Fill value not running AT ALL

[hopperdocter]

Hello,

I should note I’m a total newbie to plumbing repair..

Here’s the story – I had a toilet that was filling *very* slowly (and didn’t have ANYTHING running out the little tube to the side of the fill valve – I assume that’s to fill the bowl while the tank fills up) So I turn off the water, flush it, and then attempt to disassemble the fill valve (NOT a FluidMaster – it looks like it has a solid round washer between the intake pipe and water outlet, with a float controlling it). I can’t figure out how to get the valve apart without breaking it (3 tabs appear to hold it on, but it doesn’t appear to rotate or anything). So I turn the water back on.. Nothing.. I assume that the water pressure in the intake pipe is not high enough to open the washer valve, even without the float holding it.

A little more on the fill value – I think it might be a Master-brand value of some kind. It has a yellow cap above the round washer with a small flat red bulb on the back end, perpendicular to the cap. There is a white cap on top of this, presumably just for looks – there isn’t anything holding it on securely.

I haven’t tried testing the pressure on the intake line, as that would mean disassembling it further..

Any ideas? On how to disassemble the valve, or perhaps an obstruction in the water intake line?

Thanks
Jim Witte
jswitte(SPAM)@(WHAMMY)bloomington.(not com)in.us

(Yes, that is an RFC 2822 complient email – it is an ‘address with hair’.. remove the comments in parentheses if your email client complains)

[Retired plbg1Participant]

After you get screws out it should come apart, you might have to put a knife or something to pry it apart, make sure water is off, after you get it apart take it down to hardware store and get the new part unless there is dirt or something in the line. After you get it apart turn on water and see what you have, hold a rag over it because it might shoot up to ceiling. Let me know what you find.

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Art retired plbg

» This message has been edited by John Aldrich on 30 October 2004

[jim.witteParticipant]

Found the answer – we think. We had a plumber come, who replaced the fill valve with a FluidMaster (which I’m sure works better than the one we got ata the hardware store..). It continued to leak water into the bowl, which he said was because of a crack, I assume in the plastic housing below the flapper seal.

I managed to get it to stop by moving the tube by which the fill valve fills the bowl above the water line – I assume the pressure difference was causing the FluidMaster to act as a siphone taking water from the tank through the bottom (where it usually fills the tank) and out through the tube. We have a FluidMaster in the upstairs toilet, but it has a “sprayer” type unit for filling the bowl, not a tube, so there is no (negative) pressure difference.

Jim

[Retired plbg1Participant]

If you think Flapper is leaking take some egg dye and dump in tank and look in bowl to see if it comes through if so then the flapper should be replaced.

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Art retired plbg

[AKPlumberParticipant]

You hired a plumber to replace the fill valve? I bet that cost about as much as it would have to just run to Lowe’s and buy a whole new toilet and slap it in yourself.
This sounds like one of the old Mansfields. Home Depot and Lowe’s carry replacement parts for them, including the fill/flush valves and stem (latters of which you’ll have to pull the tank from the bowl and replace).
Sometimes, when taking into consideration the time, trouble and expense of replacing weird tank guts like that (assuming it’s not the type that can be fitted with a fluidmaster easily), you’re just better off replacing the darn toilet (unless there’s some sentimental value attached)

» This message has been edited by AKPlumber on 25 November 2004

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