A: First thing, Dan, is to put down the hammer. Second thing, unless your toilet runs on hot water, leave the water heater alone. Third thing, right now the toilet is the least of your problems.

It seems that you may have very hard water, and water deposits have seized all the water shut-off valves in your home. This usually occurs from lack of use, and after years in the open position your valves are now stuck.

You have a very scary problem, because if you get a big leak there may be no easy way to stop the water before it causes major damage to your home. You need to contact your local water department to find your outdoor shut-off at the curb or have them shut down the water for you. Once the water to the house is off, you'll need to work with a plumber to replace all the stuck valves since they are probably in very bad shape.

The toilet parts can be replaced while changing the toilet water valve, so don't worry about that now. Also, have the plumber install a "whole house" water filter or look into a "water softening system" to help remove some the minerals in your water.

Finally it's a good idea every few months to turn the new valves on and off to keep them in working order. Don't wait on this job -- if you don't replace these stuck valves very soon, you could be stuck with a flooded house!