You must have seen many toilet drawings in the past, but do you know how your toilet works?
Your toilet has two main parts: the bowl and the tank. Most of the problems that your toilet may have been as a result of a faulty tank.
It contains two valves and a handle used for flushing.
Ever wondered how the tank works?
It holds water until you flush the toilet, where the water gets out through an opening at the bottom into the bowl and hence forcing the waste out of the bowl into the sewer lines.
The toilet tank mainly comprises of a flush valve and a fill valve which is also known as a ballcock.
If you fancy yourself handy, the toilet is one of the first things you know how to fix. The toilet tank can pose special problems. This is how to solve them.
Is your Tank Over Filling?
Ever heard of a fill valve?
This part of the tank fills the tank with water. If your toilet tank is overfilling, then your fill valve may have a problem.
When you are fixing the fill valve, ensure that you have turned off the water supply at the toilet’s shutoff valve.
Flush the toilet to get rid of the water inside the tank and loosen the cap at the top.
When you lift the cap, you will find a valve seal inside.
Place a container upside down over the top of the fill valve and open the shutoff valve to allow water to flow out into the cup and then the tank.
This process aims to clean the valve. Remove the old seal and replace it with a new one.
A Cracked Toilet Tank Lid
You will need some adhesives to fix this problem, and this will take less than an hour of your time. Place the toilet tank facing upwards on towels.
Try to arrange the pieces of the lid to form the original shape if it’s broken.
Ensure that the lid is dry before applying the adhesive. Apply the adhesive to all sides of the broken pieces. Apply the adhesive to one piece at a time.
A Leaking Toilet Tank
One of the main causes of this problem is a faulty flush valve which is located at the center of the tank.
After flushing the water, the toilet flapper seals the opening at the bottom of the tank, and this allows the water to refill.
Consider replacing the flush valve if the old is damaged. Turn off the water supply before you fix the problem.
Flush the toilet and ensure that the tank is dry. Remove the old flush valve by unscrewing the bolts and replace it with a new one.
Sweating of the Toilet
If you realize that some water is pooling around the base of your toilet, one of the seals may be faulty.
You can place a drip tray to catch the drips from the toilet tank.
Alternatively, you can install an anti-sweat tank valve on your toilet’s water supply.
Dirty Toilet Tank Walls
Have you ever looked inside your toilet’s tank as it ages and noticed the walls of the tank aren’t exactly looking clean?
Over time, the parts inside the tank can break down and dissolve. Residue, including a rust can swim around and stick to the inside of your tank.
This usually isn’t a problem, but in some cases the water can absorb some of what’s clinging to the tank and transfer it to the bowl.
What you’ll end up with is questionable looking water, such as discolored or cloudiness in your toilet bowl water.
Replacing parts and cleaning (scrubbing with toilet bowl cleaner), the tank’s interior is how I’ve fixed this issue in many a toilets over the years.
Toilet not Flushing Properly?
In most cases, this is caused by a damaged flapper. The easiest way to fix the problem is to install a new flapper.
Before you install the new one, ensure that you have shut off your toilet’s water supply.
Adjust the length of the chain to ensure a proper seal.
To test out the flapper, restore the water supply, wait for a short while for the water to rise and then flush.
Still Having Problems?
The above information will help you to do the repairs yourself and hence save some extra coins which you can use in other domestic expenses.
Do you have more questions about how to fix the problem that your toilet tank may have?