Plumbing Question

[bcla]

It sounds to me like the mechanism inside the tank is stuck and/or worn out and might need to be replaced. All toilets use some sort of float to control water level (turns water off when water refill has reached the desired level), a water flow valve and the flapper piece that allows water to drain into the toilet bow. If you open the top of the tank, do you see any obvious parts that are broken and/or jammed into each other such that it won't function normally? Years of corrosion can cause valves to get stuck or not allow an adequate flow of water. Sometimes these are fairly flimsy devices, generally made from plastic and they can wear-out over time. Since you mention it does fill but VERY slowly, then clearly the water is on.................the functioning of the mechanism is where I would start. As others have mentioned, it is a fairly basic job most homeowners can do on their own. There are various styles/designs to those mechanisms so taking a picture to your local home improvement store is a good idea. Someone at the store can help you purchase the correct replacement mechanism.

You Tube videos also have a lot of do it yourself examples.

There are some home toilets that don't use flappers, flush balls, or whatever in a gravity feed system. The toilet I have is rated at 1.28 gallons per flush, but the tank is bigger than that. It's the higher column of water that provides higher static pressure and it's designed to only release part of the water in the tank rather than the entire part like with older toilets.

But some have installed residential pressure-assist toilets. I personally wouldn't since I've heard of the pressure tank either leaking or even exploding. I've used a few at businesses and I won't sit on one while it flushes.

 

[_19disnA]

Clearly there are a variety of designs for toilet flush mechanisms, most of the above suggestions relate to the types found in the majority of homes. Part of the reasons for the suggestion to take picture of the device is to insure the store where he goes for replacement parts provides the right items, particularly if from an older home and/or it is of some unusual design.

 

[bcla]

Clearly there are a variety of designs for toilet flush mechanisms, most of the above suggestions relate to the types found in the majority of homes. Part of the reasons for the suggestion to take picture of the device is to insure the store where he goes for replacement parts provides the right items, particularly if from an older home and/or it is of some unusual design.

Older is almost always pretty standard. Worst case was maybe a float ball with arm with a 2 inch flapper. But the float ball was never very good and can easily be replaced with a modern fill valve. The worst thing about it was that the flapper chain position had to be placed where it wouldn't get caught in the float or arm.

 

[ClintN]

I have a weird question.

The toilet in my kids' bathroom stopped refilling immediately when flushed. It takes some time and then you'll hear the water running. This can take up to 3 hours before the water refills the tank.

I know what to do if the water runs repeatedly, but I've never encountered this issue. The water isn't shutoff at the valve. There is no reason that the water shouldn't be flowing back into the tank.

Anyone have advice that I can try before I call a plumber?

The toilet in my kids' bathroom stopped refilling immediately when flushed. It takes some time, and then you'll hear the water running. This can take up to 3 hours before the water refills the tank. My kids always ask me to flush the toilet because they don't want to wait that long. Then I called a plumber to take a look at it. He told me there was likely a problem with the fill valve, and a plumber easily solves it quickly. However, if the blockage is severe, it may require the replacement of the fill valve. In this case, it is best to consult a professional plumber.