One of the key components to your toilet flushing properly is the fill valve. Also referred to as the “ballcock,” the fill valve is what controls the water flow that refills the tank after you flush. If this piece of equipment isn’t working properly, flushing your toilet will become a lot more problematic than it ever needs to be. Thankfully, in this article, you’ll learn how to properly adjust toilet fill valve, ensuring you can avoid any unpleasant messes.
Types of Fill Valves
There are a few different types of toilet fill valves, however all are easily adjustable to make sure it’s doing its job properly. The most common fill valves include a floating device, which moves up and down with the water level to control the flow. As the water level rises, so will the floatation device, eventually reaching a level when it will close the valve and stop the flow of water before it becomes too high. Then you have your floatless, or pressure-activated fill valves. This includes a pressure-sensing mechanism that sits underwater, and can sense the water level based on pressure.
How to Adjust Toilet Fill Valve
Although specific methods may vary a little bit, adjusting your fill valve can be quick and easy.
- For ones that include a flotation device, you’ll want to adjust the float rod to sit at a desirable height.
- For older, less common styles, this may require bending the float rod up or down to get the desired height. Watch the water level rise after you flush, and bend or adjust the float rod accordingly. Make sure the water remains below the overflow tube, and let it stop filling just when you have enough water to flush properly.
- With newer models, you may need a screwdriver to move the top of the valve either up or down. Generally, counter clockwise will raise the water level, while clockwise will lower it.
- For a pressure sensing valve, locate the adjustment screw that sits on top of the valve. This should be sitting just above water level. Then simply use a screwdriver to adjust the desired water level. However with these models, turn the adjustment screw clockwise to raise the water level, and counter clockwise to lower it.
With any of these methods, it is important to make sure the water level remains below the overflow tube, or else water will continuously flow. Although, if the water level is too low, it will never fill to an adequate level for flushing.
Still Experiencing Problems?
Most of the time, adjusting your fill valve is a quick and easy fix which can be done in minutes. However, sometimes life just isn’t that simple. We at SBPHA/C understand that sometimes you need an expert to properly solve a problem. That is where we’re here to help. If after trying these methods, you’re still having problems that just can’t seem to be fixed, trust us with finding the solution. With experienced, trained technicians, you can be confident that we’ll get the job done. If you’re having troubles with your toilet’s fill valve, contact us today to ensure it is fixed without any delay!