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Know More About Your Toilet

Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 December 1969 15:59 Written by Scott Rodgers Saturday, 09 January 2010 08:50

For solving some of the most common problems associated with toilets, you need to first gain an understanding of how the toilet works. Mostly people have the knowledge of flushing the toilet with the handle and the water flushes away everything. Anything beyond this handle is a mystery to most of us.

For solving some of the most common problems associated with toilets, you need to first gain an understanding of how the toilet works. Mostly people have the knowledge of flushing the toilet with the handle and the water flushes away everything. Anything beyond this handle is a mystery to most of us.

Normally toilets need a tank, a bowl, a handle, a trip lever, ball-cock, a stopper and flush-valve assembly for its basic working. Problem in any of the component can cause improper working of toilet flush or other problems in toilet.

The handle of your toilet is connected to a trip lever. When you press down the handle, it raises a chain or vertical rod that is attached to a stopper located at the bottom of the tank. When the stopper is raised, water in the tank runs through the flush valve. After that the water travels into the toilet bowl through small flush ports.

The flow of water is supported by gravitational force. Due to this force, water flows into the toilet bowl and then to drainpipe. In traditional flush systems, all of the tank water is used in a single flush and causes the stopper to go back at flush valve seat. Now the float ball also sets down at the bottom and prompts refilling of fresh water in the tank.

With the filling of water in the tank, level of water as well as float ball raises. After reaching a predetermined height, the flow of water stops. In case the water does not stop flowing even after the predetermined level is reached, it starts flowing into the toilet bowl and causes a leak in the toilet. Such toilets are called as running toilet.

Running toilet is one of the most common problems with toilets. However, there could be several different causes for it and you first need to figure out the main source of problem. Most of the times, the cause is a float arm that is not rising to the proper height. It can be simply resolved by bending the float arm downward.

In case the cause is not float arm then you can check your stopper. Your stopper may not be able to set properly against the flush valve seat. You can simply replace or clean the stopper and repair the flush-valve seat to solve your problem.

Besides running toilet, other common problems are associated with a cracked overflow tube and defective ball-cock valves. To solve such problems, you should prefer to replace them. Also you should replace your old ball-cock device with a new one that contains the newer anti-siphon feature. In some cases, changing individual parts is more costly and time consuming than replacing the entire assembly.