Fill valve problem

[Stephen22]

Hello,

Every time I flush the toilet, water sprays out of the tank. I believe it is the fill valve unit or fill valve seal. I have attached a photo fyi. Will I be able to replace just the seal or will I have to purchase a new fill valve unit? Apparently the toilet is very old and the company that made it went out of business years ago. Are these parts universal? How much would a plumber normally charge to fix this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Reach4]

That is the fill valve, and yours is the older ballcock style. The replacement fill valve would usually look different. The float on it just slides up and down. Those valves often sell for under $10, but labor charge can be considerable because of the minimum. Yet in a brief time, this is all done. This can be DIY. If you do it, you usually replace the supply line and maybe the valve that the supply line hooks to. With DIY instead of under an hour, it could take days.

Do you ever use a plunger? If so, you may take this opportunity to get that toilet replaced with a modern unit. That will cost more, but it is money well spent.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Stephen22]

Hello,

Every time I flush the toilet, water sprays out of the tank. I believe it is the fill valve unit or fill valve seal. I have attached a photo fyi. Will I be able to replace just the seal or will I have to purchase a new fill valve unit? Apparently the toilet is very old and the company that made it went out of business years ago. Are these parts universal? How much would a plumber normally charge to fix this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Stephen22]

Hello,

Thanks for getting back. I am considering getting a new toilet and have been given a few quotes for removing the old toilet and installing a new one but the quotes have been between $450 and $750!! I just cannot afford to pay this amount as well as the price of a new toilet. Do these prices sound fair? Most said it would take about an hour to do the job. It seems alarmingly high for one hour's work!

 

[Reach4]

Hello,

Thanks for getting back. I am considering getting a new toilet and have been given a few quotes for removing the old toilet and installing a new one but the quotes have been between $450 and $750!! I just cannot afford to pay this amount as well as the price of a new toilet. Do these prices sound fair? Most said it would take about an hour to do the job. It seems alarmingly high for one hour's work!

Sounds fair to me. You want to select a good toilet. Install fee would be similar anyway.

Toronto prices will be higher than Seattle prices due to stuff you know about. https://terrylove.biz/search?contro...esc&search_query=install&submit_search=Search will show a good Seattle USD price for install and supply line and wax. Multiply that by C$ conversion and GST and other factors... To that add the price of the toilet. https://terrylove.biz/6-toilets Same factors.

Remember that your new toilet is probably going to be good for another 40 years or so.

So if you want to try the fill valve yourself, watch some videos. https://www.youtube.com/user/LavelleIndustries has some links to videos including replacing a fill valve.

 

[Jadnashua]

Plumbers (with a helper) probably get about $120 or so an hour in Toronto (maybe more!). A toilet can cost between a couple of hundred to many thousands. Throw in a new shutoff valve and supply line, and that's maybe another $10, so your estimate (which should include the toilet and all parts plus disposal of the old toilet) isn't out of line for a basic toilet. Note, not all toilets are created equal...some are better than others, but a lot of the cost differences are in style - doesn't necessarily buy you more performance, but potentially a lot more in style, which may mean nothing for that room in your home. Depending on travel time, replacing a toilet is probably about an hours work potentially with a moderate amount more for travel time. NOt really sure what brands are available and popular in Canada. Here, I tend to prefer Toto which has a wide range of toilets.

 

[WJcandee]

You can change that fill valve yourself in well under an hour for maybe $12. I would recommend the Korky 528MP, which is easy for DIY-ers to install. Here's a video from Korky on how to replace the valve. You might need a pair of pliers or a bigger pair of channel-locks to turn the nut on the old valve to get the old valve out. The new one you would just spin on the nut hand-tight.

Most people get a new braided stainless steel hose and change that at the same time as the valve; it's another few bucks. Best advice is to bring the old one to the store so they can be sure you get the right size nut to connect to the wall valve. (The nut on the fill valve side is always the same size.) Or you can forgo that extra step now, change the fill valve, and do the hose later if you're inspired by your success with the fill valve.

Here's the Korky video:

Write back with any questions.

PS One thing you might do before embarking on this is to make sure that you can turn off the water valve to the toilet at the wall. If that is too difficult to turn, then don't bother trying to do it yourself, because changing that valve is probably beyond your skill set. But if you can turn it off and on, and you have pliers or channel-locks to turn the nut under the toilet to get the old valve out, you can probably do it yourself (or with a friend) by following the video. Korky also includes printed instructions in the box.

 

[Reach4]

You can change that fill valve yourself in well under an hour for maybe $12. I would recommend the Korky 528MP, which is easy for DIY-ers to install.

Would you recommend that somebody not take this as the opportunity for a new toilet to replace the old ballcock toilet that needs plunging at times? We can agree that could be dictated by budget and other factors.

 

[Jadnashua]

If the water can be shut off, many people can reliably replace their fill valve in a toilet. But, I have one neighbor who calls a handyman to change a light bulb...some people just don't have much mechanical sense, or, are unsure of themselves enough so that they don't want to try.

A fill valve is pretty simple. IT could be a little trickier if you have a solid supply line to it versus a flexible hose, but even changing that isn't a big deal. You may need a wrench or two and maybe a pair of pliers, but nothing exotic, and stuff most homeowners have lying around.

The benefits of a new toilet are that it may actually flush better, has all new parts that are easier to replace when needed, and will save on water consumption (and sewer costs, if they apply). Some places offer rebates if you upgrade your toilet to a new water saving version from an old one that might use 5-7x as much water on each flush. Most of the newer flush valves have easily replaceable seals...many don't even require the use of any tools, so the body of the valve stays intact.

So, you've got a few options...the least expensive is probably to try to change your fill valve IF you can reliably shut the water off. If you have to pay someone to do this for you, the labor involved may make it more palatable to spend it on replacing the toilet.

 

[hj]

That price should INCLUDE the cost of the new toilet.

 

[Terry]

They are bringing the toilet to you, providing wax seals, closet bolts, supply line, and disposing of the old toilet.
They have more time into the job than just the time inside your home.
You can get a very nice working toilet and seat with installation and disposal for $415 before tax US funds.
I also sell and install toilets with more features and most cost.
Or keep what you have and replace the working parts in the tank.

 

[Reach4]

C$450 would be US$342 for your cheapest quote for a new toilet. On top of that, I think you pay 13%HST for both parts and labor.

I expect that cheapest quote is not for a very good toilet. Toronto is a pretty expensive city.