When renovating a toilet, the installation of the toilet is usually approached carefully. This plumbing detail is the main element of the bathroom arrangement. However, even a properly carried out installation and compliance with all requirements does not guarantee that various problems will appear in the operation of the device over time. The most common operational problems that arise are breakdowns of the drain tank. Sometimes owners notice that the toilet tank does not fill with water at all or that the liquid enters the system too slowly. Often such a malfunction can be easily fixed with your own hands. The samples of plumbing fixtures produced nowadays allow owners to repair the toilet cistern without resorting to the help of professional craftsmen.
Causes of problems with water intake
In a situation where water does not flow into the toilet tank, you need to pay attention to this problem and try to fix the breakdown as quickly as possible, otherwise the plumbing fixture can completely fail at any time and will need to be replaced.
In order not to pay money for the services of specialists or not to purchase new equipment, you can try to cope on your own with the fact that the toilet tank does not fill or it does not happen quickly enough. But first you need to find out why the breakdown occurred.
You should not immediately completely disassemble the device; you must first make sure that there is water in the water supply system. According to professionals, about 40% of water drainage problems occur due to the fact that it does not enter the device. First, you should find out whether there is a water supply in the house or riser, and only then look for the reasons why water is not filling the toilet tank.
When the system is full and the pressure in it is sufficient, but the device is not working, this indicates the presence of another type of breakdown. To be completely sure that everything is in order with the water supply, it would be best to talk about this topic with the neighbors living in the apartments above or below.
Problems with plumbing drainage occur when:
- The float is in the wrong position. This malfunction causes water to poorly fill into the toilet tank. Sometimes the toilet tank leaks for this reason, which is very unpleasant. This should be checked first, since the float can block and leak fluid in different positions.
- The water supply hose is clogged or damaged. Such malfunctions lead to a slow flow of water from the system, and sometimes to its complete shutdown.
- Sand or grains of rust have accumulated in the place where the pipe connects to the device or in the filter. This circumstance may explain why water is drawn slowly into the toilet tank. Typically, blockages occur as a result of repairs to utility lines.
- The exhaust valve is damaged, clogged or broken. This is one of the possible reasons for the occurrence of such a problem as water does not fill into the toilet tank.
Failure of plumbing equipment is caused by over-tightened structural fasteners - nuts, bolts and other elements. For this reason, you need to carefully check all connections, carefully turning them to make sure that everything is assembled securely and at the same time not overtightened.
It is necessary to make sure that there is no plaque or mucus on the plumbing components, since their presence may result in damage to the device.
Float misalignment repair
If the toilet does not fill with water at all, this is unlikely to happen as a result of the float being misaligned. But in the case when it enters the system, but not in the required volume, then the float should be checked for its correct location.
To do this, you need to open the lid - under it you will see water, with a mechanism located in it and a lever, at the end of which a special buoy is attached - a float. It is this part of the device that is responsible for drawing water to the required level, after which it closes the inlet valve. It also happens that the toilet leaks after flushing; this may also be due to the float.
In case of misalignment, it begins to prematurely interrupt the supply of liquid, which ends in the inoperability of the device. The displacer is carefully placed by hand into the required position - after this, the operation of the system should be restored.
Clogged water supply valve to the toilet tank
When the toilet tank does not fill with water, despite the fact that it is present in the water supply, the cause of the breakdown may be a clogged inlet valve. This occurs as a result of the accumulation of debris, sand, rust and other contaminants, including plaque and mucus.
It is advisable that the blockage be removed in a timely manner - such problems should be dealt with by regular cleaning and rinsing of the mechanism. Timely prevention will ensure that a situation does not arise when the toilet does not fill the tank with water.
The breakdown is repaired in a certain sequence:
- Turn off the liquid supply to the tank. Typically, houses and apartments have a common tap that can completely shut off the flow of water. It's being twisted.
- The underwater hose attached to the tank is unscrewed and removed. It is necessary to proceed with extreme caution, since sediment from the water supply system can make the disconnection process difficult.
- A visual inspection is carried out to find the place where the blockage has accumulated, after which it is cleared with a flexible steel wire.
- Release the water supply tap slightly so that the remaining debris and dirt are washed out under pressure.
After the blockage has been cleared, in order to complete the process of eliminating the problem associated with the fact that the drain tank does not take in water, all that remains is to carefully twist the entire structure in the reverse order, not forgetting the need to carefully tighten all the nuts, but, most importantly, not pull them over.
Then check the level of water intake and, if necessary, adjust it using the bend of the lever and the location of the float.
Consequences of inaction
Something needs to be done if the tank breaks and water stops flowing correctly. In case you notice that your cistern is faulty or is not doing as good a job as before, do not neglect to repair it. In addition to the fact that you will most likely damage all the equipment in your bathroom, there is a possibility of damage to the bathrooms of the people living below you. In other words, a cistern that is unable to fill itself with water causes water to leak into the area that is intended for waste products of the human body. It is connected to the cistern using a tube. There is a possibility that the pipe may begin to leak, which will definitely cause flooding of your neighbors.
In addition, if you ignore the first signs of too slow filling of the drain tank with water, after some time you may encounter the fact that the water will stop flowing altogether, which is an unpleasant pleasure, given the main function of this device - flushing.
You should know that a completely neglected device cannot be repaired. Consequently, there is a need to purchase a new mechanism and its subsequent installation. And these are new troubles and expenses.
Damage to the supply hose
If you need to find out why water is not filling the toilet, be sure to check the underwater hose through which the liquid moves into the tank. This is a reason that property owners also often complain about.
After some time, the manufacturing materials and components for plumbing fixtures may wear out and, as a result, fail, and then such a problem as water not flowing into the toilet cannot be avoided.
The hose is replaced as follows:
- Depending on the design features of the water supply system, turn off the general water inlet valve to the housing or completely to the riser.
- Unscrew the supply hose and inspect it. If, during a visual inspection, damage is found in the form of cracks or holes, then it needs to be replaced, otherwise the problem of why the toilet does not draw water into the tank cannot be solved.
- When there are no visible imperfections on the hose, it is lowered into a previously prepared container and the general tap is slightly released. Leaks can be seen by the water that appears in them.
- The underwater hose is replaced with a new one, and you can use this plumbing equipment.
Sometimes, if water does not flow into the toilet flush cistern, you have to change the tee-joint, but to do this, they shut off the water supply not only to the riser, but to the entire house.
How does the mechanism of the toilet tank flush system work?
To correctly navigate the probable causes, you need to know the design features of the drainage system and understand how it works. Modern toilets consist of:
- drain tank;
- ceramic bowls;
- hose for water supply;
- valve responsible for release;
- lever for flushing;
- float device;
- overflow tubes;
- flap valve;
- flush gutters;
- siphon;
- water drainage.
This design option allows the toilet to collect and store the required amount of water, ensuring complete flushing of the owner’s waste.
Most elements are fragile, which leads to breakdowns that impair the operation of the entire system.
Read more in the article about the design of the toilet cistern flush mechanism.
Removing a blockage in the drain device
If the drain from which liquid pours into the toilet becomes clogged, problems also arise, but this does not affect the flow of water. It will enter the tank, raise the float to the required level, but the drain mechanism will not work.
Troubleshoot this way:
- remove the cover and disconnect the drain button;
- inspect the outlet valve from below, which opens when you press the water release button;
- If dirt is found, remove it by hand.
When the debris is not visually visible, the cause of the malfunction may be the tube connecting the tank to the plumbing. It should be remembered that mucus and plaque accumulate on the walls of the device and internal surfaces, which must be removed regularly.
Household chemicals, such as "Mole", for example, cope best with the cleaning task. They must be used with extreme caution and care, since the substances contained in their composition can harm the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. You must act in accordance with the attached instructions.
Other cases
Water may not be supplied well or may not be supplied at all under the following circumstances:
- The filter installed on the water supply pipe is clogged;
- The float does not float up well when taking in water. It is necessary to carefully check its movement while raising and lowering the float and eliminate any interference;
- bending of the supply hose. When tightening the nut on the inlet pipe, it is necessary to restrain the hose from turning so that it does not bend;
- the hole is clogged with sand. It is known that water contains various salts, limestone and other inclusions. And gradually the holes in the narrowed places become so clogged with these deposits that liquid is poorly collected;
- adjusting the intake mechanism. During assembly, the joints are sometimes made too tightly, and they affect the position of the valve and float, thereby restraining the flow of liquid. And also after the repair, the adjustment of the float mechanism was disrupted;
- peeling of rubber inside the hose. After prolonged use, the inner part of the hose swells, peels off, and the cross-section for water passage decreases.
Other cases of breakdowns when water does not fill the tank
There are other situations when water does not flow into the toilet tank. Sometimes, when installing plumbing fixtures, the parts are twisted too tightly together, for this reason they cannot perform their functions correctly. In this case, all components should be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.
Experts recommend: to avoid problems with poor water flow into the toilet tank, take preventive measures at least twice a year and thereby maintain the mechanism in good working order for a long time.
It should be remembered: if you neglect such a problem for a long time that water does not fill well into the toilet, it still will not resolve itself, but will only worsen.
Postponing the repair of plumbing equipment for an indefinite period of time always results in serious problems, which cannot always be eliminated. As a result, both the tank and the toilet will need to be replaced, which will require considerable financial costs.
In addition to the fact that a faulty plumbing fixture makes living conditions in the apartment less comfortable, it can completely break down at the most unexpected moment and flood the neighbors. Therefore, if breakdowns are detected, they should be repaired as quickly as possible.
Perhaps the reason why the toilet does not fill with water is that the inlet valve was initially defective, but this became evident during operation, especially when the water supply is not of high quality.
In addition, plaque accumulates on the surface of both the valve and the drain mechanism, which prevents them from operating correctly. For a home craftsman who has never done plumbing work, without professional knowledge, it will be difficult to figure out why water is drawn into the toilet tank slowly or does not flow at all. Perhaps the best solution would be to call a plumber.
Prevention measures
It is impossible to completely protect yourself from cistern malfunctions, but everyone can reduce the risk of an accident to a minimum. In order for the toilet to function for a long time and not become a source of major trouble, you must adhere to a few simple rules:
- do not try to save money by buying products from dubious manufacturers,
- carry out installation responsibly, using high-quality spare parts and accessories,
- regularly check the condition of the drain mechanism and the cleanliness of the tank,
- wash the inside of the tank at least once every six months,
- in case of the slightest malfunction, immediately turn off the water and take measures to correct the situation.
The most important of the list of recommendations is the last point. Under no circumstances should the problem be ignored; it will not solve itself. It’s better to immediately replace a cheap part than to replace the entire tank later, and even renovate the bathroom, perhaps not just your own.
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