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Toilets: How They Work
How Your Toilet Works
Have a true emergency with your toilet's plumbing? View
a comprehensive checklist
for troubleshooting toilet problems.
But if you simply want to get a handle on how this often taken-for-granted necessity of life actually works – read on. Plumbing and drain experts offer the following easy-to-understand explanation of how toilets work. You'll also find some tips on common causes and solutions for toilet troubles.
Toilet Training 101
Here's how your toilet works:
- Two assemblies are concealed under the lid of a toilet tank: 1) a
ball cock assembly, which regulates the filling of the tank, and 2)
a flush valve assembly, which controls the flow of water from the tank
to the bowl.
- When someone presses the flush handle, the trip lever raises the lift
wires (or chain) connected to the tank stopper.
- As the stopper goes up, water rushes through the valve seat into the
bowl via the flush passages. The water in the bowl yields to gravity
and is siphoned out the trap.
- Once the tank empties, the stopper drops into the flush valve seat.
The float ball trips the ball cock assembly to let a new supply of water
into the tank through the tank fill tube.
- As the tank water level rises, the float ball rises until it gets
high enough to shut off the flow of water.
- If the water fails to shut off, the overflow tube carries water down
into the bowl to prevent an overflow.
Toilet Tips
If your toilet is not its usual cooperative "self," the problem can be
traced to one of two causes. It's either internal within the toilet itself
or the problem is in the main drain. Interior mechanical parts and water
source may cause your toilet to function improperly or develop a noise
problem.
Common causes:
- Foreign object
- Feminine/Paper products
- Inadequate water flow
- Water leaking
- Running or faulty toilet
Recommended solutions:
- Clear with auger cable
- Remove to inspect
- Replace interior mechanical parts
- Replace toilet
As mentioned above, if you need further information, view
a
comprehensive checklist for troubleshooting toilet problems.
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