Wouldn’t it be great to have a see-through toilet! Whenever there was a problem, you could see exactly what’s not functioning correctly. However, on second thought, you probably wouldn’t want to see exactly how your toilet functions every day. The better option is to have at least a working knowledge of how it works. Most toilets are a cooperative effort of three systems—the bowl siphon, a flushing mechanism and a refill system.
THE BOWL SIPHON
Your toilet’s bowl siphon connects to the sewage main drain. It effectively regulates the water level in your toilet. When it is not blocked, it will never allow your toilet to overflow. In fact, if you were to pour large volumes of water into it, it will automatically flush. The pressure of the water exiting down the main sewage pipe causes a suction that pulls the remaining water in your toilet bowl out.
FLUSHING MECHANISM
Near every flushing mechanism works on the premise of adding water to the bowl so that the siphon is filled. Once the siphon is full, gravity takes care of the rest. The water needed to necessitate flushing rests inside of the tank. Inside of the tank is a chain or wire connected to valve that covers a hole at the bottom of the tank. When the flushing lever is pushed, the valve lifts and allows the tank’s water to escape rapidly.
REFILL SYSTEM
After the valve settles back on top of the hole at the bottom of the tank, a filler float activates the refilling process. A tube connected to the filler float refills fresh water into the tank until the filler float raises to its resting position. Once it reaches this position, the tube stops refilling. This process happens relatively fast and is ready for another use.
Acquiring an understanding of how a toilet functions can help you to avoid, troubleshoot and even fix minor problems. Sometimes toilets can get complicated, especially if you do not have the right tools available. Don’t worry; call Drainmasters Plumbing. In addition to toilet fixes, we also handle residential and commercial drain cleaning, water heater repair, and water heater installation.