Your toilet is an integral component of your home. Proper use promotes cleanliness, helps eliminate waste, and offers protection from germs that could pose risks.
However, toilets may develop issues that require repair or replacement; frequently, this problem can be solved simply by understanding its essential parts and how they function.
Understanding your toilet’s components and how they work can often solve common issues; for more insights on troubleshooting a weak flush, you can find some helpful tips be checking out the following link: https://www.diamondbackplumbing.com/blog/toilet-has-a-weak-flush/.
The Bowl
The toilet bowl is the lower portion where waste must be placed to be flushed away down the sewer lines and may feature rim holes (openings around its edge) or jet holes for increased flushing pressure.
Pressing the handle enables water from the tank to quickly fill up the bowl and stop any possible siphon action from starting in your toilet, providing enough forceful fill-up that no clog or siphon action occurs.
Your toilet’s plumbing features a water trap to block sewer gas emissions from entering your home and a siphon tube that angles downward to hold a pool of water between flushes. In addition, a U-shaped section known as the sewer pipe at its bottom connects directly to its outlet. It features a wax seal to provide added security against potential issues.
The overflow tube prevents your toilet from overflowing onto your bathroom floor and is linked to its fill valve and flapper. With each flush, water refills the tank; its lever lifts it when pushed on by your handle for the toilet flapper to be lifted off its hinges.
The Tank
People often take their toilet for granted, but it is truly a fantastic piece of engineering that serves a basic human need. Understanding its operation will allow you to identify issues more quickly, such as when the handle arm breaks or the flush valve doesn’t seal correctly, and learn how to repair these common issues yourself or find an affordable home warranty company to assist.
The Flush Valve
The flush valve allows a predetermined volume of water to enter the bowl during each flush. It comes in the form of either a flapper or canister (with the latter used on toilets with dual flush systems).
Pulling the handle will activate a chain connected to a flush valve seat, which in turn lifts and opens its flapper for water flow through. Next, the drain opening seals shut so waste can pass directly over into the main sewer line.
Some tanks utilize a side-float design with an arm equipped with a float that acts as the fill valve, lifting as the arm rises until it reaches a set height and then automatically shutting off water flow when that height has been reached.
Other toilets feature a float ball or filler float that alerts the fill valve when your bowl is full, turning off the water when necessary to prevent your toilet from constantly running. This helps avoid running toilets.
The Shut-Off Valve
Your toilet features a wall-mounted shut-off valve to regulate water flow to its tank and bowl, located directly behind or underneath its fixture (whether the toilet itself, built-in shower/tub, etc.).
This type of shut-off valve is known as a “fixture shut-off valve” or sometimes just an “angle water shut-off valve.” It provides durable control without interrupting water circulation to other parts of your house on the same pipeline.
There are various kinds of valves used for shutting off water, oil or gas supplies in homes; the best type for toilets is a quarter-turn valve with one turn turning on and off capability – this kind is most often found here and is also very user-friendly.
As part of a plumbing maintenance schedule, ensure you always know where your home’s shut-off valve is and that it is functioning when needed by testing it regularly.
The Lever
Broken toilet lever arms are one of homeowners’ most frequently encountered plumbing issues. It can be especially troublesome late at night or on weekends when home improvement stores are closed if your toilet fails to flush when needed.
Breakages to lever arms prevent it from raising up and lifting up the chain attached to the flapper valve, stopping your toilet from flushing and wasting an incredible amount of water.
To repair it, first unbolt and clean out the hole where the lever connects to the tank mechanism. Next, tighten its plastic nut with either wrenches or pliers – take care not to over-tighten, as overdoing this could crack your toilet handle or damage its porcelain bowl.
