How your toilet works:
Two assemblies are concealed under the lid of a toilet tank; a ball cock assembly,
which regulates the filling of he tank, and a flush valve assembly, which
controls the flow of water from the tank to the bowl. When someone presses
the flush handle, the trip lever raises the lift wires (or chain) connected
to the tank stopper. As the stopper goes up, water rushes through the valve
seat into the bowl via the flush passages. The water in the bowl yields to
gravity and is siphoned out the trap.
Once the tank empties, the stopper drops into the flush valve seat. The float
ball trips the ball cock assembly to let a new supply of water into the tank
through the tank fill tube. As the tank water level rises, the float ball
rises until it gets high enough to shut off the flow of water. If the water
fails to shut off, the overflow tube carries water down into the bowl to prevent
an overflow.
Troubleshooting Toilet Problems
Noisy Toilet
Check for:
· Restricted water flow.
· Defective ball cock assembly.
Remedies:
· Adjust the shutoff valve first.
· Oil the trip lever or replace the ball cock washers.
· Replace the entire ball cock assembly.
· CAUTION: First turn off the water at the fixture shutoff valve. Then
flush the toilet to empty the tank and sponge out any remaining water.
Running Toilet
Check for:
· Float arm not rising high enough.
· Water-filled float ball.
· Tank stopper not seating properly.
· Corroded flush valve seal.
· Cracked overflow tube.
· Ball cock valve doesn't shut off.
Remedies:
· Bend float arm down or away from tank wall.
· Replace ball.
· Adjust stopper guide rod and lift wires or chain. Replace defective
stopper.
· Scour valve seat or replace.
· Replace tube or install new flush valve assembly.
· Oil trip lever, replace faulty washers, or install new ball cock
assembly.
Clogged Toilet
Check for:
· Blockage in drain.
Remedy:
· Remove blockage with plunger or closet auger.
Inadequate flush
Check for:
· Faulty linkage between handle and trip lever.
· Tank stopper closes before tank empties.
· Leak between tank and bowl.
· Clogged flush passages.
Remedies:
· Tighten setscrew on handle linkage or replace handle.
· Adjust stopper guide rod and lift wires or chain.
· Tighten tank bolts or couplings or replace gasket.
· Clear obstructions from passages with wire.
Leaking Toilet
· To stop a leak between the tank and bowl of a bowl-mounted toilet
tank, tighten the bolts in the tank, or remove them and replace their gaskets.
· To seal the connections on a wall-mounted tank, tighten the couplings
on the pipe connecting the tank and bowl, or unscrew the couplings, remove
the pipe, and replace the washers.
· If the bowl leaks around its base, you'll have to lift the bowl up
and reseal it along the base.
· If you don 't want to do this job yourself, call in a professional
plumber.
Sweating tank
This problem occurs most often in the summer when cold water in the tank cools
the porcelain, and warm, moist air encourages mildew, loosens floor tiles,
and rots sub-flooring. An easy solution is to insulate the inside of the tank
by draining it and then gluing a liner made of foam rubber pads to the inside
walls. A more costly remedy, and one that's usually a job for a professional,
is to install a tempering valve that mixes hot water with the cold water entering
the tank.
Check for:
· Condensation.
Remedy:
· Install tank insulation or a tempering valve.