You’re probably familiar with the toilet fill valve if you own a home. It’s the component that controls how much water is allowed to enter the tank, and it can be prone to occasional failure.
Recently, I had my fill valve fail explosively – thankfully, no one was hurt, but it was definitely a scary experience! In this post, I’ll share what happened and how to prevent it from happening to you.
What Causes a Toilet Fill Valve Exploded?
Toilet sometimes explodes unexpectedly for several reasons, like if the mechanism fails.
A toilet fill valve is a tube responsible for filling the toilet tank after each flush. The fill valve always helps the water refill the tank and maintain the pressure as well.
When a toilet is flush, the water forcibly moves to the bowl to clean up our mess, and sometimes water enters the toilet tank until the reaching point.
During this process, air pressure always works, and the tank also creates pressure for the water force.
The pressure is generated inside the system and is intended to drive water out of the tank. Still, the entire amount of pressure can trigger an explosion close the weld seal.
The fill valve does not always pop out, but if it does, it can lead to the tank also exploding.
How to Fix an Exploded Toilet Fill Valve
To the straight answer, when you have a fill valve explode, you immediately call a plumber and need to buy a new toilet.
Toilet made with tough material call ceramic or porcelain but a tiny crack can lead to biggest leak for further. When the fill valve has already exploded, there is already a hairline crack in your toilet that can’t see a nacked-eye.
Can a toilet fill valve be repaired?
Of course, the toilet fill valve is repaired or replaced. To replace a fill valve is an easy and simple process you don’t need any plumber for that.
You need a right fill valve, bucket and old cloths.
Step1. Shut down the water supply line
At first, shut off the water supply to the toilet and flush completely.
Step2. After flush
After flushing, take the old cloth or sponge. Sponging the excess water from the toilet tank.
Step3. Remove the old fill valve.
Place the bucket under the fill tube to remove the old fill valve. Now twist the fill tube to take it out from the tank.
Step4. A place with a New one
By removing the old fill valve, now place the new one and adjust the height.
The fill valve height always should be 1 and 1/2 inches below the tank edge.
Step5. Connect everything
After replacing the old with new, connect the water supply line to the tank and wait for the tank to fill.
A few minutes later, flush once and check the fill tube work well or not.
Read More-Why your toilet not filling well after flush & how to fix it.
Why does my toilet fill valve keep going bad?
A toilet fills valve can be bad for several reasons like a lime-scale deposition, water pressure, low-quality fill tube.
The fill valve may be bad because it’s not shutting off properly. This could be causing the water to continue to flow into the tank, which would overflow and cause the fill valve to go bad.
Another possibility is that something is obstructing the fill valve, such as a foreign object or mineral build-up, preventing it from closing all the way.
To test the fill valve, simply lift up the float. If the water stops flowing into the tank, then you may have a faulty fill valve.
If the problem continues, then you have another issue that is preventing the valve from closing all the way, such as a foreign object, mineral build-up, etc.
In some cases, a foreign object can cause this problem. It’s possible that someone tried to unclog a toilet by dropping a foreign object into the fill valve.
To test for this, first shut off the water supply to the toilet by turning the shutoff valve clockwise. Next, flush the toilet and see if you can hear any foreign object rattling around inside of it.
If you can, then something may be preventing the fill valve from closing all the way. You’ll need to turn off your water supply and remove the tank lid to investigate further.
Once you’ve done this, use a flashlight to peer inside the tank and see if you can spot anything out of the ordinary. Turn off the water again and fill up a cup or bowl with water if you can’t.
Gently lower the cup or bowl into the tank to be below the water level. Shake the cup or bowl around to see if you can dislodge anything from the inside of the tank.
Turn the water back on and flush the toilet after you’re finished. If it usually refills, then you’ve fixed the problem.
Is my toilet fill valve broken?
The toilet fill valve is an essential part of the flushing system in your home. It is responsible for filling the tank with water when you flush the toilet.
I bet you’ve at least once experienced a situation where the toilet tank fills with water so slowly that it might as well not be filling at all. – This is the result of a faulty fill valve, which in most cases can be easily replaced with a new one.
Toilet fill valves are easy to replace by any homeowner. Still, the question remains whether or not your toilet fill valve is broken.
Let’s look at a few of the most common signs that you need to replace your fill valve.
Signs that you have a faulty toilet fill valve: It may not refill completely when you flush the toilet. The water level drops extremely quickly after a flush.
The water flow stops when you push down on the float ball in the toilet tank.
When you push up on the float ball in the toilet tank, it does not stop filling even after letting go.
The following are reasons why your toilet fill valve may be broken: The float ball arm is not working properly. Its arm gets stuck in the “down” position.
The fill valve diaphragm has popped out of place, causing its ability to open and close properly. The toilet fill valve is stuck.
If you’re experiencing any of the issues listed, it’s time to replace your old toilet fill valve with a new one. To see the types of fill valves available on Amazon, click here.
Wrap Up on Toilet Fill Valve Exploded
It is a good idea to go with the right toilet fill valve for your needs. Toilet fill valves are either open or closed. They have the vital function of regulating the water level in the tank to keep it from overflowing.
If you’re shopping around for one that’s just right for you, be sure to look at all of the features carefully before making a purchase decision.
It may seem like a small investment now. Still, if it fails too soon after installation, then you’ll regret not getting something better quality!
