How to Troubleshoot a Toilet Overflow
The toilet overflow is positioned in the toilet tank. There it does exactly as its name implies: it prevents the toilet from overflowing by siphoning off excess water inside. When the water rises to a certain level inside the tank, it flows into the overflow tube. From there, the water drains down to the bowl and then out to the sewer system. Troubleshooting a toilet overflow involves disassembling the toilet tank so that you can gain access to the troublesome part. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Remove anything on top of the toilet tank. Lift up on the toilet tank lid and set it aside. Unscrew the trigger on top of the tank on a dual flush toilet before lifting up on the lid.
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2
Rotate the handle on the water supply assembly behind the toilet all the way to the right until it stops.
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3
Flush the toilet by pressing the handle. Continue keeping pressure on the handle until the water inside the tank drains out into the bowl. On a dual flush toilet, press the flush button on the top of the main siphon to clear the tank.
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4
Place a towel on the bathroom floor underneath the tank. Loosen the water supply pipe or hose coupling with a pair of pliers. Loosen the nuts on the underside of the tank with a wrench.
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5
Detach the flapper from the overflow tube assembly. How this is done exactly will depend on the type of flapper. It may slide off the top of the overflow tube, or snap out of the hinges at the bottom. Unhook the flapper chain from the handle and pull the flapper out of the toilet.
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6
Pull the tank up and off the back of the toilet bowl.
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Unscrew the plastic nut at the bottom of the tank holding the overflow assembly in place.
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8
Check the overflow assembly for cracks or a damaged gasket at the bottom. Since these parts are fairly inexpensive to replace, it's much easier to troubleshoot a malfunctioning overflow tube by replacing it than by trying to repair it. If the overflow assembly isn't damaged even though it was leaking, the problem may be that the retaining nut wasn't on tight enough.
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9
Apply a ring of silicone grease around the overflow opening in the bottom of the tank.
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10
Insert a new overflow assembly into the toilet tank. Hold it in the tank with one hand. With your other hand, screw the retaining nut on the threads of the overflow assembly that stick out from the bottom of the tank.
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Replace the tank on the back of the toilet. Secure with the toilet bolts. Reconnect the water supply hose or pipe.
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Restore the water supply by opening up the water supply valve.
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References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
