Toilet flush: what if we lifted the lid?

The flush is often at the heart of many inconveniences because of the faulty mechanism. Leaks can be identified at the level of the tap or the float, or even the seal. If you know how this equipment works, you can quickly repair it.

Composition and operation of a flush toilet

When you remove the tank cover, you access the entire mechanism. The latter is composed of a push button or a pull for older models. You also find the float valve, the valve and the tank which fills automatically.

• You flush the toilet, the valve opens to release water into the bowl.
• Some toilets offer two containers with two buttons depending on needs, this allows you to adjust the amount of water used.
• When the water level drops, the float valve detects this “anomaly” and immediately opens the water supply.

Depending on the height setting of your float valve, the container fills with water for the next uses. This operation is therefore very simple, but you are not immune to a failure. Before intervening, remember to close the water inlet valve.

Fix a leaking toilet

To remove the lid, simply unscrew the pull tab or push button, so you access the mechanism mentioned above. The first problem encountered concerns the leak in the bowl, the water continues to flow. The valve is therefore not completely closed and the float is responsible.

• Remember to adjust the float arm correctly, check that there is nothing preventing it from finding the correct position.
• If you use blue "squares" in the toilet flush to color the water, they tend to get stuck under the float and cause this leak.

If the float is correctly positioned while water continues to flow, the float is probably punctured, so part or all of the mechanism will need to be replaced.

Water can also flow outside the flush

At the water inlet, the bolt is probably not screwed in properly. Stop the water at the meter in your house and completely unscrew this tap. Dry the screw tip and use a bead of silicone. Screw your tap back in properly, remembering to use the corresponding seal, which must fit the tip perfectly.

Once the bolt is properly tightened, wait a few hours before opening the flush valve, but you can turn your main meter back on. Sometimes the leak is located under the flush valve, this is caused by the gasket that is worn or poorly positioned. You will therefore need to completely empty the container, turn off the water tap and unscrew your flush valve to change the gasket.

Depending on your installation, you will have screws below the flush. Consider using open-end wrenches or an adjustable wrench.

These are the main causes of leaks and they are quite easy to fix. When the toilet is quite old, sometimes the entire mechanism needs to be changed.