water is stored to flush the toilet...standing up behind the seat.

Thanks for the input, glad it is not an "internal" problem. :{

[EngTeach]

It does feed in, but the toilet is a "lovely" powder blue (back in the 60's you know), so it will be easier to change out the whole thing rather than search all over for a blue tank or having a 2 tone toilet. Of course now it will be white, while the tub and sink are blue!

[AlBags]

Can find in local refuse tip! I saw a blue one a while back.
Most are that horrible avocado ... pampas green!

[EngTeach]

We went with whit. Now it does not match sink and tub, but nothing I can do....

[madmaggot]

This happened to me back in the 90's.
It was a 70's built house with the original ceramic suite in the bathroom. In the middle of the night i heard it crack just as your tennant said. It is apparently fairly common for a ceramic cystern to do this, but fortunately it makes a very loud noise so if you're around at the time you will hear it and take appropriate action.