| Replace Fill Valve |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-212 |
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Q: It seems to take forever for the toilet tank to refill after flushing. Can I fix this myself?
A: (Brad Staggs, Ask DIY Home Repair expert): That's an easy fix. More than likely, the fill up valve, which allows water to re-fill the tank after you flush, is clogged, and that's why the water is filling the tank so slowly. Because a new valve costs five or 10 dollars, it's a lot easier to replace it than try to clean it up. Here's what you do:
- Make sure you purchase a new fill up valve that's just like the one you had.
- So you can get to the parts, you'll need to drain the toilet tank. First, reach below the tank and turn off the water supply (figure A). Then push the handle to allow the toilet to flush. With the water supply cut off, the toilet will flush but no new water will come into the tank. Sponge up any water that's left at the bottom of the tank after you flush.
- Remove the flexible fill up tube that hooks the fill up valve to the flushing mechanism (figure B).
- Protect your floor from spills by placing a bucket and/or rags below the tank and keeping them in place until you're done.
- Find the water supply line beneath the tank. Loosen the porcelain fitting with your fingers (figure C) and remove the line. Remember, any time you're working with porcelain, you only want to finger-tighten. If you really crank down on porcelain, you risk breaking it or some pipes in the walls -- both are costly mistakes.
- With a wrench, loosen the nut at the bottom of the tank (right where the water supply line used to be) (figure D). Unscrew the nut the rest of the way with your fingers (figure E) and you'll be able to easily lift the entire fill valve unit out of the tank from the top.
- Examine your new valve to find the portion that spins to adjust the height. Compare it to the old valve and make the heights match precisely (figure F).
- Remove the nut from the bottom of the valve and place it inside the tank, making sure the gasket is in place because that's what keeps water from dripping out of the toilet tank. Then you essentially reverse the process you used to remove the valve: tighten the nut below the tank; re-insert the water supply line and fixture; reattach the flexible fill up hose (figure G); and turn on the water supply once more.
- Flush the toilet to allow the tank to fill up once more.
More Questions for Brad:
Q: What can I do to stop water from continually running from the toilet tank into the bowl?
A: When you push the handle on your toilet, the flapper valve raises up and allows water to go into the bowl and then closes to shut off the water. If the flapper valve starts to warp, water will continually run down into the bowl. If that's your problem, replace the flapper valve -- it's a two dollar part and it usually just snaps right on.
Q: My toilet has a slow leak and my bathroom floor is getting ruined. What should I do?
A: With this limited amount of information, the best I can tell you is to check all the connections beneath the toilet because you could have a drip coming from there. It could be as complicated as your wax ring getting up underneath the toilet. In that case, you'd have to remove the tank, take off the two bolts that hold the bowl onto the floor, and put in a new wax ring.
Q: My son broke the handle on the toilet. Can I replace it myself?
A: It's very simple and not very expensive. Just unscrew the nut on the old one, remove it from the toilet, slip the new one in, attach it to the chain and you're done! Web site resources for Replacing Fill Valve: Jiggle The Handle From HGTV.com First Aid For A Failing Toilet From Todays Homeowner.com How To Replace The Toilet Fill Valve From Eweb.org Books: Basic Plumbing With Illustrations
by Howard C. Massey
0934041997
Craftsman Book Company (1994)
6058 Corte Del Cedro
Carlsbad, CA 92009-9974
Phone: 800-328-0590 or 612-936-4700
Fax: 612-988-9108
Home Plumbing Projects and Repairs
by Editors
Cy De Cosse, Inc.
Creative Publishing
5900 Green Oak Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55343
Phone: 800-325-0590 or 612-936-4700
Fax: 612-988-9108
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