Q We have two toilets in our house, one upstairs and one on the first floor. The one upstairs fills very quickly, but the one on the first floor sometimes takes between two and three minutes to refill. Is there anything you suggest I could do to correct this problem (short of calling a plumber)?
A I am happy to inform you that you can almost certainly tackle this problem yourself without having to call a plumber.
A brief aside first: There are worse things in life than calling in a plumber now and then, especially after spending hours trying to fix a seemingly minor plumbing problem without success.
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Anyway, the fill valve of most standard toilets is controlled by a float mechanism, which is sometimes either a float ball on a rod attached to the fill valve or a float that rises and lowers on the column of the fill valve itself. The basic concept is that as the float device rises in the tank while filling, it pushes the fill valve down to shut off the water before the tank overflows.
I have always thought of the fill valve as a somewhat delicate device because even as it fully controls the flow of water and shuts it off when the tank is full, it is merely a small push-button-like thing that moves only a fraction of an inch between full flow and stop. Consequently, it can get cranky with a little corrosion or mineral buildup and then begin to move up and down more slowly or erratically, causing the slow refill you describe. The good news is, in most cases, this is something you can fix simply.
Remove the tank cover, flush the toilet, and as the tank begins to refill, work the float ball (or float mechanism on the shaft of the refill valve) up and down rather vigorously a half-dozen or so times. With the float up, the water should stop. With the float in its lowest position, water should come out with full pressure again into the tank. You will be rotating quickly between the valve-open and valve-closed positions, and this quick, vigorous up-and-down movement is almost always enough to free up the fill valve of any mineral buildup and allow it to work properly again.
If the first attempt doesn’t work, try again. Flush the toilet again and work the float up and down quickly as the tank refills. Note that when I say quickly and vigorously, I am not encouraging you to put serious muscle into this. Roughly slamming the float mechanism up and down can bend or break it or permanently jam the fill valve closed. Work the float up and down quickly and vigorously, but gently, without forcing or bending anything. You are not trying to punish the fill valve but give it a little physical therapy to get the stiffness out.
This technique has worked for me about nine times out of 10 when I have encountered a slow-filling toilet. However, if doing this little up-and-down jiggling does not work, or if it helps for just a few days or weeks before you have to repeat it, then you’ll probably need to resign yourself to replacing the fill valve.
The additional good news: Fill valves are not expensive (about $15 or less), they’re available at any hardware store or home center, they come with clear instructions, and they’re quite simple to install.
And fortunately for you, if you do run into major problems, you have access to a second bathroom while waiting for the plumber.
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Mr. HandyPerson wants to hear of home repair matters that are troubling you. Please e-mail Mr. HandyPerson at [email protected].