Posted on April 28, 2016 When it comes to toilet repair issues, it’s useful to know what’s on the inside of the tank that can be causing the problem. Get to know your flappers, fill valves, flush valves, and handles so that next time your toilet isn’t working, you’ll know how to fix it yourself. The two main parts of the tank that cause problems are the flush valve, which lets water gush into the bowl after flushing, and the fill valve, that allows the toilet to be refilled afterwards. Here is how to fix them yourself: DIY Toilet Repair: Fill Valve Flush the valve with water — After taking off the cap, cover the valve with your hand and turn on the water slowly. Let it flush out the valve for a few seconds! Drain the tank and start replacing — Turn off the water at the shutoff valve, and flush the toilet, holding the flush valve open to drain the tank and sponge out the remaining water. — Use a fill valve replacement toilet repair kit at your nearest hardware store and remove the coupling nut, old valve, and measure and cut the fill tube. Install a new valve — Removing the cap, press down and compress the washer and screw on the lock nut. Connect your supply line and flush the valve to make it functional again. DIY Toilet Repair: Flush Valve Listen for running water — Push down the flapper with a yardstick and listen for the sound of running water stopping. If this happens you definitely need to replace the flapper. Remove the flapper — Remove from the ears of the overflow tube and detach the chain from the handle. Install a new flapper — Attach the new flapper to the overflow tube and re-hook the chain. Turn the water back on and flush to see if your toilet repair was successful! More DIY Tips The fill valve is much more complicated to repair than the flush valve, but knowing how to do both is essential to keeping your toilet in good condition. They all interact with each other in some way and rely on each other to make your toilet functional. When repairing or replacing your toilet repair parts doesn’t fix the issue, it’s time to call a professional plumber from Deer Valley Plumbing to help you troubleshoot. We’re available for any emergency that may occur as a result of a DIY mishap. Contact us if you need help repairing your toilet.
