Do you know how a toilet works? Most of us don’t think too much about our toilets until they aren’t working properly. In the United States we primarily use wet system toilets so let’s talk about those. Basically toilets have 3 parts; the water tank, the bowl and the siphon tube. It is ready to use when the tank is full. Some older toilets hold 2 gallons of water, but the newer Low Flow toilets use approximately 1 ½ gallons of water.
The mechanics of the system are pretty simple. The tank sits against a wall above the bowl and is filled with water from a water supply plumbed directly to the tank. In an emergency you should locate the shut off valve for the water supply and turn it off, otherwise it feeds water directly to the tank. Inside the tank are several parts. When you flush using the handle a chain lifts the flapper. After the water empties from the tank the flapper closes to allow the fill valve to refill the water supply in the tank. There is a float attached to the fill valve which turns the water off when the tank is full. When the tank empties quickly into the bowl the siphon tube overflows and the toilet flushes. When all the parts work together everything goes down the drain and the process can begin again.
If you are experiencing any issues with your toilet or it is not operating at top notch condition Rooter Man can help. We can rebuild the internal parts for the toilet, clean the jets to be sure you are getting maximum pressure or replace the toilet completely. Call us at 504-262-8222 for your appointment!