Toilet how does it work

Refer to the illustration at right. A toilet has two main parts—the tank and the bowl. The bowl holds water and connects to the drain for disposing of waste water and waste. The tank, which sits up behind the bowl, contains reserve water for refilling the bowl plus the devices for flushing clean water into the bowl and refilling the tank. One of these devices—called a ballcock—is connected to the water supply and controls delivery of water to the tank.

Once the air gets into the siphon, the flushing stops, and the bowl fills back up with water thanks to the tank. The tank acts as the two-gallon bucket being dumped into the bowl, just with more precision, and it accurately fills itself back up. A tank is made up of multiple, but simple, parts. The flapper goes back down and seals the tank and stops any more water from going into the bowl. The fill valve brings water into the tank, until the float rises up to the determined level, and stops the fill valve.

Simplistically, the toilet works in three parts: The tank dumps two gallons of water into the bowl, starting the siphon. Through gravity, a siphon pulls waste and water down into the closet bend and out to the sewer. Then, the tank is filled up with fresh water, ready to flush again. Most toilet parts and repairs are cheap and easy to fix, and if you want an overview of how to fix some of the basic issues homeowners run into with toilets, you can go to our post, Do-It-Yourself Toilet Repairs.

For the repairs and replacements that need a professional, you can get a home warranty. Home warranties cover failures from normal wear and tear on appliances and home systems, including toilets, for a small service call fee.

Visit Landmark's home warranty plans page to see everything a home warranty covers, or request a free quote for your home here. Check out our plumbing maintenance articles and infographics. Don't miss out on our monthly newsletter! Sign up to get tips on everything about home ownership, from maintenance tips to home selling advice delivered to your email once a month. Input your information and get a free, personalized home warranty quote. You can customize the coverage and pricing to fit your needs.

Toilet flushing twice? Toilet flushing on its own? Need to jiggle handle to flush? Loud or Broken Fill Valve? Leak between tank and bowl? Step 1. Step 2 The fill valve sometimes referred to as a ballcock brings water into the tank after the toilet is flushed and stays on until the tank refills.

Step 3 The toilet flapper valve sits on the flush valve and is connected to the flush lever by a chain. Step 4 When the toilet is flushed, water flows from the tank into the bowl through the flush valve. Step 5 The purpose of the tank to bowl gasket is to provide a leak free seal between the toilet tank and bowl. Part Number:.