How To Fix Toilet Not Filling With Water

a toilet tank that isn't filling but the water is running

Information technology tin can exist confusing to find your toilet tank not filling but water is running. Why wouldn't the tank fill upwardly when the water is running like it's supposed to? This is a problem because when the tank doesn't fill, the toilet tin can't flush. If yous live in a house with other people, that's a state of affairs that needs fixing fast. Fortunately, it can be easy to diagnose this type of problem if you take basic plumbing knowledge.

This trouble could involve one or several dissimilar components. Here are the different components of your toilet that could malfunction and cause this problem.

The H2o Supply Line

If at that place'south a leak in the h2o supply line that runs to your toilet, the tank will nonetheless fill, simply slowly. If the leak isn't fixed, withal, the tank will first filling more and more slowly over fourth dimension. This is something that a plumber should look at as soon equally possible. Hidden leaks can cause harm to drywall, flooring and other structural elements. To make things worse, they can also cause high water bills.

Sometimes, clogs tin develop in the h2o supply line, causing the toilet to make full slowly. To examination this, turn off the water supply valve at the wall, unremarkably located below the toilet tank. One time the water supply is off, y'all can disconnect the supply line at the toilet and indicate it into a bucket. Then, turn the water supply dorsum on. If the water comes out in a trickle or not at all, in that location's a expert chance the line has a clog.

If there's no clog, the effect could be a leak somewhere in the water supply line or in the pipes themselves. A plumber tin perform a leak test and other diagnostic measures to determine what's going on and how to ready information technology.

The Float

The float is the piece that's attached to the make full valve within the toilet tank. The float's purpose is to continue the tank from flood when it fills up with h2o after a flush. When the float isn't working right, the issue is usually that it'due south set also depression, and then the tank isn't able to fill upwards completely. Another sign your water level is also depression is if your toilet won't flush all the way.

Frequently, you can ready this by adjusting the float so the h2o level is high enough within the tank afterward flushing. If you're having difficulty adjusting the float, you can also replace it with a new i. Equally with other toilet bug, adjusting or replacing the float is an easy job for a plumbing professional person.

The Fill Valve

The fill valve is within the toilet tank, commonly on the left side. It'due south the part of the toilet that sends water back into the tank after flushing. When the fill valve isn't working, it could have a blockage or it might be as well old and worn out to work right. Fill valves also merely pause sometimes.

In any of these cases, the quickest and easiest fix is to replace the valve with a new one. This is another job that an experienced DIY homeowner can handle. Nevertheless, if you attempt to ready this issue and discover your toilet is inundation at the tank, contact a plumber.

The Trip Associates

The handle you use to affluent your toilet is sometimes called a trip lever. The trip associates is the role that'due south inside the toilet tank, connected to the handle on the outside. If the trip assembly gets aptitude or broken, the toilet won't flush properly. This means the tank as well won't fill up properly subsequently flushing.

Sometimes, yous can fix a bent or broken trip associates by bending it back into place. Other times, the chain connecting the trip assembly to the flapper breaks. This can be temporarily stock-still with a paperclip.

Usually, though, the all-time affair to practise with a cleaved trip associates is to replace it with a new i. These parts are inexpensive and pretty simple for DIY types to supervene upon themselves. Or, yous can hire a plumber to exercise the job for you.

The Flapper

The flapper is the rubber mechanism at the bottom of the toilet tank that is pulled upward when you lot flush the toilet. The flapper lets h2o from the tank rush downwards into the toilet bowl, flushing the toilet. When the flapper settles back into place after flushing, it seals the tank once again, allowing information technology to refill with h2o.

If the flapper can't create a good seal, the toilet tank won't make full even if the water runs continuously. Conversely, if your flapper isn't working, your toilet may flush twice. These things can happen because the flapper is old and misshapen or because the whole trip assembly isn't working. When this happens, it means it'southward time for a new flapper.

When you're dealing with a toilet tank that won't fill, even when the water is running, information technology tin can exist hard to figure which toilet part is causing trouble. This is why it's a expert idea to contact a licensed specialist to diagnose and fix the plumbing problem. A reputable plumber can quickly and easily decide what's going wrong and gear up the issue. This will save yous time, trouble and money in the long run. Having a toilet that runs without ever filling the tank or flushing properly can price a lot of coin in high water bills. Not to mention a lot of frustration at having a toilet that doesn't piece of work right.

a toilet with a malfunctioning flapper

How to Supersede Toilet Float

There are two bones types of toilet floats, depending on what kind of toilet you have and how erstwhile information technology is. On older toilets, the bladder is a metallic or plastic brawl connected to a metal rod that is attached to the float valve. Newer toilets have plastic, cylindrical floats that are an integral part of the float valve. Whichever type of float your toilet has, information technology's a relatively simple ready to handle yourself. If you know the correct steps to follow, that is. Here are instructions for how to replace a toilet float yourself when yours goes bad.

Turn off The Water Supply

The outset stride earlier doing whatsoever type of toilet repair is to turn off the water supply to the toilet at the wall. There will exist a valve below the toilet that you'll plough all the manner to the correct (clockwise) to turn the water supply off.

Drain the Tank

Next, you'll need to drain the tank by flushing the toilet, holding the handle downwardly until all the water has tuckered out. If you've turned the water off properly, the tank volition not refill after flushing. You may still have a modest amount of water in the very bottom of the tank. Y'all tin can go this out by soaking it up with towels or a sponge.

Remove the Float

Once the h2o supply is off and the tank is equally empty of water as possible, it'south time to remove the onetime float. If your toilet is older and has the brawl type of float, it's very easy to remove. You just unscrew information technology from the float rod that it'southward attached to. If yous have a newer toilet equipped with an integral (plastic cylinder) float, the removal procedure is a flake more complicated. Y'all'll need to unscrew the nut property the valve in place at the bottom of the tank. This piece connects through a pigsty in the bottom of the tank to the water supply line. You'll as well need to disconnect the small water hoses inside the tank from the bladder.

Connect the New Float

One time you remove the one-time float, you can connect a new float. The old, brawl-fashion floats are easy to screw onto the float rod. The newer, integral-manner floats simply need to be attached to the water supply line through the pigsty at the bottom of the tank. Then, reconnected to the small water hoses toward the acme of the tank. That's it!

Replacing a bad float within your toilet tank is a pretty easy job. Additionally, the replacement parts are inexpensive and hands found at your local hardware store. This kind of chore isn't for anybody, though. It's a quick and simple plumbing repair for a licensed professional to handle.

a toilet with a leaking water valve

Toilet Water Valve Leaking: Symptoms and How to Fix

When you find the toilet water valve leaking under your toilet, it's wise to fix it as soon every bit possible. This type of leak tin cause loftier water bills and damage to the flooring, baseboards and vanity in your bathroom. Just how can you know when the water valve is leaking? If there'southward water dripping onto the flooring below or behind your toilet, that indicates a water valve leak. A humming or screeching sound coming from the pipes below your toilet or inside the bathroom walls tin also indicate a leak. Furthermore, if your toilet leaks when flushed, it could be a water valve problem.

If your abode was built before about 1980, it'due south all-time to rent a professional person to set up a leaking toilet h2o valve. This is because the pipes in older homes tin can break easily when you effort to remove an old water valve. If y'all accept a newer home and yous enjoy practise-it-yourself plumbing projects, you could brand this repair yourself.

How To Fix This Problem Yourself

Be sure to turn off the water supply to your home at the main shut-off valve before starting the repair. Then, drain the supply line past turning on other faucets in the home. If possible, plow on faucets that are on a lower level than the toilet, and so gravity can help drain the lines.

If you lot take a compression joint, you'll demand to use a crescent wrench to remove the toilet's water supply hose from the valve. Then, unscrew the nut connecting the water valve to the pipe that leads into the wall. Be sure to slide the pinch rings off as well. If you have copper pipes, the water valve may have been soldered onto the piping. If this is the case, you'll demand to use a tube cutter to cut off the pipe every bit close to the valve as possible, or contact a plumber to exercise the chore for you.

When yous've taken off the old h2o valve, you lot tin put on a new compression one. Slide the pinch nut onto the pipage with the threads toward you, then push button the compression ring on. So, yous slide the valve onto the pipe, making sure information technology'southward pointing upward and then you can connect it to the h2o supply line. Hand-tighten the nuts before using crescent wrenches to consummate the tightening job.

Once the new valve is on, you lot demand to reattach the water supply line to the valve and turn the water dorsum on. As the toilet starts refilling, watch the refilling process to make sure there are no leaks at the valve, the supply line or anyplace else.

If you tackle this job and find that you tin can't do it yourself after all, y'all can ever contact a plumber to take over. You can also rent a professional from the start. Professionals can practise this plumbing repair quickly and easily. This can end upwards saving y'all time and a headache, then you'll accept a properly working toilet with no leaks once again.

ABC Can Get Your Toilet Working Over again

Ofttimes, information technology's easier to contact a plumber when something goes wrong with your toilet. If you're experiencing any problems with your toilet, you can count on ABC Home & Commercial Services to get the job washed right. Our licensed pros tin can make whatsoever plumbing repairs you need and are available for 24/7 emergencies.