The way the toilet works is a mystery to most people. But like many mysteries, a closer inspection may reveal that the toilet is not very mysterious at all. In fact, this device is very simple in design and function.
Most likely, you will use a gravity-fed toilet-luckily, almost all problems can be traced back to three parts: the injection valve, the baffle, and the tank lever. Familiar with these three hard-working components, you will be able to repair most toilet failures without calling a plumber.
All gravity toilets are equipped with a water injection valve. This is the mechanism that controls the refilling of the water tank and bedpan to the correct water level after each flush. In older toilets, you will usually see a ball valve assembly with a large hollow ball, called a float, made of metal or plastic.
After each flush, the water level of the water tank will rise as water is gradually added. The float rises with the water and finally triggers the valve to close the water flow. The problem with ball valves is that they are loud, slow to refill, and leak water. In addition, they require constant patching to maintain normal operation. When the ball valve starts to malfunction and the toilet is running continuously, it is better to just replace the entire mechanism instead of repairing it over and over again.
The best alternative to the old-fashioned ball valve is the modern water injection valve, which combines powerful flushing and ultra-quiet operation, and the height is adjustable to fit new and old toilets. Most importantly, you can remove the old ball valve and install a new filling valve within 10 minutes. That’s it:
A mysterious phenomenon called phantom flushing causes the toilet to flush randomly. This problem may be a bit harsh in the middle of the night, but it also wastes quite a bit of water. The most common cause of this problem is the slow leakage of water from the tank, under the baffle, and from the bowl.
The baffle is a cup-shaped rubber piece mounted on the valve seat, and it is the drain hole at the bottom of the fuel tank. When enough water is drained from the water tank, the flush valve is activated and the toilet flushes.
This happens when the rubber baffle is warped, cracked, or otherwise damaged. The good news is that you can usually eliminate the phantom flush in a few minutes by installing a new bezel. Just untie and disconnect the chain from the old flap of the flush valve. Connect the chain to the new baffle, and then hook the baffle onto the two prongs protruding from the flush valve. It’s that simple and fast.
When buying a new baffle, make sure it is resistant to chlorine and hard water, and buy a baffle with an adjustable dial to close faster in a shorter flushing time, or keep it open for a longer flushing time A few seconds.
Post time: Dec-02-2021
