To lubricate properly
Buy a tube of thick teflon grease--the same stuf that's in all new toilets when they leave the factory (SuperLube is the best brand), available at most auto parts and swimming pool supply stores. Pump the head in the head in the dry mode to flush all the water out of the pump. Take the top off the pump...depending on the age of your toilet, that may require removing 6 screws, or just a single nut. Put a HEALTHY squirt of the grease into the pump...pump a few times to spread it all over the inside of the pump cylinder. Put the top back on. You're done. The toilet shouldn't require any more lubrication for a year. If you do this annually as part of your preventive maintenance schedule, it will prevent wear to the seals and o-rings and extend the time before it needs rebuilding. Or, you can do it the hard way: the never-ending job of pouring a little vegetable oil or liquid "head lube" down the toilet every week or two...'cuz anything thin enough to pour down the toilet just washes out in a few flushes. Waiting till it starts to squeak and/or become hard to flush before doing anything wears out the seals and o-rings...kinda like just adding a little oil to an engine only when it starts to smoke.
