3 Reasons Why Your Toilet Is Slow to Fill
Leaky toilets can be caused by a leaking water supply valves, fill valves, float ball, valve tube or other internal toilet components. For example, if your toilet is running about five minutes after you flush it, you may have an issue with your fill valve–the part that controls the amount of water in the tank. This article will help you troubleshoot and fix most causes of a "leaky" toilet to get it working properly again. Toilet problems are often the result of a simple fix. If you're in need of assistance with your toilet, Mr. Rooter Plumbing can help you solve the problem. Our plumbing service can be reached anytime and our friendly customer service representatives will provide you with a free estimate.
Why Is the Toilet Slow to Fill?
A leaking toilet is not only a nuisance, it can also be a costly problem. If your toilet is slow to fill, here are some possible causes and solutions for a toilet repair.
Water Supply Valve Problem
If your water supply valve is leaking, it can cause problems with how quickly your toilet fills up. If there's a leaky supply valve, you'll also notice that your faucets and other plumbing fixtures will take longer to stop dripping after you turn them off. It's not uncommon for older valves to develop leaks, especially if they've been left unrepaired for some time.
Waterlogged Float Ball
The float ball on your toilet tank contains a rubber diaphragm that rises and falls as it fills up with water. When it reaches its highest point, it closes off the flow from your tank's supply line and stops filling up so fast. If this diaphragm gets stuck open or otherwise fails, then your toilet won't stop filling as quickly as it should — so water keeps coming in even when there's no room for more in the tank.
Fill Valve Tube Issues
Another reason for a slow-filling toilet is if there’s something going on with the fill tube itself. The fill tube is what takes in water from both the tank and bowl, so having an issue here can cause your toilet to drain slowly or not at all. If this is happening with your toilet, then the first thing you should do is call Mr Rooter Plumbing! We will come out and inspect your toilet before doing any repairs so that we know exactly what needs fixing before we start working on it
How To Fix a Slow-Filling Toilet
The first step to fixing a slow-filling toilet is to open the water supply valve. The next step is to adjust the fill valve. If this doesn't fix the problem, you'll need to clean the fill valve or replace it if it's worn out. A waterlogged float ball may also be causing your toilet to run continuously, and you can fix that by adjusting its height. If none of these steps work, you'll need to call a friendly plumber for professional assistance with Mr. Rooter Plumbing.
Open the Water Supply Valve
First, open your water supply valve so that you can flush your toilet without any resistance from running water in the pipes. This will help reduce any pressure that might be building up behind the blockage and will make it easier for you to check for leaks in your plumbing system.
Adjust the Fill Valve
Once you have removed any obstructions from your toilet tank, turn off the water supply valve and flush your toilet once more to empty out any remaining water from inside it. Then turn on the faucet or shower head closest to where your toilet is located so that there is no pressure buildup behind the obstruction.
Clean the Fill Valve
The fill valve is located at the bottom of your toilet tank and has a rubber flapper attached to it. The flapper seals against another piece of rubber known as a siphon break. When you flush your toilet, water flows into this chamber from an area near the bottom of the tank called a drain trap. Once this chamber fills with water, which takes about two seconds, gravity pulls it down so that it seals off from any more water coming in from below. This process allows for continuous flushing for use all night long without running out of fresh water.
When dirt builds up inside of this chamber or if there's something obstructing its movement (such as a clog), then your toilets will take longer than usual to refill after each flush.
Fix or Replace a Waterlogged Float Ball
If your float ball has water trapped underneath it or around the stem, you'll need to remove it and dry it off before reinstalling it in your toilet tank. This usually happens when you flush something down that's too large for the pipe or if there's a clog somewhere else in your plumbing system causing extra pressure to build up in the toilet tank before it can drain out properly again.
Fix a Valve Tube Problem
The valve tube connects your toilet supply line to your toilet tank and allows water to flow from one side of the valve to another when you flush or run water through it in other ways (such as filling up jugs). If this valve tube gets clogged up with sediment over time.
Professional Assistance With Mr. Rooter Plumbing
In a perfect world, you should be prepared to deal with any toilet-related malfunctions as they arise. However, if you are not prepared with DIY knowledge on how to fix a toilet, there are other options available to you such as calling a plumbing service. Thankfully, if you follow the above recommendations and remedies, you should have your bathroom back in order in no time at all. If not, Mr. Rooter Plumbing is just a call away.