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Toilet Repair Basics.
The tank is connected to the bowl with 2 to 3 bolts and a gasket on the bottom of the flush valve where it penetrates the bottom of the tank. When the flush handle is pushed, the attached chain lifts the flapper and lets the water from the tank rush into the bowl through the flush valve. Through inertia the moving water flushes through and out the bottom of the bowl taking waste with it. As the water vacates the tank, the float on the fill valve lowers and water fills the tank again preparing for the next flush. Here are some of the more common problems you will encounter with toilets. Toilet does nothing when lever is pushed: This is usually because the chain has either come loose from the flush handle or the flapper. This could also be a sign of no water in the tank which could be debris in the fill valve. Toilet flushes but appears to flush slow and/or fails to clear waste properly: When you encounter this, there is usually something in the toilet between the bowl and the flange where it connects to the floor. A happy meal toy or hair clip comes to mind when I think of this situation. If you can't clear the obstruction with a plunger, you may want to try a closet auger. On older toilets, a slow flush may mean hard water buildup in the area of the bowl between the base of the flush valve and the ports under the rim of the bowl, preventing the proper momentum of water needed for a successful flush. Water runs consistantly in the tank: This is usually a faulty fill valve. This is where you usually see a man in the family bending the float arm down in an attempt to put more pressure on the shutoff part of the fill valve. Another possibility may be that the flapper is hung up and water is escaping the tank and the float on the fill valve is never satisfied. Water in tank runs periodically: This is almost always caused by a small leak between flapper and the fill valve. A new flapper usually fixes the problem. Leak from the bottom of the TANK: Check to make sure the tank to bowl bolts are not loose. Leak at the bottom of the bowl: First check to make sure that this is not water coming from the tank and running down the bowl onto the floor. Most of the service calls I've been on where someone said the toilet was leaking from the bottom, I've found that it was actually running down from a higher point, they just hadn't noticed it. If it IS actually leaking from underneath. You will likely need to replace the wax ring. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Lloyd Brinkley is professional repairman with over 20 years experience with hvac, plumbing and electrical. He also has a couple of websites on Drywall taping tools and laptop docking stations |
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