Toilet help! DIY Fixes, if possible

[tripp]

Well my toilet seems to have a few issues:

-The reservoir/tank fills up slowly (not the toilet bowl). When you turn off the water valve and turn it back on, the tank fills up normally.
-Have to flush 2-3x to get everything down.
-Toilet leaks a very very tiny bit at the base- almost unnoticeable (this doesn't bother me, but maybe this indicates what the problem is, I don't know!)

We were going to try to replace the flapper- but our flapper thing sort of looks like a plastic plunger with a rubber seal around the base.

What does the problem sound like to you? Do I need to get a replacement fill valve kit? Would it matter which one I pick?

 

[Jadnashua]

Do you have a Watts FloodSafe supply line going to the toilet? IF so, throw it away and put a normal one on it.

Do not ignore a leak at the base of the toilet! It can have rotted out the subfloor long before you notice it. FWIW, if a toilet moves at all, it will break the seal to the flange, and could leak fluids, and will leak sewer gas and provide a path for ants, termites, etc. which like the moisture.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Swart]

Sound like you have multiple problems. If you have to flush 2 or 3 times to clear the bowl, you probably have a partly clogged toilet or drain. The slow filling is a problem, but once the tank has filled, the toilet should flush. It is possible you have an first generation low flow that never was any good, but that's another question. Jim give you sound advice about the Flood Safe and the movement. You have to pull the toilet to fix the rocking, so at that time, check to make certain there is nothing stuck in the toilet trap way.

 

[JohnjH2o1]

Filling slowly could be the cause of it not flushing. If it's filling slowly the refill tube may not be refilling the bowl. If it's not a floodsafe supply then I would replace the fill valve.

John

 

[hj]

YOu need to replace the defective fill valve, (probably a Fluidmaster 400A because they will do that), so it works EVERY time. Your flush valve is probably a Mansfield, but could be an old American Standard Cadet, but either way the rubber ring is replaceable. lf it is not refilling properly, then it often takes at least two flushes to get proper disposal.

 

[jose davila]

I have a Toto CST866 toilet and it is continually stuttering water inspite of the fact that the tank is full. The water goes into the fill tube inside and I assume it is wasted. I have bled the water lines in the house but it still seems to have some air in the line as that is the only toilet that is stuttering water. Could it be the toilet mechanism that is defective? it seems to be working fine except for the stuttering activity that goes on and is driving me crazy!! Please advise corrective measures I may take to rid me of this situation. Thank you

 

[Jadnashua]

First, shut off the water to the toilet and see if the tank level drops over several hours. If so, the flapper valve is leaking, and probably needs to be replaced. If the water rises enough in the tank to actually go into the overflow (we're not talking the refill hose, but from the tank) then depending on which fill valve you have, it may either need to be cleaned, or the sealing cap replaced (cheap at a plumbing supply, Lowes, and many hardware stores, and all of about 2-minutes to replace with no tools).

Whenever the toilet fill valve is running, it is both refilling the bowl and the tank, so it is normal for water to go down there...if it didn't, the bowl would be empty after a flush (or nearly so).

 

[jose davila]

The fill valve only goes into the tube during the instances of stuttering and does not even show up in the bowl. The water line in the tank stays the same throughout. When flushed, the water level drops and then refills automatically and the valve stops filing. I don't think the flapper is defective but will try your idea of turning water off and seeing where the water is after a few hours. Do you have a video of the fix-it on the fill valve you are recommending?? That would be helpful....Thanks!!

 

[Jadnashua]

Once the bowl gets full, any additional water that is put in there just goes down the drain. The water from the hose DOES go into the bowl. You have the classic symptoms of a leaking flapper valve. WHen the valve is outputting water to the bowl, it is also putting water into the tank. The stuttering you're hearing is the valve turning on and off as it tries to match the outflow from the leak.

FWIW, at least on many of the Toto toilets' flappers, I've found that when the outer edge is no longer flat and horizontal (i.e., the center drops), it's time to consider picking up a new valve since the one that's in there will start to leak soon. Since the center collapses, you may no longer have enough slack in the chain, and that's part of the issue, but it's time for a new one.

 

[WJcandee]

Jim has the right idea. Your toilet is stuttering after it turns off following refill because a little water is slowly leaking out of it through a flapper that has worn out.

"air in the lines" has nothing whatsoever to do with it. The noise is the fill valve (the thing that lets the water in) opening just a smidge to maintain the water level in the tank.

Turn off the water to the toilet. Let it sit a few hours. Betcha you will find that the tank is down an inch in an hour or two.

If so, replace the flapper. The Bristol is a "power gravity" flush toilet. It takes the blue Korky "Fits Toto" flapper, like this one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Korky-3-...o-Power-Gravity-2022CM/202666005#.Ui6TajYf71E

It's available a lot of places besides HD. Here are the instructions to change it out: http://korky.com/PDF/2022BP.pdf For your 866 toilet, attach the clip to the seventh link of chain from the flapper and see how that works.

If we are wrong, and the water level doesn't drop, write us back and we'll tell you how to replace the fill valve.