Toilet Plumbing 101
Clearly, a toilet is a household necessity. The “Porcelain Throne” has been part of everyday society for well over 100 years. Each home in the United States has at least one, and most places of business are required to have a designated restroom with a toilet to be open to the public.
So when things go wrong with your toilet, you need help fast. At Gwinnett Area Plumbers, we’re standing by ready to get things flowing again.
It’s probably no surprise, but we get a lot of calls from people that have a non-working toilet who try to fix it themselves. We applaud the effort, but often things go south quickly. That’s why we decided to provide a quick overview of how a toilet works.
The Importance of each mechanism
- Handle & Trip Lever: The toilet handle and trip lever are often times directly connected. These mechanisms are often the only piece of the toilet that a person interacts with. The handle lifts the trip lever which pulls the chain and flapper.
- Float: The float mechanism is designed to rest in the toilet tank water and set to turn the water supply off when the water level rises beyond a certain point
- Chain: The Chain is directly connected to the trip lever and flapper. This small piece is critical to the functionality of each standard flush toilet.
- Flush Valve (Flapper): The flush valve is often made of rubber or has a rubber ring around it to stop the flow of water into the toilet bowl. When lifted by the chain, the toilet will flow or “flush”
- Refill Tube & Overflow Tube: The refill tube is directly connected to the water supply, and closes itself when the float reaches a certain level. The overflow tube directs any excess water in the toilet tank directly to the bowl.
- Flush Passages & Bowl: The flush passages is where water flows from the tank into the bowl when the toilet flushes. The bowl is the receptacle for human bodily waste.
- Wax Ring: The wax ring is crucial to the safety of your home and bathroom floor. The wax ring prevents the flow from the bowl to leak outward by creating a watertight seal.
- Supply Valve: The Supply valve is what produces the fresh water for the toilet. Without water from a supply, a toilet will not flush.
Call the Most Knowledgeable Plumbers
Not all repairs and maintenance can be DIY. In the event that you can’t diagnose and repair your toilet system, be sure to call Gwinnett Area Plumbers or schedule an appointment online.
At Gwinnett Area Plumbers, we know how important a professionally performed job is to you. That’s why we hire only the best-trained employees. We are fully licensed, bonded and insured. All of our work is guaranteed. With up-front pricing by the job (not the hour), you always know the price before we start. And, with over twenty years in business, you can count on service that is completed professionally, properly and on-time.
Our Service Area
While we’re located in Loganville, we provide expert plumbing services to homes and businesses all throughout the Gwinnett County area. We have happy customers in Buford, Berkeley Lake, Dacula, Duluth, Grayson, Lilburn, Lawrenceville, Loganville, Monroe, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Suwanee, Sugar Hill, and more. Even if you’re outside of our service area, give us a call and let us show you what customer service looks like from your local plumbing company.
Not listed in our service area? Call our offices to see if we can make a special exception for your needs!