Complete List Of All My Favorite Tools - geni.us/VYIp51 DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
My landlords just installed a dual water saver toilet in my place. I’m furious. I’m only home early morning and nights. Is there any possible way to raise water level in the dang tank???❤
Thirty nine dang years old and I'm only now learning how a toilet works, thank you. Great video, excellent explanation and execution. Clear, concise, and easy to understand.
42 and I'm having the same issue of low water level in the toilet. I thought my building landlord was trying to cut down on water hill by reducing the water int be toilet to 1 small cup of water.
Amazing. I have been living with this annoying problem for a year and you solved it in minutes with the most clear and understandable video. Proves that an 80 year old guy can become a novice plumber with the right instructor....lol. Thanks so much. I have subscribed.
Excellent video--so clear and concise that even this 73-yr-old grandma could follow. I'd been annoyed by the low water level in my toilet ever since the toilet was installed over a year ago, and I finally thought I'd look for a TH-cam video and see if I could fix it myself. Lo and behold, I did 2 simple things you suggested (clipped the little tube so it would pour into the vertical overflow tube instead of the tank, and turned the screw clockwise with a screwdriver), and the problem is solved! Thank you very much! You are a very good teacher!
...This guy is good because he explains things well. More praise: What's great is that he does not have super loud; incoherent music playing in the background. His helpful videos do not disappoint.
I did it!!! What a fantastic day for my toilet, first it gets a makeover to remove all its rust stains and now it FINALLY fills to a normal level! Incredible tutorial - turns out my little water pipe was pouring water into the main tank insteD of the overflow valve. Amazing explanation!
Thanks so much for this video! I fixed the water level in my toliet bowl that was low because the fill tube popped out of the thing that was holding it in place to the overflow tube. Thanks so much again!
I live in an apartment and couldn’t figure out why I had so little water in my bowl. Made it so hard to clean! Opened the tank and saw the tube wasn’t even placed in the right area! Thanks for your help. You learn something new every day
Fixed a ton of different toilet styles over the years but can’t tweak this one…. The flapper mechanism (the whole thing comes up above where the overflow hose goes) drops down immediately when I release the handle so those two tweaks don’t help.
This is a quality simple to understand video. I shared it with my five children because it is mind numbing how many people have no idea how to troubleshoot a toilet like this.
Sir, You have done a Professionalized, Precise, and a Clear & Concise job this installation. You have made the task clearer than the instructions included with the unit to me. Thanx. Howard
Your advice worked! I bought a flapper, tank kit and was about to install when your video popped up and I decided to watch! Thank God I did! Prior the tank was empty leaving 1/3 water remaining. You saved me time & peace of mind!
One thing I didn't hear you mention is that there is a max amount of water that can be put into the bowl based on the design of the pedestal. That max water line in the bowl is determined by the "trap" that is built into every toilet pedestal. You can find out what this max water line is by taking a pitcher of water and slowly pouring water into the bowl, at some point you will hear water starting to flow into the trap and down your into your sewer line. once you reach that point, the water height in the bowl will remain any higher then that point. So you can pour pitcher after pitcher or water into the bowl, but the water line will never stay any higher than that point. Some bowls will hold more water than others, again based on the design of the toilet itself. I wanted to make this clear because no matter how much you adjust you can't make the water in the bowl any higher than that max point determined by the trap.
You are right I purchase a new toilet early this year. I notice how low the water level was in the toilet bowl. Call glacier told them what was going on and was explained that the way. They are designed to conserve water now.
Great video- thank you. I had replaced both the fill and the flush valve but was getting a running toilet. It was because I had the small tube way down in the fill tube without the clip. You explained that at the 4-minute mark and confirmed what my issue was!!!
Thank you so much for this video. Could not figure out why the tank was full of water and the bowl was so low. Turned out the hose to fill was disconnected never would have learned about that had I not seen your video. I attached the hose and the bowl filled right up. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. God bless
You are quite brave to take on this topic with so many tank configurations out there and I'm just talking about in the USA. Nice job for a lot of the new toilets. Let's see some ball floats, rods, and things that break when you just look at them.
Best video of the half-dozen I watched about fixing the low level in the bowl. An annoying problem that I've put off for too long, now fixed. Thanks! Subscribed :)
I don’t usually like videos for home repairs. So when I did a search for the problem I was having with my toilet bowl I was ready to cancel it until I saw it was one of your videos. As usual, I was very quickly able to see that I have not set up the flow tube properly when I repaired the toilet last. the problem I’m having is gone. Best videos ever!
The small hose going into the overflow is called a hush tube, which most people don't know. Also when you replace the fill valve the correct height of the valve should be at least one inch above the overflow valve by code, yes that is in the code book. I've been a plumber for 50 years and stll doing it. You did a good job explaining the workings of the commode....
You genius, you saint. Bless you dude, may the best things in life happen to you. I didn't realize that the water in the tank was distributed differently than the water in the bowl. I replaced the arm, the flap, adjusted the tank itself. We have some real hard water here. In reality, I just pulled the tube off and cleaned it with some CLR. It now works like a machine. Thank you man, you are a legend.
Very good video! I only knew about the rough adjustment. I didn't even know that there was a fine one. Thank you for the explanation. Camera angles, shot distance, and video quality was perfect! Thanks!
Good video. Idea for a follow up would be 2 stage flush mechanisms, where if you just use the handle normally it flushes enough for liquid waste, but if you hold the handle down longer it does a full flush for solid waste.
@@daviddou1408 I'm talking about the ones that still use the standard handle and do the same thing, but are depending on how long you hold down the handle.
@@cakekomo That looks to be like the one in the vid. Ours has a min and max flush - depending on how long the handle remains held. You can get a flush anywhere between min & max.
@@cakekomo These sometimes have a buoyant float on the flapper chain that holds the flapper open until the water level drops to a certain point, even if you let go of the handle. How do I adjust and/or modify to get a full flush every time, without having to hold the handle down? I'm not concerned with saving water, I just want a full tank flush without having to stand there holding the handle.
@@HalbertS-wt5hr If yours has a float on the flapper, and it isn't staying open long enough to clear the bowl, then it could be that the flapper/float has lost some buoyancy or something. You should probably try replacing it with a new one that is the correct part for your toilet model. Quite frankly, I hate these float type setups. They tend to be super finicky, and really only work with the exact right part, whereas most other toilets you can buy one of the universal adjustable ones and find the correct setting with a couple of test flushes.
@@tscook10 I don't think that's the problem. The float is part of the chain. The float keeps tension on the lower portion of the chain and holds the flapper open for flushing until the water level in the tank drops to a certain point (like 1/3 down), then the float releases tension and the flapper closes. Was this water saving feature required by federal regulation? Maybe if I can move the float lower down on the chain it will give a longer, higher gallonage flush, but I have my doubts as to if it's adjustable.
Thank you, I worked for a plumbing shop for 12 years, never understood haw that worked till I saw your video, did my own and everything is working correctly now.
Thank you for this informative video. Since our last correspondence I have been able to access the main stack in my home inside the walls, and have been using that as a way to relieve myself while I wait for support. However it appears that sewer gases are exiting the pipe which makes me think there is a block in the vent somewhere. How would you fix this issue, if you were stuck inside a wall and didn't have access to normal tools? Thanks, Gary
You would remedy that (sewer gas) by closing off what ever opening you made (or found) in your main wall stack that you are relieving yourself into so that the sewer gas cannot escape there but will rise to the top of the stack above the roof line and disperse to the atmosphere as all other stacks do.
Most recently, contractor had replaced entire toilet, but he did not know how to adjust water lever in the toilet bowel. This is an excellent video you have made. It is very cleaner explanation you have made it. Thank you very much.
Good explanation. Its amazing the difference toilets around the world. In Australia our cisterns are dual flush so they are a bit different to the one in this video and the water level in the bowl is low - i imagine this is a water conservation measure as we have droughts and toilets in some country areas are filled from rain water tanks and you don't want to waste any.
We have dual flush systems in the US as well with selectable options for flushing determined by what type of waste is being expelled. One reason that they are not as popular in the US is that it takes responsible people who will use them as designed because they are easily plugged by vandals simply by selecting the lower water consumption flush option which is not sufficient to expel solid waste. Vacuum assisted toilets are also an option but once again, it requires responsible users and the maintenence can be difficult and expensive to maintain and if a system is installed, it is diffiucult to revert back to a conventional system.
Most modern toiles use 1.6 gallons of water; older ones use 3.0 gallons; they actually save water as the newer type needs to be flushed several times! If my memory is correct that environmentally efficient toiled was designed by one of the Rockefellers nieces!
@@bobboscarato1313 Modern toilets work just fine. The reputation for "not" working came about when the reduced water consumption requirement was first initiated. Many manufacturers had not engineered new designs and had only changed the fill valves with a lower overflow that prevented more than 1.6 gallons from accumulating in the tank. Since the bowls had been designed to use 3 gallons, they failed to perform properly. The law that made the 1.6 gal flush a requirement went into effect 28 years ago on 01 JAn, 1994. Manufacturers haqve had plenty of time since then to redesign toilets to work efficenty and effectively. Residential toilets typically come in 3 styles, round bowl. elongated bowl and "special needs" (also called handicap). In most (but not all) cases, the design of the weir is slightly different on each style. The "round" bowl is most likely to have a reduced radius for the weir, making blockages more likely to occur than on the other two. The "elongated" bowl, is likely to have an increased radius and the "Special needs" toilet, which is an elongated bowl with an increased seat height, having the most generous radius for the weir andf is least likely to experience a blockage. Additionally "cheap" toilets are likely to have poor casting for the ceramic and imperfections in the glazing which can cause friction asnd reduce the flow of solids, resulting in blockages. I apologize for the length but I wanted to share all of the information in a single comment. Chears!
This is the best explanation so far of how things work in the toilet tank and bowl that I have seen on TH-cam. I have a tank that is filling way too high and now I know how to fix it. Thank you for this information. Just subscribed.
Great how to/general info. I think the one thing I'd contend in this video is that the tank should drain fully. Many newer toilets (like the 1.28gpf units) should only drop the water level by a few inches before the flapper closes. My rule of thumb is that the flapper should close as early as possible while still achieving the full bowl emptying. But the flapper doesn't need to be open until that point, and definitely shouldn't be open after that point. Also, yes the bowl should fill back to the trap level. I wish more fill valves were adjustable for the amount of bypass flow to the bowl
They may be designed that way, but in my experience, they don't work that way. I've had to flush most newer toilets 5 times and more, and it seems like only a cup of water goes into the bowl, which just fluffs up the toilet paper, and I have to wait an eternity between flushes.
@@bigred9428 I hold the handle down until the bowl is cleared, and that's only needed when flushing solids, otherwise a quick, normal push on the handle works just fine.
You are using your own opinion to make an assumption to modify a system that has been engineered to work in a specific way. Most toilets function by using a syphon affect and modifying the amount of water that is introduced into the bowl when flushed will negatively affect that function and result in issues. The stoppers are designed to close when the water is at certain level and the added weight of the water that is applied to the stopper from the water that fills above it adds to it ability to seal. Very often service calls for issues regarding toilets not flushing correctly result in finding that they have been modified at some point and are not set to manufacturers recommendations.
@@vanhattfield8292 I agree with you that toilets should be set up as they were engineered to work. I was specifically pointing out that in the video, he implies that the tank should drain fully, and that is not how newer toilets are typically engineered to work. The rule of thumb describes what correct flushing typically looks like, and is useful when you have no idea what components are in your toilet, whether they are correct or not, and want a sanity check on whether it's operating as it should.
Great video, very clean, simple and easy to follow. Made me feel better about myself, I live in an old house that’s always having plumbing issues. Today, I didn’t have to call one. Thank you!!!
After watching 10, or more, videos on how to correct a slow-filling tank, I found your video. I know you weren't instructing on my problem; but your video title had to do with the water level in the toilet bowl, which I've been curious about --how/from where does it fill? Thank you so much for explaining that. On every other video they would point to and name the overflow thing-a-ma-jig. Thanks so much. Now I have to go to your channel and see what you have on replacing those awful plastic nuts and bolts, that hold the toilet seat, with metal nuts and bolts. Thanks again!
The point is well made that giving the tank more time to fill, will in turn, increase the amount of water directed to the bowl. This is only true to a point. Ultimately, the max level of water in the bowl at the end of the flush is based on the elevation of the weir which is a function of how it is cast/molded. If the bowl is already at its maximum water level, adjusting the float will not increase the water level in the bowl, despite giving it more time to fill. As he states though, it will increase the volume of flush water.
Good point. If your flush volume is correct and your bowl hits that max fill level early in the refill cycle, you can look for a way to reduce the amount of flow going to the bowl, since that's just water being sent directly down the drain. I see this sometimes in toilets with really high water pressure.
Had two toilets installed and noticed water level was low in bowl. Watched your video and halfway through paused and looked inside tank. Both hoses were outside of the tube. Inserted them and bowl filled up perfectly. Thanks for the video.
Another reason to use the hose clip; is just in case the fill hose pops out of the tube when filling, blasting water up and around the inside of the tank, resulting in leakage down the outside of the tank. It' somewhat rare, but I've had to respond to leaks of this type many times over the years, with the homeowner not even looking in the tank to see whats up. Anyway, good video.
Thank you so much for this…my husband was about to buy a new toilet. Even though this is a new toilet (only a few months old). I saw your video and 😊wala now it’s fixed. Thank you so much for for making videos like this.
SOMEBODY ON ONE OF THESE CHANNELS NEEDS TO SHOW AEASY ,CLEVER WAY TO CLIP THE HOSE ON THE TUBE SO IT DONT KEEP JUMPING OFF THE DAMN THING...THE CHEAP SHIT THOSE SLANT I'S PUT IN THE KITS REMIND ME OF SOMETHING THE BIDEN ADMIN WOULD COME UP WITH...!!!...
I would add that when you mess with ("change") the water level, you are also changing the flush performance. Too little water results in an incomplete flush. You pointed out the factory setting. DIYers should go by the factory mark on the tank itself. You made a real decent video here.
Great demonstration but something thing I would add to the tutorial is that the maximum water level for the bowl is determined by the weir that is disigned into the model that you have. The weir is a "trap" and can be seen by looking at the back of the bowl from the side. If your water level in your tank is set too high, or the gasket leaks, additional water will run into the bowl, but it will flow down the drain once it exceeds that maximum depth. An additional issue I have seen, especially on early models of reduced water flush systems, is that homeowners would increase the height of the water in the tank above the recommended level with the thought that increased water meant an increase in the effectiveness of a flush, but this is not norrmally true. The toilets are designed to creat a syphon effect to remove the waste and to self clean the bowl with the "swirl" that is created. Adding additional water above what the design calls for can reduce the syphon effect and cause issues with flushing efficiency. Using the manufactors instructions when setting the water height in the tank is always recommended.
Excellent points. For some reason people without any training in engineering, and some plumbers for that matter, always think that more water=better when it comes to any appliance that uses water. How hard is it to just follow the instructions.
You are telling stupid things. There is no siphon effect in this toilet. A toilet with a siphon effect is first filled with water and then the water is drawn in. This is a normal gravity toilet. If you would like to see a toilet with a siphon effect, it is on every ship.
@@schabowyBar You might want to research what a siphon is. The "swirl" you see the water make as it decreases in size and exits through to hole at the base of the toilet is a siphon. It creates suction which pulls the water and solids out of the bowl as it discharges. The water from the tank is released at angles through separate holes under the rim of the bowl, called "siphon jets", specifically to create the whirlpool action which creates the siphon. That is who water is not discharged from the tank to the bowl in one big release. The water is released and gains momentum through gravity, but how that water is discharged creates a siphoning effect. Siphon toilets may very well be on ships, I haven't spent time on one so cant say, but without a doubt, your toilet at home uses a siphon effect to work properly.
@@vanhattfield8292 the holes in the rim of the toilet are not angled, the swirl occurs without assistance. Also, those are not siphon jets. A siphon jet toilet has an additional outlet hole at he bottom of the bowl that directs a jet of water directly through the trap. Not all toilets have them, those are called washout toilet. Also, a weir isn't a trap, but a specific part of a trap.
I live in Western Australia and the water level shown is about normal here! We were very water conscious about water conservation and toilet flushing is a major use of water, we even have duel flush buttons so as to minimum flushing fore either solid or liquid waste. Our state water authority publish information about this and other water conservation methods and many places use recycled sewage water to water public parks etc. These would be applicable to the USA South West which is in drought. This country have a very dry climate compared to most countries so people are generally very water wise!
Thanks for this. I was not aware of the additional level adjustment at the bottom of the fill valve. Comes in handy specially when replacing with a newer fill valve in an older toilet.
Thanks for the information. I had low water in the bowl. After reviewing your video and then checking my tank I saw where the fill tuber hose was completely out of the overflow tube. I stuck the fill tuber hose back inside the overflow tube and the bowl filled to the proper level....Easy Peasy...thank you
Appreciate the clear explanation! Also, do you have videos of older models? And, what’s your take on those foaming tablets sold online that claim cleaning the bowl instantly? I have an old Khole toilet that is leaking the valve inside the tank but not sure I’ll get the parts for it nor a whole valve. Whoever lived here before, let a thick crust form in the bowl that is dark and nasty, hence the question about cleaning it. If you have any solutions or suggestions, very appreciated. Thank you!
If you meant to say "Kohler" then it can be easily and inexpensively fixed if you are mechanically inclined. A new Fluidmaster flush valve as shown in the video can be purchased for about $20 and the tank to bowl gasket can range from $3 - $10 and there is a difference. If you decide to fix it, use quality gaskets so you dont find yourself doing it again in the near future. An additional tip is that when reattaching the tank to the bowl. use EXTREME caution when tightening the bolts. Less is more, if you find that additional tightening is required, do it slowly and in increments. Overtightening will break the tank very, very easily. Do not tighten one side completely then move to the next, tighten one a little, then the others (depending on if 2 or 3). when the tank no longer moves serparately from the bowl, it is a good place to stop. To keep your gaskets from breaking down and distorting, which allows water to flow through, avoid usiong chlorine based tablets in the tank. The ones that attach under the rim of the bowl are fine. Hopefully this helps out. Cheers!
@@vanhattfield8292 EDIT. "......when the tank no longer moves 'serparately' from the 'tank'..." separately BOWL was just wanting to point out the tank/bowl error but spell check pointed out the extra "r" in separately 😁 Excellent advice! It has always puzzled me as to why the tanks are so fragile at that point, an extra half inch of thickness in the bottom, or maybe ribs to strengthen it, heck even just a a thicker ring to enclose the area around the opening and the bolt holes... oh well, just me tilting at windmills
Lots of useful information there. I learned in hard water situations, that the fill valve seal is a much cheaper solution to replacing the entire valve. I have a toilet that, I’ve tried all the steps mentioned, but the bowl STILL has a low water threshold. I even blocked the tank from stopping the flow of water till the bowl was at a normal level, only to watch the water level drop back down. Even reseated the toilet in hopes that I had an air leak that allowed more water to drain through the trap way than normal. No luck. Replaced the seals between the tank and bowl as well, no luck. I am out of ideas.
Here in the UK its not even expensive to gut and replace the internals of a toilet at least I don't think it is since in my house we gutted and replaced the whole internals for like £30 (including a pipe that connects the bowl to the cistern and a huge o ring for it which is like 5-6 inches wide and the o ring was like 1cm thick and wide also it was hard to get a replacement because this is part of the flush valve system (and they came together) and this pipe for the toilet is hidden by the design of the toilet where the cistern looks like it is totally attached to the bowl from a distance and it requires a certain size of pipe because of the porcelain hole size inside this joint) we did this for 2 reasons as firstly we had a leaking cistern which would feed water in to the bowl which was hard to tell because a few drops going in is not easy to see especially when the water trickles down the sides of the bowl but I noticed this because I peed in the toilet before having a shower once and I forgot to flush it till after my shower and noticed the colour of the water had mostly cleared up (this was harder to notice especially due to the fact since hardly any water leaks the toilet is filling up fast enough to not make a difference in noticeable water pressure when flushing and looking at the fill level inside the cistern but with the ball valve connected to the toilet you could turn off the water supply and it would be empty within less than an hour) and when shining a light up to it you notice that it looks a little different where the water is flowing it would also look less shiny and look more dry when the ball valve was off and the cistern was empty. We replaced the fill valve with a new one also since the old one would occasionally jam and not refill the toilet since in the UK most of the water fill valves I have seen are different to that one you showed and when the tank is empty there is plastic thing surrounding the fill valve or a large button inside which drops down when the water level is lower and raises as it fills up (dont know the proper technical name) and would sometimes get stuck and/or just not go down at all when flushing and even when manually pushing it by hand to force it down sometimes it would spring back up. We got a new fill valve for like £10 and a flush valve for a similar price and got some other small parts and accessories for around £10 too the new system totally trumps the old one as you dont have to yank on a lever that will potentially get loose and damaged over time by yanking the handle like our old one did and the new system uses a button to flush the toilet that sits in the same hole as the flush handle
Wow, great video , explained everything I wanted to know about water level. I just installed a new American Standard toilet, and I guess from the factory they just install the components without having them set up for the customer. Using the American standard instructions seemed to be lacking. After watching your video, 3 minutes later the toilet has the correct water level, and is flushing awesome! Thank you 👍🏻🙏🏻
I installed an American Standard years back but the fill valve went bad this week. Opened the lid and all of a sudden realized it had instructions inside the lid to partially disassemble the fill valve and clean it if it had problems but mine was to far gone.
Take care when deciding to reduce the amount of water per flush; that is lowering the water level in the tank. The toilet is designed to clear the bowl with a certain amount of water per flush, especially the solids. Getting the solids out of the bowl and well along the pipes under your floor takes a certain a amount of water. It is possible, to clear the bowl, but not move all solids far enough down the pipes. That’s the beginning of a backup. Note that the video recommended holding the flush handle down for a second or two to ensure all of the water is emptied from the tank. Reminding users of proper flushing can be helpful, especially children.
I have noticed cutting down the amount of water and using a heavier toilet paper tends to clog a lot easier! I always use scotch, real thin paper, when using the heavier paper definitely have to hold the handle down for a few seconds longerTo get that full flush otherwise it always jams up plungers always next to the toilet!!
Best video I have seen on this topic since it first explains mechanisms. Other videos did not properly explain overflow valve and why fill tube was emptying into overflow value. Well done! One improvement - can you explain how to do rough adjustment without disassembling the fill valve?
Another subtle cause is a weak siphon jet, usually from Ca++ salt deposits. The water jet is needed to initiate the siphon that then sucks the water and waste out of the bowl. You know this is the problem when the bowl fills abnormally high before it empties (hopefully without flooding).
Nice point there! I have extreme hard water & no extra $$ to add a soft water system, I'd assume this will ruin moving parts much quicker. What happens if the overflow or bowl tube water level is right up to the very top, can that cause the bowl to overflow or does it just go down the drain? I've actually already witnessed the water level get high then, go down all on it's own in the toilet bowl before by draining on it's own. Also, because of the hard water, next, I think I'll most definitely need to flush my water heater tank of debris. Do you have any astute knowledge regarding water heaters as well??
@@jhenry0688 That is likely to be your problem. I think the best approach is at least an over-night soaking in strong acid like sulfuric. Works well to remove the scale but is VERY dangerous. Face/eye. body protection are needed. Baking soda a water to neutralize it if it gets anywhere it shouldn't, etc. LEARN how to use it first. Plan carefully. NEVER add water to acid, ONLY acid to water!!!!! If you don't know what you're doing, DON'T do it. Water heaters are usually very reliable.
@@wholeNwon I use either white vinegar or a much better/stronger option is apple cider vinegar to soak parts, brush & remove deposits. It's a ton better for my health house & septic, besides that, it's green/organic & doesn't pollute the environment & not dangerous! I just had to do a water heater repair a month ago & it's only 5 years old. I'm going to flush the tank out this week.
@@jhenry0688 You should look at the rim jets getting clogged by the deposits. A first solution is to pour some basic 5% vinegar down the overflow and let it sit. You can cut off the water and flush to avoid the toilet flushing if you crest the s-trap. That's relatively benign. Just put nothing down the overflow that may gum up or accumulate. There also the tedious job of poking a wire through each hole around the rim. And for completely blocked rim jets, I saw a video years ago of a guy using muriatic acid, but that requires sealing off the bowl and overflow to avoid the off-gases. But something like that you have to be careful to use a funnel and not get it on metal parts as it will corrode them. I used some 30% vinegar once and even that put off a strong vinegar smell. I'd use the 5% vinegar several times to see if it could descale before I moved to the stronger stuff. Upside of the 5% vinegar is it left the commode seemingly cleaner. I assume because it dealt with any growth up in the rim area
@@jhenry0688 Good that it works for you. I do use citric acid for some things but it wouldn't begin to touch some of the deposits I've dealt with. My water heater is over 30 now and only one 5' repair...thermocouple.
Thank you so much for this video it was very helpful. I recently had someone work on my toilet this week and ever since then the water is low in the water bowl so I was wondering what happened so I went and typed in what I needed your video came up and I listened to what you said. What was happening was I was not holding the handle down long enough to let it completely empty so that it could completely fill up again once I did that easy as pie the water level in the toilet bowl is at the right level. 😊
Easy to install, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxjA-hDN2m8_mi0Dg0JD8U6QiArozIAc4I and comfortable. No idea what other people were talking about when they said it was difficult to install or uncomfortable.
Great overview, thanks. Our problem with our toilet (it's a higher height one at 19" due to my disability) is the bowl fills up nicely. but after a while, the level in the bowl has gone down markedly. Not sure where to start on this one.
I didn't know you could adjust that so easily. But a problem I've run into many times is that you need to hold down the handle the whole time to make the toilet flush all the way. Maybe you could do a video on that? (I've fixed it in the the past, but probably not the correct way...)
Most of the time this can be fixed by adjusting the chain length between the handle rod and the flapper. It usually takes several tries to get this right. Make sure you leave a little bit of slack in it otherwise the slightest bit of tension can prevent the flapper from completely sealing and allow water to slowly bleed through and the tank will need to occasionally refill as the water level drops. If you notice in this video the chain has a small float attached to it. On some models this is designed to help keep the flapper raised to allow the float to stay open longer and provide more water to enter the bowl. Ultimately you want the flapper to raise and go almost vertical (90 degrees) and then it will fall back down with gravity as the water level decreases.
I believe that is a "feature" of lower flow toilets. The idea is to use less water per flush. That said, as you could see in this video, if the water level is too low in the tank, it compounds the problem, because not only is there less water in the tank for a flush, but the flapper closes too quickly because it doesn't stay open until the tank empties, only until it's at a certain low level. Starting with too low a level in the tank in the first place makes it close much sooner, maybe immediately.
@@kenmore01 they're not supposed to do that, typically. The newer low flow toilets have carefully timed float valves. If they're slamming shut immediately, even when they're fully opened, then they're probably set up incorrectly.
Thanks for the video. What fixed it for me was the overflow hose was just laying in my tank instead of inside the flush tower. I didn't have a clip like you did, but I made it work and I now have more water in my bowl. Thank you!
3:30 in the morning and the bowl had very little water in it. i thought i was going to have to pay a plumber a ton of money to come and fix it. found and watched your video and fixed it in exactly 1 second. the little hose had fallen out and i stuck it back in. great video! thanks so much!!!
What if everything flushes correctly and fills the bowl but then the bowl water starts slowly draining? I have no water in the floor or pouring out onto the ground, I had a $175.00 rotor job done no clogs! Bowl just slowly looses the water…..
How do you get a fuller flush, how do you make the flap stay open longer?? Put a bigger life vest above the flapper? IDK, Thank you for your video, I appreciate it.
To get a fuller flush...you can do one of two things. Simply hold the handle down for a few seconds...that will empty the entire tank. You can also lower the float until it is close to the flapper. That will hold the flapper open for longer. However, doing that will defeat the purpose of this ingenious design. It allows you to turn your 1 volume flush toilet into a 2 volume flush toilet.
... You can take the tank off the wall without having to reset the toilet on a wax ring. But yeah so many toilet replacements and they had to paint after that to. Surprise job
Thank you so much, this tutorial literally helped so much. My toilet's water level was low and it wasn't flushing properly at all, this fixed it super quick.
You failed to mention that most flappers may have various methods of making adjustments to them. Adjusting the flapper causes the flapper to stay up and float for a longer or shorter period of time as the water evacuates from the tank to the bowl. When properly adjusted, there should be no need to hold the flush handle for a longer period of time for the tank to evacuate. An improperly adjusted flapper will cause it to close and seal the opening to the bowl before the tank has fully emptied and result in a less forceful flush and failing to disperse the bowl contents to the drain.
Just yesterday I noticed the water level was about 1/4 inch too high -- not a lot, but I did notice and wondered if I should bother re-doing the level on the fill valve by removing it and turning it. I had forgotten that the instructions mentioned using a screwdriver to fine-tune the level. Thanks, now it's in my brain for good. (I decided, though, until I hear the water running down the overflow, I'm leaving well enough alone)
Set the tank level as high as possible and add an extra float because they make the flap close early to reduce water amount used in each flush. The older pre-1985 toilets used 2 1/2 to 4 gallons per flush The old tanks usually will fit the new toilets, so if you see an old toilet on the curb, take the 2 screws out the tank and take the tank. Get new gaskets, and a new fill valve, and arm and flapper, and change out the guts and put it on your new low flow toilets and you will have a real high flow toilet that only ever needs a single flush
That is so wrong. Toilets are designed to create a syphon effect when the water is released from the tank to the bowl. Adding more water than the fixture is designed for reduces the syphon effect and reduces the efficiency and performance. You are not "fixing" a problem, you are creating one. The tank/bowl combination is engineered to use a specific amount of water and any variations reduces its effectiveness.
Well, I would like to raise my hand to this gentleman too. Lol, 😊 He is very gentle, knowledgeable and handsome while educating his viewers in his teachings. Some of this, I taught myself. But Sir, thanks much. God is good. Ladies Be safe.
I do housecleaning on my own and 1000 compliments on the condition of the toilet on this video! It’s so nice to watch and easy way to adjust water level which I am goin to do today- summer is coming and I love to save some water and pay less on water bill.😎
THE FLOAT ON THE CHAIN ATTACHED TO THE FLAP CAN BE SET TO ALLOW THE TANK TO EMPTY COMPLETELY BEFORE THE FLAP CLOSES SO YOU DO NOT HAVE HOLD THE HANDLE DOWN TO EMPTY THE TANK. YOU DID NOT ADDRESS THE CURE FOR THE FIRST PROBLEM YOU MENTION BY ADJUSTING THE FLOAT ON THE CHAIN. CHECK IT OUT AND SHOW IN THE FUTURE, IT IS HELPFUL FOR TANK TO COMPLETELY EMPTY.
What causes water to leak into the bowl on a new toilet. I wad told to place food coloring in tank and if color gets in the bowl it means it's leaking water to bowl?
We recently had our master bathroom remodeled. One of the guys that was working in there mentioned something about adjusting the water level on our toilet because he thinks we are wasting water. I took a look and after one flush, I noticed that the water was going all the way up to the top of the tube and just continuing to run for a good 5 or so seconds every flush. Then I noticed the slow trickle of water into the bowl and we would constantly hear the toilet fill kick on for a few seconds and shut off. I had an Idea what to do, but this video helped a ton and made it a 2 minute fix! I also noticed something on ours that was different from your video.. The line that you said sprays into the overflow/fill tube was connected on the opposite side which had the water spraying into the bowl and not the tube. I made that adjustment as well and everything seems much better! Thank you!
Thank God for this video! I thought we had a plumbing issue that was causing low water to be in the bowl. Two simple adjustments found in this video corrected my low bowl water issue! Appreciate you for sharing your knowledge-We just moved in & I thought we were already gonna have to call a plumber…..thank you so much!
My overflow tube was dumping half the water directly into the tank. Once I repositioned it in the center like you said, the water level in the bowl returned to normal. No other adjustments necessary. THANK YOU 👍
Thank you so much for this video. I have been having so many problems with my toilets (2) with the fill apparatus not shutting off and the fill tube to the toilet dripping well after the process is done. Actually, this video was the first time I learned that the little tube filled the toilet itself which was the final piece of the puzzle for me. I now have a fairly complete understanding of the process. The question I have is, how can I adjust or fix the fill valve assembly (?) to make that tube stopping dripping. At night, my place is so quiet I can hear it dripping from the other end of my apartment which drives me batty. Thanks in advance.
I just replaced entire kohler tank parts. The water in toilet is low. I tried to rotate the clockwise per your recommendation. As expected the water almost came to the top in tank, but found that the water level in tank didn’t increase. I will call kohler to check on this as well. Thanks for a great video you produced for public to consume and Learn
Super helpful. Thanks so much. I was so tired of low water level problem. My house owner and my husband used their minds to fix something and created a new problem of low water level. Finally I could fix it myself
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My landlords just installed a dual water saver toilet in my place. I’m furious. I’m only home early morning and nights. Is there any possible way to raise water level in the dang tank???❤
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Thirty nine dang years old and I'm only now learning how a toilet works, thank you. Great video, excellent explanation and execution. Clear, concise, and easy to understand.
Always learning. I’m 67.
Always learning. Keep an open mind. I’m 67. Always something to learn that you never learned
42 and I'm having the same issue of low water level in the toilet. I thought my building landlord was trying to cut down on water hill by reducing the water int be toilet to 1 small cup of water.
Lol, no worries, I'm 61!
I'm 77 and just learning too!
Amazing. I have been living with this annoying problem for a year and you solved it in minutes with the most clear and understandable video. Proves that an 80 year old guy can become a novice plumber with the right instructor....lol. Thanks so much. I have subscribed.
Thank you for posting such a helpful video! I'm a 66-year woman who was able to fix her own toilet without calling a plumber!
Thanks SO much!
Here to help 🙌
Excellent video--so clear and concise that even this 73-yr-old grandma could follow. I'd been annoyed by the low water level in my toilet ever since the toilet was installed over a year ago, and I finally thought I'd look for a TH-cam video and see if I could fix it myself. Lo and behold, I did 2 simple things you suggested (clipped the little tube so it would pour into the vertical overflow tube instead of the tank, and turned the screw clockwise with a screwdriver), and the problem is solved! Thank you very much! You are a very good teacher!
This helped bring more water into the bowl, but the level in the bowl stays low.
THANK YOU!! So clear and simple a 60 yr old woman with no plumbing knowledge fixed her toilets that even a plumber didn't figure out!!!
...This guy is good because he explains things well. More praise: What's great is that he does not have super loud; incoherent music playing in the background. His helpful videos do not disappoint.
I did it!!! What a fantastic day for my toilet, first it gets a makeover to remove all its rust stains and now it FINALLY fills to a normal level! Incredible tutorial - turns out my little water pipe was pouring water into the main tank insteD of the overflow valve. Amazing explanation!
Thanks so much for this video! I fixed the water level in my toliet bowl that was low because the fill tube popped out of the thing that was holding it in place to the overflow tube. Thanks so much again!
I live in an apartment and couldn’t figure out why I had so little water in my bowl. Made it so hard to clean! Opened the tank and saw the tube wasn’t even placed in the right area! Thanks for your help. You learn something new every day
This must be an apartment thing… same issue, solved!
Same exact issue in my apartment!
Fixed a ton of different toilet styles over the years but can’t tweak this one…. The flapper mechanism (the whole thing comes up above where the overflow hose goes) drops down immediately when I release the handle so those two tweaks don’t help.
You all just take hectic poos!
@@Slaphappy-_-hey I have a good diet ! That’s why
This is a quality simple to understand video. I shared it with my five children because it is mind numbing how many people have no idea how to troubleshoot a toilet like this.
Nice, thanks for the support 👍
Clear and concise demonstration. You have made this operation much clearer to me, a home owner and a DIY. Thanks
After watching like top 10 videos in youtube search, this is the only guy that clearly demonstrates, even explains the technology
A BAD FLUSH 😧😧
Sir, You have done a Professionalized, Precise, and a Clear & Concise job this installation. You have made the task clearer than the instructions included with the unit to me. Thanx. Howard
Some are better than others at reading those brochures. I personally like seeing it. Much easier than trying to comprehend text. Nice job.
just amazed at how clean these tanks are on these diy videos; thanks for the info
Your advice worked! I bought a flapper, tank kit and was about to install when your video popped up and I decided to watch! Thank God I did! Prior the tank was empty leaving 1/3 water remaining. You saved me time & peace of mind!
One thing I didn't hear you mention is that there is a max amount of water that can be put into the bowl based on the design of the pedestal. That max water line in the bowl is determined by the "trap" that is built into every toilet pedestal. You can find out what this max water line is by taking a pitcher of water and slowly pouring water into the bowl, at some point you will hear water starting to flow into the trap and down your into your sewer line. once you reach that point, the water height in the bowl will remain any higher then that point. So you can pour pitcher after pitcher or water into the bowl, but the water line will never stay any higher than that point. Some bowls will hold more water than others, again based on the design of the toilet itself. I wanted to make this clear because no matter how much you adjust you can't make the water in the bowl any higher than that max point determined by the trap.
Interesting, we don't have the fill tube here in the UK, the pan trap ensures there's always water left in the pan.
As a certified master toilet mechanic, [plumber], I endorse this comment.
You are right I purchase a new toilet early this year. I notice how low the water level was in the toilet bowl. Call glacier told them what was going on and was explained that the way. They are designed to conserve water now.
Its called the trap weir
True,higher than trap weir is just a waste of water.
It worked by turning left. Thanks!
Thank you for your detailed instructions to fix a low tank bowl. God Bless you James
My tank will not fill unless I push down on the screw. Once it starts, it fills correctly. What should I do to get this corrected? Thanks for ur help!
*Subscribed in the first two minutes before video even completed.*
*You are way too easy and light on the ears. Thanks!*
Great video- thank you. I had replaced both the fill and the flush valve but was getting a running toilet. It was because I had the small tube way down in the fill tube without the clip. You explained that at the 4-minute mark and confirmed what my issue was!!!
Thank you so much for this video. Could not figure out why the tank was full of water and the bowl was so low. Turned out the hose to fill was disconnected never would have learned about that had I not seen your video. I attached the hose and the bowl filled right up. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. God bless
You are quite brave to take on this topic with so many tank configurations out there and I'm just talking about in the USA. Nice job for a lot of the new toilets. Let's see some ball floats, rods, and things that break when you just look at them.
Made in China!
Thank you! The “normal operation” section of this video fixed my problem, the tube was pouring into the tank instead of the bowl
Excellent tutorial. It was clear and concise and the second option you suggested is what I needed! Thank you so much!!
Thanks! You solved my problem!
Thanks so much for the support 🙌
Best video of the half-dozen I watched about fixing the low level in the bowl. An annoying problem that I've put off for too long, now fixed. Thanks! Subscribed :)
I don’t usually like videos for home repairs. So when I did a search for the problem I was having with my toilet bowl I was ready to cancel it until I saw it was one of your videos. As usual, I was very quickly able to see that I have not set up the flow tube properly when I repaired the toilet last. the problem I’m having is gone. Best videos ever!
The small hose going into the overflow is called a hush tube, which most people don't know. Also when you replace the fill valve the correct height of the valve should be at least one inch above the overflow valve by code, yes that is in the code book. I've been a plumber for 50 years and stll doing it. You did a good job explaining the workings of the commode....
You genius, you saint. Bless you dude, may the best things in life happen to you. I didn't realize that the water in the tank was distributed differently than the water in the bowl. I replaced the arm, the flap, adjusted the tank itself. We have some real hard water here. In reality, I just pulled the tube off and cleaned it with some CLR. It now works like a machine. Thank you man, you are a legend.
Very good video! I only knew about the rough adjustment. I didn't even know that there was a fine one. Thank you for the explanation. Camera angles, shot distance, and video quality was perfect! Thanks!
Great explanation and with a visual example too! Even a professional plumber can't explain this more clearly than you have. Peace
Good video. Idea for a follow up would be 2 stage flush mechanisms, where if you just use the handle normally it flushes enough for liquid waste, but if you hold the handle down longer it does a full flush for solid waste.
@@daviddou1408 I'm talking about the ones that still use the standard handle and do the same thing, but are depending on how long you hold down the handle.
@@cakekomo That looks to be like the one in the vid. Ours has a min and max flush - depending on how long the handle remains held. You can get a flush anywhere between min & max.
@@cakekomo These sometimes have a buoyant float on the flapper chain that holds the flapper open until the water level drops to a certain point, even if you let go of the handle.
How do I adjust and/or modify to get a full flush every time, without having to hold the handle down? I'm not concerned with saving water, I just want a full tank flush without having to stand there holding the handle.
@@HalbertS-wt5hr If yours has a float on the flapper, and it isn't staying open long enough to clear the bowl, then it could be that the flapper/float has lost some buoyancy or something. You should probably try replacing it with a new one that is the correct part for your toilet model. Quite frankly, I hate these float type setups. They tend to be super finicky, and really only work with the exact right part, whereas most other toilets you can buy one of the universal adjustable ones and find the correct setting with a couple of test flushes.
@@tscook10 I don't think that's the problem. The float is part of the chain. The float keeps tension on the lower portion of the chain and holds the flapper open for flushing until the water level in the tank drops to a certain point (like 1/3 down), then the float releases tension and the flapper closes.
Was this water saving feature required by federal regulation?
Maybe if I can move the float lower down on the chain it will give a longer, higher gallonage flush, but I have my doubts as to if it's adjustable.
Thank you, I worked for a plumbing shop for 12 years, never understood haw that worked till I saw your video, did my own and everything is working correctly now.
Thank you for this informative video. Since our last correspondence I have been able to access the main stack in my home inside the walls, and have been using that as a way to relieve myself while I wait for support. However it appears that sewer gases are exiting the pipe which makes me think there is a block in the vent somewhere. How would you fix this issue, if you were stuck inside a wall and didn't have access to normal tools? Thanks, Gary
You would remedy that (sewer gas) by closing off what ever opening you made (or found) in your main wall stack that you are relieving yourself into so that the sewer gas cannot escape there but will rise to the top of the stack above the roof line and disperse to the atmosphere as all other stacks do.
Most recently, contractor had replaced entire toilet, but he did not know how to adjust water lever in the toilet bowel. This is an excellent video you have made. It is very cleaner explanation you have made it. Thank you very much.
Good explanation.
Its amazing the difference toilets around the world. In Australia our cisterns are dual flush so they are a bit different to the one in this video and the water level in the bowl is low - i imagine this is a water conservation measure as we have droughts and toilets in some country areas are filled from rain water tanks and you don't want to waste any.
There's the 'back to front' ones in Germany and the 'hole in the floor' Asian type.
Of course in the UK we just have the bog standard type.
We have dual flush systems in the US as well with selectable options for flushing determined by what type of waste is being expelled. One reason that they are not as popular in the US is that it takes responsible people who will use them as designed because they are easily plugged by vandals simply by selecting the lower water consumption flush option which is not sufficient to expel solid waste. Vacuum assisted toilets are also an option but once again, it requires responsible users and the maintenence can be difficult and expensive to maintain and if a system is installed, it is diffiucult to revert back to a conventional system.
Most modern toiles use 1.6 gallons of water; older ones use 3.0 gallons; they actually save water as the newer type needs to be flushed several times! If my memory is correct that environmentally efficient toiled was designed by one of the Rockefellers nieces!
@@bobboscarato1313 Modern toilets work just fine. The reputation for "not" working came about when the reduced water consumption requirement was first initiated. Many manufacturers had not engineered new designs and had only changed the fill valves with a lower overflow that prevented more than 1.6 gallons from accumulating in the tank. Since the bowls had been designed to use 3 gallons, they failed to perform properly. The law that made the 1.6 gal flush a requirement went into effect 28 years ago on 01 JAn, 1994. Manufacturers haqve had plenty of time since then to redesign toilets to work efficenty and effectively. Residential toilets typically come in 3 styles, round bowl. elongated bowl and "special needs" (also called handicap). In most (but not all) cases, the design of the weir is slightly different on each style. The "round" bowl is most likely to have a reduced radius for the weir, making blockages more likely to occur than on the other two. The "elongated" bowl, is likely to have an increased radius and the "Special needs" toilet, which is an elongated bowl with an increased seat height, having the most generous radius for the weir andf is least likely to experience a blockage. Additionally "cheap" toilets are likely to have poor casting for the ceramic and imperfections in the glazing which can cause friction asnd reduce the flow of solids, resulting in blockages.
I apologize for the length but I wanted to share all of the information in a single comment.
Chears!
I'm happy with my old toiled with 3 gallon reservoir! One flush does it! No baloney.
This is the best explanation so far of how things work in the toilet tank and bowl that I have seen on TH-cam. I have a tank that is filling way too high and now I know how to fix it. Thank you for this information. Just subscribed.
Great how to/general info. I think the one thing I'd contend in this video is that the tank should drain fully. Many newer toilets (like the 1.28gpf units) should only drop the water level by a few inches before the flapper closes. My rule of thumb is that the flapper should close as early as possible while still achieving the full bowl emptying. But the flapper doesn't need to be open until that point, and definitely shouldn't be open after that point. Also, yes the bowl should fill back to the trap level. I wish more fill valves were adjustable for the amount of bypass flow to the bowl
Get a British toilet installed.
They may be designed that way, but in my experience, they don't work that way. I've had to flush most newer toilets 5 times and more, and it seems like only a cup of water goes into the bowl, which just fluffs up the toilet paper, and I have to wait an eternity between flushes.
@@bigred9428 I hold the handle down until the bowl is cleared, and that's only needed when flushing solids, otherwise a quick, normal push on the handle works just fine.
You are using your own opinion to make an assumption to modify a system that has been engineered to work in a specific way. Most toilets function by using a syphon affect and modifying the amount of water that is introduced into the bowl when flushed will negatively affect that function and result in issues. The stoppers are designed to close when the water is at certain level and the added weight of the water that is applied to the stopper from the water that fills above it adds to it ability to seal. Very often service calls for issues regarding toilets not flushing correctly result in finding that they have been modified at some point and are not set to manufacturers recommendations.
@@vanhattfield8292 I agree with you that toilets should be set up as they were engineered to work. I was specifically pointing out that in the video, he implies that the tank should drain fully, and that is not how newer toilets are typically engineered to work.
The rule of thumb describes what correct flushing typically looks like, and is useful when you have no idea what components are in your toilet, whether they are correct or not, and want a sanity check on whether it's operating as it should.
Great video, very clean, simple and easy to follow. Made me feel better about myself, I live in an old house that’s always having plumbing issues. Today, I didn’t have to call one. Thank you!!!
Great video, solved my low water in the bowl situation, learned something new today, thanks!
After watching 10, or more, videos on how to correct a slow-filling tank, I found your video. I know you weren't instructing on my problem; but your video title had to do with the water level in the toilet bowl, which I've been curious about --how/from where does it fill? Thank you so much for explaining that. On every other video they would point to and name the overflow thing-a-ma-jig. Thanks so much.
Now I have to go to your channel and see what you have on replacing those awful plastic nuts and bolts, that hold the toilet seat, with metal nuts and bolts.
Thanks again!
The point is well made that giving the tank more time to fill, will in turn, increase the amount of water directed to the bowl. This is only true to a point. Ultimately, the max level of water in the bowl at the end of the flush is based on the elevation of the weir which is a function of how it is cast/molded. If the bowl is already at its maximum water level, adjusting the float will not increase the water level in the bowl, despite giving it more time to fill. As he states though, it will increase the volume of flush water.
Good point and thanks for the help 👍
Good point. If your flush volume is correct and your bowl hits that max fill level early in the refill cycle, you can look for a way to reduce the amount of flow going to the bowl, since that's just water being sent directly down the drain. I see this sometimes in toilets with really high water pressure.
Hi i no that can't fix it how can I called you
Pp
The bowl level is also a weather barometer. In high pressure the water level is lower in low pressure higher to the level of the trap
Had two toilets installed and noticed water level was low in bowl. Watched your video and halfway through paused and looked inside tank. Both hoses were outside of the tube. Inserted them and bowl filled up perfectly. Thanks for the video.
Another reason to use the hose clip; is just in case the fill hose pops out of the tube when filling, blasting water up and around the inside of the tank, resulting in leakage down the outside of the tank. It' somewhat rare, but I've had to respond to leaks of this type many times over the years, with the homeowner not even looking in the tank to see whats up. Anyway, good video.
Yes, leakage outside the tank
Thank you so much for this…my husband was about to buy a new toilet. Even though this is a new toilet (only a few months old). I saw your video and 😊wala now it’s fixed. Thank you so much for for making videos like this.
SOMEBODY ON ONE OF THESE CHANNELS NEEDS TO SHOW AEASY ,CLEVER WAY TO CLIP THE HOSE ON THE TUBE SO IT DONT KEEP JUMPING OFF THE DAMN THING...THE CHEAP SHIT THOSE SLANT I'S PUT IN THE KITS REMIND ME OF SOMETHING THE BIDEN ADMIN WOULD COME UP WITH...!!!...
Great and very professional information. I appreciate the clear and simple lesson.
I would add that when you mess with ("change") the water level, you are also changing the flush performance. Too little water results in an incomplete flush. You pointed out the factory setting. DIYers should go by the factory mark on the tank itself. You made a real decent video here.
Nice tutorial, additional info.. be sure not to coarse adjust the valve tube higher than the tank so the lid can't hit it.
The water in my bowl was low. I had put the hose so it filled the tank instead of the overflow into the bowl. A 30 second fix. Thanks a bunch! 👍
Great demonstration but something thing I would add to the tutorial is that the maximum water level for the bowl is determined by the weir that is disigned into the model that you have. The weir is a "trap" and can be seen by looking at the back of the bowl from the side. If your water level in your tank is set too high, or the gasket leaks, additional water will run into the bowl, but it will flow down the drain once it exceeds that maximum depth. An additional issue I have seen, especially on early models of reduced water flush systems, is that homeowners would increase the height of the water in the tank above the recommended level with the thought that increased water meant an increase in the effectiveness of a flush, but this is not norrmally true. The toilets are designed to creat a syphon effect to remove the waste and to self clean the bowl with the "swirl" that is created. Adding additional water above what the design calls for can reduce the syphon effect and cause issues with flushing efficiency. Using the manufactors instructions when setting the water height in the tank is always recommended.
Excellent points. For some reason people without any training in engineering, and some plumbers for that matter, always think that more water=better when it comes to any appliance that uses water. How hard is it to just follow the instructions.
You are telling stupid things. There is no siphon effect in this toilet. A toilet with a siphon effect is first filled with water and then the water is drawn in. This is a normal gravity toilet. If you would like to see a toilet with a siphon effect, it is on every ship.
@@schabowyBar You might want to research what a siphon is. The "swirl" you see the water make as it decreases in size and exits through to hole at the base of the toilet is a siphon. It creates suction which pulls the water and solids out of the bowl as it discharges. The water from the tank is released at angles through separate holes under the rim of the bowl, called "siphon jets", specifically to create the whirlpool action which creates the siphon. That is who water is not discharged from the tank to the bowl in one big release. The water is released and gains momentum through gravity, but how that water is discharged creates a siphoning effect. Siphon toilets may very well be on ships, I haven't spent time on one so cant say, but without a doubt, your toilet at home uses a siphon effect to work properly.
@@vanhattfield8292 the holes in the rim of the toilet are not angled, the swirl occurs without assistance. Also, those are not siphon jets. A siphon jet toilet has an additional outlet hole at he bottom of the bowl that directs a jet of water directly through the trap. Not all toilets have them, those are called washout toilet. Also, a weir isn't a trap, but a specific part of a trap.
@@schabowyBar Or Airplane
Most clearly presented explanation of toilets I've ever seen. Thanks!
I live in Western Australia and the water level shown is about normal here! We were very water conscious about water conservation and toilet flushing is a major use of water, we even have duel flush buttons so as to minimum flushing fore either solid or liquid waste. Our state water authority publish information about this and other water conservation methods and many places use recycled sewage water to water public parks etc. These would be applicable to the USA South West which is in drought. This country have a very dry climate compared to most countries so people are generally very water wise!
Thanks for this. I was not aware of the additional level adjustment at the bottom of the fill valve. Comes in handy specially when replacing with a newer fill valve in an older toilet.
Very nice, thank you. I have to do this to raise the water level. Glad you took the time and explain how easy it is.
Thanks for the information. I had low water in the bowl. After reviewing your video and then checking my tank I saw where the fill tuber hose was completely out of the overflow tube. I stuck the fill tuber hose back inside the overflow tube and the bowl filled to the proper level....Easy Peasy...thank you
Appreciate the clear explanation! Also, do you have videos of older models? And, what’s your take on those foaming tablets sold online that claim cleaning the bowl instantly? I have an old Khole toilet that is leaking the valve inside the tank but not sure I’ll get the parts for it nor a whole valve. Whoever lived here before, let a thick crust form in the bowl that is dark and nasty, hence the question about cleaning it. If you have any solutions or suggestions, very appreciated.
Thank you!
If you meant to say "Kohler" then it can be easily and inexpensively fixed if you are mechanically inclined. A new Fluidmaster flush valve as shown in the video can be purchased for about $20 and the tank to bowl gasket can range from $3 - $10 and there is a difference. If you decide to fix it, use quality gaskets so you dont find yourself doing it again in the near future. An additional tip is that when reattaching the tank to the bowl. use EXTREME caution when tightening the bolts. Less is more, if you find that additional tightening is required, do it slowly and in increments. Overtightening will break the tank very, very easily. Do not tighten one side completely then move to the next, tighten one a little, then the others (depending on if 2 or 3). when the tank no longer moves serparately from the bowl, it is a good place to stop. To keep your gaskets from breaking down and distorting, which allows water to flow through, avoid usiong chlorine based tablets in the tank. The ones that attach under the rim of the bowl are fine. Hopefully this helps out. Cheers!
@@vanhattfield8292 EDIT. "......when the tank no longer moves 'serparately' from the 'tank'..." separately BOWL
was just wanting to point out the tank/bowl error
but spell check pointed out the extra "r" in separately 😁
Excellent advice!
It has always puzzled me as to why the tanks are so fragile at that point, an extra half inch of thickness in the bottom, or maybe ribs to strengthen it, heck even just a a thicker ring to enclose the area around the opening and the bolt holes...
oh well, just me tilting at windmills
@@a..d5518 I fixed the tank issue, but left the "r" to prove I am still human, lol. Cheers!
Thank you so much!! I fixed my toilet with your help and now I have a much better understanding of how it all works. You rock!👊🏼💥
Lots of useful information there. I learned in hard water situations, that the fill valve seal is a much cheaper solution to replacing the entire valve. I have a toilet that, I’ve tried all the steps mentioned, but the bowl STILL has a low water threshold. I even blocked the tank from stopping the flow of water till the bowl was at a normal level, only to watch the water level drop back down. Even reseated the toilet in hopes that I had an air leak that allowed more water to drain through the trap way than normal. No luck. Replaced the seals between the tank and bowl as well, no luck. I am out of ideas.
Here in the UK its not even expensive to gut and replace the internals of a toilet at least I don't think it is since in my house we gutted and replaced the whole internals for like £30 (including a pipe that connects the bowl to the cistern and a huge o ring for it which is like 5-6 inches wide and the o ring was like 1cm thick and wide also it was hard to get a replacement because this is part of the flush valve system (and they came together) and this pipe for the toilet is hidden by the design of the toilet where the cistern looks like it is totally attached to the bowl from a distance and it requires a certain size of pipe because of the porcelain hole size inside this joint) we did this for 2 reasons as firstly we had a leaking cistern which would feed water in to the bowl which was hard to tell because a few drops going in is not easy to see especially when the water trickles down the sides of the bowl but I noticed this because I peed in the toilet before having a shower once and I forgot to flush it till after my shower and noticed the colour of the water had mostly cleared up (this was harder to notice especially due to the fact since hardly any water leaks the toilet is filling up fast enough to not make a difference in noticeable water pressure when flushing and looking at the fill level inside the cistern but with the ball valve connected to the toilet you could turn off the water supply and it would be empty within less than an hour) and when shining a light up to it you notice that it looks a little different where the water is flowing it would also look less shiny and look more dry when the ball valve was off and the cistern was empty. We replaced the fill valve with a new one also since the old one would occasionally jam and not refill the toilet since in the UK most of the water fill valves I have seen are different to that one you showed and when the tank is empty there is plastic thing surrounding the fill valve or a large button inside which drops down when the water level is lower and raises as it fills up (dont know the proper technical name) and would sometimes get stuck and/or just not go down at all when flushing and even when manually pushing it by hand to force it down sometimes it would spring back up. We got a new fill valve for like £10 and a flush valve for a similar price and got some other small parts and accessories for around £10 too the new system totally trumps the old one as you dont have to yank on a lever that will potentially get loose and damaged over time by yanking the handle like our old one did and the new system uses a button to flush the toilet that sits in the same hole as the flush handle
That must be a low siphon level on the upsidedown U pipe, you're stuck with the low water level unless you can get a different toilet with a higher U
@@supermills03
I felt like it was the commode itself too. Thats what I told myself when I finally threw in the towel.
I had a similar problem but when I replaced the fill valve it was all good.
Wow, great video , explained everything I wanted to know about water level. I just installed a new American Standard toilet, and I guess from the factory they just install the components without having them set up for the customer. Using the American standard instructions seemed to be lacking. After watching your video, 3 minutes later the toilet has the correct water level, and is flushing awesome! Thank you 👍🏻🙏🏻
I installed an American Standard years back but the fill valve went bad this week. Opened the lid and all of a sudden realized it had instructions inside the lid to partially disassemble the fill valve and clean it if it had problems but mine was to far gone.
Take care when deciding to reduce the amount of water per flush; that is lowering the water level in the tank. The toilet is designed to clear the bowl with a certain amount of water per flush, especially the solids. Getting the solids out of the bowl and well along the pipes under your floor takes a certain a amount of water. It is possible, to clear the bowl, but not move all solids far enough down the pipes. That’s the beginning of a backup. Note that the video recommended holding the flush handle down for a second or two to ensure all of the water is emptied from the tank. Reminding users of proper flushing can be helpful, especially children.
My mantra has alway been..... If ya gotta crap, hold the flap (open longer)
I have noticed cutting down the amount of water and using a heavier toilet paper tends to clog a lot easier! I always use scotch, real thin paper, when using the heavier paper definitely have to hold the handle down for a few seconds longerTo get that full flush otherwise it always jams up plungers always next to the toilet!!
Thanks for the help! The clip had fallen off of the overflow tube so the water was just pouring back into the tank.
Your videos are soooo easy to understand. Thank you, Sensei.
Best video I have seen on this topic since it first explains mechanisms. Other videos did not properly explain overflow valve and why fill tube was emptying into overflow value. Well done!
One improvement - can you explain how to do rough adjustment without disassembling the fill valve?
Another subtle cause is a weak siphon jet, usually from Ca++ salt deposits. The water jet is needed to initiate the siphon that then sucks the water and waste out of the bowl. You know this is the problem when the bowl fills abnormally high before it empties (hopefully without flooding).
Nice point there! I have extreme hard water & no extra $$ to add a soft water system, I'd assume this will ruin moving parts much quicker. What happens if the overflow or bowl tube water level is right up to the very top, can that cause the bowl to overflow or does it just go down the drain? I've actually already witnessed the water level get high then, go down all on it's own in the toilet bowl before by draining on it's own. Also, because of the hard water, next, I think I'll most definitely need to flush my water heater tank of debris. Do you have any astute knowledge regarding water heaters as well??
@@jhenry0688 That is likely to be your problem. I think the best approach is at least an over-night soaking in strong acid like sulfuric. Works well to remove the scale but is VERY dangerous. Face/eye. body protection are needed. Baking soda a water to neutralize it if it gets anywhere it shouldn't, etc. LEARN how to use it first. Plan carefully. NEVER add water to acid, ONLY acid to water!!!!!
If you don't know what you're doing, DON'T do it.
Water heaters are usually very reliable.
@@wholeNwon I use either white vinegar or a much better/stronger option is apple cider vinegar to soak parts, brush & remove deposits. It's a ton better for my health house & septic, besides that, it's green/organic & doesn't pollute the environment & not dangerous! I just had to do a water heater repair a month ago & it's only 5 years old. I'm going to flush the tank out this week.
@@jhenry0688 You should look at the rim jets getting clogged by the deposits. A first solution is to pour some basic 5% vinegar down the overflow and let it sit. You can cut off the water and flush to avoid the toilet flushing if you crest the s-trap. That's relatively benign. Just put nothing down the overflow that may gum up or accumulate. There also the tedious job of poking a wire through each hole around the rim. And for completely blocked rim jets, I saw a video years ago of a guy using muriatic acid, but that requires sealing off the bowl and overflow to avoid the off-gases. But something like that you have to be careful to use a funnel and not get it on metal parts as it will corrode them. I used some 30% vinegar once and even that put off a strong vinegar smell.
I'd use the 5% vinegar several times to see if it could descale before I moved to the stronger stuff.
Upside of the 5% vinegar is it left the commode seemingly cleaner. I assume because it dealt with any growth up in the rim area
@@jhenry0688 Good that it works for you. I do use citric acid for some things but it wouldn't begin to touch some of the deposits I've dealt with.
My water heater is over 30 now and only one 5' repair...thermocouple.
Was able to find my solution in the first few minutes thanks to the great demonstration of the normal operation. Thank you!
Nice to hear how patient you are AND you spoke slow enough for us girls who have to repair ourselves 🙏
Thank you so much for this video it was very helpful. I recently had someone work on my toilet this week and ever since then the water is low in the water bowl so I was wondering what happened so I went and typed in what I needed your video came up and I listened to what you said. What was happening was I was not holding the handle down long enough to let it completely empty so that it could completely fill up again once I did that easy as pie the water level in the toilet bowl is at the right level. 😊
Easy to install, th-cam.com/users/postUgkxjA-hDN2m8_mi0Dg0JD8U6QiArozIAc4I and comfortable. No idea what other people were talking about when they said it was difficult to install or uncomfortable.
Great overview, thanks.
Our problem with our toilet (it's a higher height one at 19" due to my disability) is the bowl fills up nicely. but after a while, the level in the bowl has gone down markedly. Not sure where to start on this one.
I didn't know you could adjust that so easily. But a problem I've run into many times is that you need to hold down the handle the whole time to make the toilet flush all the way. Maybe you could do a video on that?
(I've fixed it in the the past, but probably not the correct way...)
Good idea, thanks for the feedback 👍
Most of the time this can be fixed by adjusting the chain length between the handle rod and the flapper. It usually takes several tries to get this right. Make sure you leave a little bit of slack in it otherwise the slightest bit of tension can prevent the flapper from completely sealing and allow water to slowly bleed through and the tank will need to occasionally refill as the water level drops. If you notice in this video the chain has a small float attached to it. On some models this is designed to help keep the flapper raised to allow the float to stay open longer and provide more water to enter the bowl. Ultimately you want the flapper to raise and go almost vertical (90 degrees) and then it will fall back down with gravity as the water level decreases.
I believe that is a "feature" of lower flow toilets. The idea is to use less water per flush. That said, as you could see in this video, if the water level is too low in the tank, it compounds the problem, because not only is there less water in the tank for a flush, but the flapper closes too quickly because it doesn't stay open until the tank empties, only until it's at a certain low level. Starting with too low a level in the tank in the first place makes it close much sooner, maybe immediately.
@@kenmore01 they're not supposed to do that, typically. The newer low flow toilets have carefully timed float valves. If they're slamming shut immediately, even when they're fully opened, then they're probably set up incorrectly.
@@tscook10 Every Kohler toilet is like that now and it's by design.
Fantastic information. I wish you were on TH-cam 10 years ago. I had to learn the hard way. Thank you for sharing
😂 you and me both.
Excellent instructions and easy to understand! This video is I exactly what I needed. Thanks for sharing your information with us all ❣
You bet, happy to help 👍
Thanks for the video. What fixed it for me was the overflow hose was just laying in my tank instead of inside the flush tower. I didn't have a clip like you did, but I made it work and I now have more water in my bowl. Thank you!
Very well explained. Easy to understand. 👍
Love the introduction to the parts. So many "instructional" vidz leave that out, presuming that the viewer knows what's what! Good job! :)
3:30 in the morning and the bowl had very little water in it. i thought i was going to have to pay a plumber a ton of money to come and fix it. found and watched your video and fixed it in exactly 1 second. the little hose had fallen out and i stuck it back in. great video! thanks so much!!!
What if everything flushes correctly and fills the bowl but then the bowl water starts slowly draining? I have no water in the floor or pouring out onto the ground, I had a $175.00 rotor job done no clogs! Bowl just slowly looses the water…..
I have the same issue rn. On YT looking for a solve. Lmk if you find one!
Will do
I had that problem in my apartment about a year and a half ago. The control valve needed to be replaced
Check to make sure wax gasket isn't leaking, such as letting the water seep thru the flooring layers...(carpet padding, underlayment, etc...
@@patrickstockton2091how do you check that without taking the whole toilet out? Is there a method of checking for a layperson?
Helpful. This helped me. I have never worked on any toilets in my life until today. Thanks!
Another great tip! Nicely explained.
Thanks Rick 👍
How do you get a fuller flush, how do you make the flap stay open longer?? Put a bigger life vest above the flapper? IDK, Thank you for your video, I appreciate it.
To get a fuller flush...you can do one of two things. Simply hold the handle down for a few seconds...that will empty the entire tank.
You can also lower the float until it is close to the flapper. That will hold the flapper open for longer.
However, doing that will defeat the purpose of this ingenious design. It allows you to turn your 1 volume flush toilet into a 2 volume flush toilet.
Good tips, thanks very much!👍👍
Thanks!
As someone who just painted two bathrooms recently, whatever colour is behind that toilet will stay that way!
Until the toilet is replaced...LOL
... You can take the tank off the wall without having to reset the toilet on a wax ring. But yeah so many toilet replacements and they had to paint after that to.
Surprise job
@@penelopelgoss2520 By then you won't find the paint! lol
I spent a Lotta time painting behind the toilet... an incredible intimate process 😑😅
Thank you do much! I was so afraid I had a serious plumbing problem and I have no money to hire plumbers. The fill tube had simply come loose.
Thank you so much, this tutorial literally helped so much. My toilet's water level was low and it wasn't flushing properly at all, this fixed it super quick.
Simple and easy to understand. Gonna try this out, thanks!
Thanks for all your videos! Also the toilet has to be the most underrated invention of all time such an amazing mechanic and practicality
You failed to mention that most flappers may have various methods of making adjustments to them. Adjusting the flapper causes the flapper to stay up and float for a longer or shorter period of time as the water evacuates from the tank to the bowl.
When properly adjusted, there should be no need to hold the flush handle for a longer period of time for the tank to evacuate.
An improperly adjusted flapper will cause it to close and seal the opening to the bowl before the tank has fully emptied and result in a less forceful flush and failing to disperse the bowl contents to the drain.
Just yesterday I noticed the water level was about 1/4 inch too high -- not a lot, but I did notice and wondered if I should bother re-doing the level on the fill valve by removing it and turning it. I had forgotten that the instructions mentioned using a screwdriver to fine-tune the level. Thanks, now it's in my brain for good. (I decided, though, until I hear the water running down the overflow, I'm leaving well enough alone)
Set the tank level as high as possible and add an extra float because they make the flap close early to reduce water amount used in each flush.
The older pre-1985 toilets used 2 1/2 to 4 gallons per flush
The old tanks usually will fit the new toilets, so if you see an old toilet on the curb, take the 2 screws out the tank and take the tank.
Get new gaskets, and a new fill valve, and arm and flapper, and change out the guts and put it on your new low flow toilets and you will have a real high flow toilet that only ever needs a single flush
I'd marry an old toilet if I could, but I'm already promised to old tv.
I wish I could find a few older toilets, I'd grab them. They're so hard to find. Not all old tanks fit newer toilets.
That is so wrong. Toilets are designed to create a syphon effect when the water is released from the tank to the bowl. Adding more water than the fixture is designed for reduces the syphon effect and reduces the efficiency and performance. You are not "fixing" a problem, you are creating one. The tank/bowl combination is engineered to use a specific amount of water and any variations reduces its effectiveness.
@@penelopelgoss2520 Marry the TV and date the toilet on the side. The TV to love and hold dear and the toilet to use when you get that nasty feel. 😂
Thank you for patiently and slowly explaining how it works. It's very helpful.
I don’t see a wedding band. I can only hope.
Stay off he’s mine!
Well, I would like to raise my hand to this gentleman too. Lol, 😊
He is very gentle, knowledgeable and handsome while educating his viewers in his teachings. Some of this, I taught myself.
But Sir, thanks much.
God is good. Ladies Be safe.
😂
I do housecleaning on my own and 1000 compliments on the condition of the toilet on this video!
It’s so nice to watch and easy way to adjust water level which I am goin to do today- summer is coming and I love to save some water and pay less on water bill.😎
THE FLOAT ON THE CHAIN ATTACHED TO THE FLAP CAN BE SET TO ALLOW THE TANK TO EMPTY COMPLETELY BEFORE THE FLAP CLOSES SO YOU DO NOT HAVE HOLD THE HANDLE DOWN TO EMPTY THE TANK. YOU DID NOT ADDRESS THE CURE FOR THE FIRST PROBLEM YOU MENTION BY ADJUSTING THE FLOAT ON THE CHAIN. CHECK IT OUT AND SHOW IN THE FUTURE, IT IS HELPFUL FOR TANK TO COMPLETELY EMPTY.
What causes water to leak into the bowl on a new toilet. I wad told to place food coloring in tank and if color gets in the bowl it means it's leaking water to bowl?
this is what my toilet is doing ..holding handle down ...what the float on the chain?
We recently had our master bathroom remodeled. One of the guys that was working in there mentioned something about adjusting the water level on our toilet because he thinks we are wasting water. I took a look and after one flush, I noticed that the water was going all the way up to the top of the tube and just continuing to run for a good 5 or so seconds every flush. Then I noticed the slow trickle of water into the bowl and we would constantly hear the toilet fill kick on for a few seconds and shut off. I had an Idea what to do, but this video helped a ton and made it a 2 minute fix!
I also noticed something on ours that was different from your video.. The line that you said sprays into the overflow/fill tube was connected on the opposite side which had the water spraying into the bowl and not the tube. I made that adjustment as well and everything seems much better!
Thank you!
Thank God for this video!
I thought we had a plumbing issue that was causing low water to be in the bowl. Two simple adjustments found in this video corrected my low bowl water issue!
Appreciate you for sharing your knowledge-We just moved in & I thought we were already gonna have to call a plumber…..thank you so much!
My overflow tube was dumping half the water directly into the tank. Once I repositioned it in the center like you said, the water level in the bowl returned to normal. No other adjustments necessary. THANK YOU 👍
Thank you so much for this video. I have been having so many problems with my toilets (2) with the fill apparatus not shutting off and the fill tube to the toilet dripping well after the process is done. Actually, this video was the first time I learned that the little tube filled the toilet itself which was the final piece of the puzzle for me. I now have a fairly complete understanding of the process.
The question I have is, how can I adjust or fix the fill valve assembly (?) to make that tube stopping dripping. At night, my place is so quiet I can hear it dripping from the other end of my apartment which drives me batty. Thanks in advance.
I just replaced entire kohler tank parts. The water in toilet is low. I tried to rotate the clockwise per your recommendation. As expected the water almost came to the top in tank, but found that the water level in tank didn’t increase. I will call kohler to check on this as well. Thanks for a great video you produced for public to consume and Learn
Super helpful. Thanks so much. I was so tired of low water level problem. My house owner and my husband used their minds to fix something and created a new problem of low water level. Finally I could fix it myself