Fill valve small hose. In or out of overflow?

[pirate]

In our, new to us, house, one of the toilets, fill valve, small hose, was clipped so it didn't go down the overflow tube.
I did some testing with flushes, with the tube in and out of the overflow. It flushes the same either way.

I understand it is supposed to help with the flush, but our toilet has been flushing fine for 4 months, with the tube not in the overflow.

The small tube (what is that tube called anyway?) puts an extra 1/2 gallon, into the septic tank, with each flush, it in the overflow tube. Seems like a real water waster.

Is there any reason to not leave it outside the overflow tube?

 

[Reach4]

It is the refill tube that refills the bowl after a flush. If the bowl is full without it, then it is not doing you any good. However that would also tend to indicate that your flush is not emptying the bowl very well, and you might get a better flush and use less water with a new toilet.

Also see https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/toilet-fill-valve-small-hose-position.60600/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[pirate]

As said, the bowl flushes fine, either way.

It's a 1.5 gpf toilet, which, with the tube outside the overflow, uses 1/2 gallon less per flush. I doubt I can find a reason able priced toilet, that uses less than 1 gpf.

 

[Reach4]

As said, the bowl flushes fine, either way.

You did? Glad your flush is fine.

As I said, "If the bowl is full without it, then it is not doing you any good. " The main purpose of the water in the bowl is to seal out sewer gasses.

 

[Terry]

It sounds like yours works fine having the fill tube pointed into the tank. Sometimes a toilet is set up that way from the factory to not use a fill tube.
Go with what works and saves water.
We carry the Korky 528MP MaxPerformanc fill valve that allows that type of tank to bowl refill adjustment. Fluidmaster makes a PerformanceMax that does the same thing.

 

[Jadnashua]

What you're saying doesn't make a lot of sense...on most toilets, when you flush, almost all of the water gets pulled out of the bowl by the siphon. It is the water that comes in through that overflow that refills the bowl so it can start at the design level for the next flush. Pretty much all toilets I've dealt with have the bowl filled to the maximum level - right at the point where when adding any more water would cause them to drain down their outlet.

If the toilet fill valve is adjusted properly, the level in the bowl should get refilled at the same exact time as the tank is filled, so no extra water is wasted by dumping it down the drain. If enough water is left in the bowl after a flush, to me, if it's not being replenished during the refill of the tank (and, unless there is some other , non-conventional path the overflow tube is it), that means that what's left in the bowl is just diluted from the last flush, not fresh.

A simple test...after flushing, note exactly where the level in the bowl is. Take a bucket and slowly add water to the bowl to see if the level rises and stays there. At some point, you will not be able to add any more water. On most toilets, that's the 'normal' level where it was designed to give the best flush.

I suppose it could hold the flapper valve open long enough so that after the initial siphon emptied the bowl, the continued water coming in from the tank may not be enough for it to 'reflush', and then fill it up perfectly. I've not seen anyone get that to work properly, but I suppose it could be done and maybe yours is that way. The key to this test is: "Is the bowl at maximum capacity once the refill is complete or not?" If it isn't, it will work better if it were. Whether you need it, is maybe another story. In either case, it should NOT use more water than the design, or it's breaking the rules.

 

[Terry]

TOTO used to sell a few washdown bowls that didn't use a refill tube.
The CST703, CST713 and CST733 series.
Others have made bowls that don't require the fill also.