A fully functional toilet works in a continuous wheel. Once you flush, water leaves the tank into the bowl, simultaneously, the tank fills upwards with h2o upward to its designated level awaiting the next affluent, then, repeat the process. If the tank doesn't fill up, there's something incorrect.

Water could be running only non filling up the toilet tank because of a faulty fill valve, afloat at the incorrect summit, a leaking flapper, a cracked overflow tube, or low water pressure in the tank. For all these bug, find out more than about how you tin can identify the problem with your toilet and how you tin set up it.

Possible Causes

Wrong Height of the Float

The float ball that sits on the water surface regulates how much water gets into the tank after a flush. It moves the float arm to shut the valve which then blocks the inflow of water into the tank.

If the float ball is set at a lower height, the tank will never reach its water level capacity. Therefore, you need to readjust the h2o level in the tank.

Faulty Fill Valve

The fill valve lies on the left side of the tank. Its work is to permit for water to get into the tank from the h2o supply line.

illustration of a toilet fill valve
Fill Valve

Hence, whenever you flush, the larger make full valve located at the bottom of the tank opens to allow water into the bowl, while the upper smaller valve opens allowing for a water refill.

Either valve could be constricted meaning the lower valve doesn't close letting water continue draining into the basin continuously, while the upper valve doesn't allow for sufficient water to become into the tank. This is where yous complain water is getting in slowly or with low pressure. More than about this below.

Leaking Flapper

Also known as the flush valve seal, it'due south a plug at the lesser of the drain that opens to allow h2o to drain through the lower fill valve into the bowl.

It will then close to let more h2o into the tank. Considering its work is to seal the drain hole between flushes, the major issue would exist its inability to provide a seal anymore.

Toilet flapper
Toilet flush valve seal

The flapper could either be worn out hence stuck in an open position, or there could be tension in the chain causing information technology to remain raised.

Considering the flapper connects to other compartments in the toilet such as the flapper concatenation and the flush lever, there could also be an issue with the trip assembly.

The handle could be stuck downwards, forcing the flapper to remain broad open, hence water from the make full valve just trickles down to the bowl.

Alternatively, there could exist an issue with the length of the chain, being also tight or besides loose tin't be skillful for the flapper

Low H2o Pressure

The refill speed of water in your tank should exist approximately ten to 20 seconds. But hither's a case water is getting into the basin much slower and therefore non filling the tank properly.

Low water pressure can event from a leaking or rusted supply pipe, or a slightly airtight fill valve. If the valve isn't opened wide plenty to allow for enough h2o to refill, it will continue to move at that tedious speed.

Damaged Fill Tube/ Valve

The fill tube is a pocket-size hose that connects to a vertical tube called the overflow tube.

To know if it'due south damaged, check if information technology'south unclipped from this tube as this will cause water to shut off supply before the tank is done refilling. It could as well exist damaged and worn out, this calls for a replacement.

Solutions

Now that you have an thought of what could be wrong with your toilet, let'due south have a wait at some of the solutions you could try.

Adjust the Toilet Float

Adjusting the float ball allows you to conform the water level. So offset by checking if yous have a ball and arm float, or the cylindrical float that'southward common in newer toilet models.

  1. Shut the water supply to the toilet using the valve at the dorsum of the toilet or the main shutoff valve to the house.
  2. Check the height of the bladder and annotation how much you need to ready.
  3. Flush the toilet to release the water and to lower the bladder.
  4. Concord the lever arm down and look for screws connected to the bladder. It could too be alongside the float.
  5. Use a screwdriver to turn it clockwise to raise the water level in the toilet tank. Don't utilise too much strength every bit this could break the nut, especially if it's fabricated from plastic. Ensure the float lays half an inch below the overflow tube.
  6. Open the supply valve and allow water in. Check the superlative. If not satisfied, move to the next solution.

Repair or Supersede the Fill Valve

The upper fill valve is located on the left side of the tank where you connect straight to the h2o supply line. Information technology depends on the float to move up signaling water to refill and shuts as the float gradually rises.

The fill valve could article of clothing out after some time, it could be filled with debris from the water supply pipe.

The accumulation will harm the valve inhibiting the good menses of water also causing low water force per unit area in the tank. At this point, you lot could repair or replace the fill up valve.

Allow'south kickoff with the repair;

  1. Turn off the h2o supply to the toilet and empty the tank by flushing.
  2. Hold down the shaft of the fill up valve and screw the fill up valve cap counterclockwise to release information technology. Bank check for any debris, dirt, or build up. If any launder information technology out and make sure it's clean before yous return.
  3. In one case clean, put the valve cap on and screw it on deeply past turning clockwise. Keep turning till you've closed well.
  4. Open the valve and let water into the tank. Ostend the water pressure within the tank.
  5. If withal faulty, consider a replacement.

Replacing the make full valve;

  1. Commencement again past closing the water supply and flushing out the water.
  2. Remove the lock nut from the make full valve by turning counterclockwise. You could also remove the refill clip attached to the overflow tube
  3. Elevator to remove the fill valve. Make clean out the area removing whatever droppings left.
  4. Slide in the new fill valve and screw in the lock nut. Once secure, connect the supply line
  5. Attach the refill tube to the overflow tube and watch as the water refills the tank.
  6. Water should go in with the right pressure and fill to the right height likewise.

Replace the Toilet Flapper

The next thing you lot can practise is to replace the flapper and the trip assembly if need exist. The first thing you need to do is to open the lid to the tank and bank check the lift concatenation/ flapper chain connected to the flush lever arm.

The chain should be half an inch slack distance betwixt the lever arm and the flapper at the bottom of the tank.

If the concatenation is besides tight or if it hooks to another office of the toilet tank it is going to unseat the flapper, leaving your toilet to continuously run with water.

The chain shouldn't also be lengthy as it could get into the flapper hole therefore not allowing it to shut properly. Again, the toilet will exist running continuously.

Lastly, cheque for debris effectually the location of the flapper. Sometimes buildup could exist too much around the flush valve seal therefore not assuasive it to seal properly.

For all these three cases, here'south what you need to practice.

  1. Check within the tank for the slack in the concatenation. All you lot need to practise is to adjust the linkage to ensure it's non too short nor too long.
  2. Mensurate half an inch of the chain and adjust accordingly. You could cutting the excess chain so that information technology doesn't tangle in the tank.
  3. In one case corrected. Put the lid back on and flush the toilet.
  4. If unsatisfied, cheque the chain again and readjust while bending the rod slightly. That should gear up the issue.

On the other manus, the flapper could easily be worn out and therefore information technology just tin't close the bleed hole well, so instead of leaving the warped and quondam flapper on, you'll take to replace it.

Head to the hardware store with your old type and ask for a replacement. This is important because flappers come up in a broad variety.

Some flappers take a ring that goes over the tube, but virtually of them snap over the ears on the flush valve. If you choose the wrong one, it won't flush the right way.

You could note the blazon of flapper it is and ask for the aforementioned kind or opt for a universal flapper or the adjustable kind, which offers room for changes as you replace it.

  1. Turn off the water supply to the toilet using either method.
  2. Affluent the toilet and agree the lever down to brand sure all the water drains into the bowl.
  3. Unhook the elevator chain from the lever arm and adhere somewhere else.
  4. Remove the pegs attaching the flapper from the overflow tube and lift information technology off.
  5. Make clean the area to remove any debris before you tin attach the new flapper.
  6. Install the flapper and connect information technology to the pegs of the overflow tube.
  7. Hook back the lift concatenation to the lever arm.
  8. Open the water supply to the toilet and cheque the stability of the affluent seal valve. Information technology should exist steady.

If the flapper doesn't work, you lot could go get another replacement so try the process again.

Supplant the Overflow Tube

If the overflow is croaky or broken, it can too let water escape to the bowl. The large tube in the middle of the rank has to exist replaced to restore a proficient working toilet condition. Shop at your local store for a well-plumbing fixtures overflow tube.

When replacing, simply yank out the old and broken 1 and replace information technology with the new one. Think to attach the refill tube to feed water to the tank.

Prevention Measures & Tips

To avoid the hustle of going through all these steps, here are great measures and prevention tips you tin can use to stay alee;

  • Regularly check the condition of the toilet and its components to avert these common issues.
  • In one case in a while, listen to the water pressure level after you lot flush. Listen to how the tank is refilling to ostend information technology's working well.
  • Avoid flushing or treatment the lever arm with as well much pressure level. The arm connects to a flapper concatenation and the flapper. Likewise much force can interruption its power to maintain a seal at the bottom of the tank.

Check for repairs and replacements often. No matter how good the toilet is, the different compartments could be overworking causing them to habiliment and tear faster.

Replacing them could relieve you from all the guesswork when the toilet fails to work finer.