Express Plumbing Heating & Air Blog

How does a toilet work? Of all the appliances in our home. The toilet might be the most resilient. They are absolutely essential for all of us and are used every day. Toilets can last for years without any noticeable issues and sometimes even wear. Despite the toilets enduring nature. There are plenty of good reasons to replace an old toilet.

The best reason to replace an old but working toilet is to maximize water efficiency. Old toilets can have small cracks and leaks you may not see. This in turn can drastically affect your water bill. Also, older toilets use nearly twice the amount of water as modern high-efficiency models.

Many older toilets work but have a quirk that requires a trick to flush or stop it from running. Jiggling the handle or having to hold it down longer than usual are common issues with older toilets. These are indications of a problem with the mechanisms under the tank. Although plumbers can rebuild old toilets, it’s less expensive and more convenient to have them replaced.

A toilet that is not on a solid foundation and has some movement to it could cause serious issues. Any leaks coming from the base of the toilet can rot the floor underneath, resulting in problems with your foundation. If your toilet rocks back and forth, call Express Plumbing Heating & Air immediately to prevent any possible water damage.

There are several interrelated components that make a toilet do what it does. If you take off the tank cover and peer inside. You will see all of these parts. They might look slightly different in your toilet. But they are all there in one form or another. The three main systems that work together are the bowl siphon, the flush mechanism, and the refill mechanism. When you push down on the handle it pulls a chain, which releases the flush valve. About 2 gallons of water rush from the tank into the bowl in about three seconds. The flush valve then resets. This rush of water activates the siphon on the bowl. The siphon sucks everything in the bowl down the drain. Meanwhile, when the level of the water in the tank falls, so does the float. The falling float turns on the refill valve.

Express Plumbing Heating & Air

company icon