|
2torial #0734:
Learn2 Fix
a Running Toilet
The truth about toilet tech...
Plumbing used to be a very dangerous
occupation--before modern ventilation systems were
installed in homes, sewer gases could build to
dangerously high pressure and explode. Fortunately,
you won't be dealing with any pipes and dangerous
gases--fixing a running toilet is a matter of
simple hardware adjustment and replacement.
Maladjusted or worn-out pieces of toilet
hardware allow water to run continuously from the
tank to the toliet bowl and down the pipe,
eventually emptying the tank. There's also a slow
leak running toilet that's quiet and not easily
detectable, but will also empty the tank before
long. Running toilets should be repaired for three
reasons: one, a running toilet isn't ready for use,
since there's no water in the tank; two, it's
noisy; and three, it can waste a tremendous amount
of water--thousands of gallons over the course of a
year.
So, if you've never looked inside a toilet tank
before, you'll want to take a few minutes to check
out the parts and get your bearings. If you can do
that, and maybe loosen and tighten a few bolts, you
save yourself the cost of a plumber's service call,
which is usually upwards of US$50.
Don't be afraid of sticking your hands in the
toilet--there's nothing in there that won't wash
off with soap and water. In fact, since the water
in the tank often sits undisturbed for hours on
end, silt and sediment in the tapwater will settle
to the bottom of the tank. So the water in a toilet
may be the cleanest water in a home.
Some toilets are designed differently from the
design described in this 2torial, but don't let
that throw you off. All toilets work on the same
principals--so by taking off the lid, flushing the
toilet, and watching the flush cycle a few times,
you'll be able see how it works.
Understand toilets
The only tricky thing about toilets are all the
different names for the parts. There aren't many
parts, and the function of each part is easy to see
and understand, but they're named differently
depending on who's talking. This 2torial will stick
with one set of names, but will also include the
others for reference. Here's how it works:
There are three basic parts to toilet function:
filling, stopping, and
flushing. You need these three functions
working together in order for the toilet to work
properly. Anytime you have a problem with toilet
running, take off the lid of the tank, flush the
toilet, and watch the filling, stopping, and
emptying cycle a few times. This will help you
identify the source of the problem.
Filling:
The tank is the large, oblong ceramic
container that's located behind the toilet bowl and
at waist-to-chest level of the person sitting on
it. The tank is important for two reasons: one, it
contains the water that flushes waste down the
pipes, and two, it contains all the hardware
necessary for filling, stopping, and emptying. The
overflow pipe (a.k.a., the ball cock) is a long,
hollow tube, fastened to the bottom of the tank. A
narrow pipe usually snakes up the side of the
overflow pipe and fills the tank.
Flushing:
When the tank is full and you push down the
handle on the outside of the tank, the lift
arm, which connects to the handle on the inside
of the tank, pulls up either a chain or a thin,
rigid, metal rod called a lift wire. The lift
wire/chain piece pulls up a rubbery black plug
that's called one of many names: the
stopper, flapper, disk,
seal, or tank-ball. As the stopper is
lifted, the water in the tank rushes out the drain
at the bottom of the tank, into the toilet bowl,
and continues down to pipes to a sewer.
Stopping:
The process of stopping is when problems can
happen. Stopping happens at the flush valve,
which consists of the stopper and a flush valve
seat (a brass or plastic seal which surrounds the
drain). When the tank is empty, the stopper is
lowered onto the flush valve seat (that's where the
stopper "sits") and closes the drain, preventing
any passage of water. A good seal at the connection
between the stopper and the flush valve seat
allows the tank to be filled up.
Fix a running toilet
This step freely uses all the terms of toilet technology described
in Step 1. If there's something you don't understand, go back to
Step 1, or check Keywords for a particular term.
So there you are, staring at the toilet you've
just flushed. You watch the water flush out the
bowl, and now the toilet is refilling the tank, and
now...it won't stop refilling. The toilet is
running, it's wasting water--what to do?
Don't panic. Take off the lid of the tank and
see what's happening. Chances are, the stopper
isn't sitting squarely on the flush valve seat--the
chain is probably caught under the side of the
stopper. You can fix the situation by pulling the
chain out from the stopper; if you've ever been
told to "jiggle the handle" of a running toilet,
this is exactly what you're doing. A more permanent
solution is to shorten the length of the chain so
that there isn't excessive slack to interfere with
the action of the stopper.
- Loosen: Use a pair of small pair of
pliers to loosen the link of top of the stopper
that attaches the stopper to the chain.
- Pull and link: Then place the stopper
squarely on the valve seat, and pull the chain
taut to the stopper. Choose a link that will
keep the chain fairly taut (leave a little
slack, though), and attach the chain to the link
on the stopper. Make sure the handle (on the
outside) is up and the lift arm is down; this
will put them in the correct position to pull up
the chain and stopper.
No chain in your toilet? Then your toilet
uses a lift wire.
- Check the wire: Look down the length
of the lift wire--if it's bent, it may be
throwing the stopper off center.
- Remove it and try it push the bend out of
it. If that's too hard or it's bent past the
point of repair, you can purchase a new one at
hardware store for a few dollars.
Still running? Like the rest of us,
stoppers get old and run-down and don't work as
well.
- Retired stoppers: If the toilet
doesn't respond to the measures above, the
stopper may need to be replaced. A stopper
that's soft or distorted, or has pockmarks or
small splits near the edge, is ripe for
retirement.
- Replacement time: Remove the old
stopper from the chain or lift wire and bring it
down to the local hardware store. (Some brands
of toilets won't accept the one-size-fits-all
type of stopper, so be sure to bring the old
stopper with you.) It won't cost you more than a
few dollars and five minutes of work.
- Alignment: As you re-attach the chain
to the link on the stopper, make sure the handle
(on the outside) is up and the lift arm is down.
This will put them in the correct position to
pull up the chain and stopper.
Fix a slow leak
If your toilet doesn't run continuously, yet you
can hear it refill every 15 minutes or more, the
problem may be with the flush valve seat. If you
want to be sure, add several drops of dark-colored
food dye to the tank. If there's a leak in the
valve seat, the dyed water will seep through the
seal and into the toilet bowl, right in front of
your suspecting eyes! Aha! An old valve seat won't
form a good seal with the stopper or the base of
the tank, and will leak water until the entire tank
is empty. Fortunately it's easy to buy a
replacement which can be cemented directly on top
of the old one.
Most hardware stores will have a valve seat
replacement kit which will fit most models of valve
seats. It won't fit all of them, though, and the
kit's packaging will often depict what types of
valve seats aren't compatible. To avoid a mistaken
purchase, take a careful look at the valve seat,
noting the size and any distinguishing marks,
before leaving for the hardware store. And if
nothing else, note what the valve seat is made of:
brass or plastic, usually.
- First, you need to clear out the
tank. Turn off the water at the main water
valve (located on the wall near the floor),
flush the toilet to empty the tank, and remove
the stopper, chain, and lift arm, and anything
else that might be in the way. Take a clean rag
and mop up any puddles of water on the tank
floor.
- Clear and clean: The crucial step
with valve seat replacement is thorough
preparation of the old seat. If it's brass,
scrub it with steel wool or wet/dry sandpaper.
If it's plastic, use a non-abrasive nylon ball
or sponge. After you've cleaned wipe down the
seat again, making sure to remove any grit or
moisture that remains.
- Study and stick: Most seat
replacements have a self-adhesive, with a layer
of paper backing that's peeled off. Before you
peel off the backing, study the illustrations
for that particular model of seat replacement,
and practice aligning it over the old seat.
- You're ready to attach the new seat.
Remove half of the paper backing (only half!)
and, having lined the new seat carefully, press
it gently on the old seat. Repeat with the other
side: remove the paper and press gently. Once
the new seat is on and aligned correctly, press
down firmly and evenly for at least a
minute.
- Place, pull, and position: Then place
the stopper squarely on the valve seat, and pull
the chain taut to the stopper. Choose a link
that will keep the chain fairly taut (leave a
little slack, though), and attach the chain to
the link on the stopper. Make sure the handle
(on the outside) is up and the lift arm is down;
this will put them in the correct position to
pull up the chain and stopper.
- All flushed: Turn the main water
valve back on, and you're ready to flush.
-end-
Learn More!
|
