By Paul Bianchina
Do you have one of those toilets that seems to enjoy the sound of its own voice? Flush it once and it gurgles on forever, or, even more annoying and much more potentially harmful, it drips around the supply line? There's no need to discard the toilet and invest in a new one -- the answer is a simple repair inside the toilet tank that's a pretty easy do-it-yourself project.
All residential flush toilets operate in pretty much the same way. When the flush handle is pushed, a flapper that covers and seals a hole in the bottom of the upper tank opens, releasing its store of water into the bowl below. Water pressure temporarily holds the flapper in the open position -- when the water has all drained into the bowl, the flapper drops automatically and seals the hole.
A float mechanism also drops as the water is released, opening a valve in the tank to allow fresh water to enter and refill the tank. When the float rises to a preset limit it shuts off the incoming water, and the flushing cycle is complete and ready for another sequence.
With only a couple of moving parts that can go awry, just about any problem you have in the flushing of a toilet can be traced to this valve and float assembly, called a ball cock assembly. And while you can disassemble the mechanism and make repairs, it's an easier and more effective long-term solution to simply replace the entire assembly.
You can use a ball cock assembly that is the same as what's in the toilet now, which in most toilets is a hollow float ball attached to the end of a long float arm, or you might wish to use one of the newer float cup assemblies, which uses an open plastic cup directly on the valve assembly (there's no long metal float arm, so the mechanism is a little easier to install and adjust). Both types of assemblies are available at home centers, hardware stores, plumbing supply stores and a variety of other retail outlets.
InstallationFirst, shut the water to the toilet, using the stop valve that comes out of the wall or the floor below the left side of the tank. If this valve is defective and won't shut the water flow to the toilet completely, use the home's main shutoff valve to shut the water to the entire house. While the house water is off, replace the bad toilet stop valve as well. Flush the toilet to empty the water in the tank, then use a cup and some towels to remove any remaining water and dry the inside of the tank (the tank contains only fresh water).
Inside the tank, first remove the float arm and ball. Using a pair of adjustable pliers, hold the bottom of the ball cock assembly just above where it exits through the bottom of the tank -- a pair of locking pliers makes this even easier, and frees up both your hands. Then, use an adjustable wrench and remove the water line where it attaches to the ball cock. With the wrench or the pliers, loosen and remove the nut below the tank that holds the assembly in place, then lift the entire ball cock assembly out of the tank and discard it. If you have trouble removing the nut, soak it in oil for ten minutes or so -- don't force it, or you run the risk of cracking the porcelain of the tank.
Installing the new ball cock or float cup assembly is the reverse of the removal process. Install the new rubber washer under the bottom of the assembly, and pass the lower threaded portion through the bottom of the tank. Install the lower washers, secure the assembly with a new nut, and reinstall the water line. All of the necessary washers, nuts and other parts are supplied with the new unit, so don't reuse any of the old stuff. Complete installation instructions are included.
Turn the water back on, and let the tank fill. Following the instructions supplied with the unit, adjust the assembly to achieve the proper water level inside the tank. For a ball assembly, this is done by moving the float ball in or out on the float arm, and also moving the adjusting screw located where the float arm meets the valve assembly. To adjust a float cup assembly, squeeze the retaining clip on the cup and move the cup up or down to the proper level. Finally, flush the tank a couple of times to check for smooth -- and now quiet -- operation.
Copyright 2001-2006 Inman News Features. Distributed by Inman News Features
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "