What Does It Mean When Toilet Runs for a Long Time to Fill Up the Tank?
Your toilet is one of the most essential devices in your home, but you probably never really think about it until it breaks. The toilet flushes out soiled water and quickly replaces it with clean water, allowing you to flush the toilet over and over in a short period of time. If it takes much longer than usual for the toilet tank to fill back up, your fill valve or water line may be clogged or your flapper may be faulty. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fill Valve Basics
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The fill valve controls the flow of water into your toilet tank. Water from your home's plumbing is filtered through the valve and into the tank. The valve is connected to a floating piece of rubber by a chain. When this floating rubber device, known as a "float," is pushed up to a certain level by the rising water, the fill valve closes and water ceases to enter your tank -- thus prevent overflowing and spills.
Clogged Fill Valve
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The most common cause of a slow-filling toilet tank is a clogged fill valve. If the fill valve contains a strainer to filter out debris, it may clog over time and prevent new water from getting through. Turn the water to your toilet off and remove the fill valve -- slip it off by unscrewing the washers and squeezing the clips that hold it to the water pipe -- and check for any noticeable clogs. It's possible that the whole valve will need replaced if the filter or the fill valve itself can't be washed clear in the sink.
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Clogged Water Line
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If the fill valve is not clogged, there may be a clog in the water line. Get a bucket and turn off the water to the toilet's water line, then unscrew it from the toilet and place the mouth of the line in the bucket. Turn the water back on and note the speed with which the water comes out. If the water comes out slowly, your water line is clogged and will most likely require the services of a professional plumber.
Faulty Flapper
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The flapper is a small rubber seal that opens and closes in your toilet tank. It opens when you flush the toilet, allowing the water from your toilet tank to immediately replace the water you just flushed away. The flapper may degrade or wear out over time, leading to leaks. Water will constantly move out of the toilet tank if the flapper is faulty, which means the fill valve may only be filling the tank slightly faster than it's losing water, leading to long refill times. Check the flapper for damage and replace it if it seems degraded enough to leak or if your fill valve seems to be working properly.
Temporary Fix
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The water may be entering the tank so slowly that it takes several minutes to an hour to fill the tank up high enough for a flush. If you need to flush your toilet immediately but don't have a new fill valve or a plumber around to help you out, use a temporary fix. Get a cup and manually fill the toilet tank with water from the sink until it's high enough to flush. The interior wall of the tank turns much lighter at the proper waterline so you will know how far up you need to fill it.
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References
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