Flush valve turning on mysteriously

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lemiwinks

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I was doing some work for my First Aid squad, and ended up replacing the flush valve and the flap. Every night when I leave, the toilet is silent, when i come in the next day, the toilet is filling very slowly/slightly without having been used. I've adjusted the flush valve's screw to change when it should cut off but no setting seems to fix it. The only thing I can think of is there is a leak somewhere but then, why doesn't it happen after adjusting the screw...

American Standard toilet
Cant remember the flush valve kit
 
Check the water pressure. does the slight refill stop after you flush it once.
Open a faucet before you do anything else when you come in, in the morning and see if it stops. Could be the water pressure is rising over night and trying to relieve itself through the ballcock.
The flush valve is the unit that the flapper is attached to and allows water out of tank into bowl when flushed.
The ballcock/fill valve is what lets the water into the tank.
 
Given it a few tries, I've adjusted the incoming pressure to the toilet a few times, no change in my problem. I tried the opening a faucet before flushing, no good.

My understanding is that there must be a leak somewhere, leaking the same rate as the slow refill, otherwise, the water would refill high enough for the float to shut off...

Is there a sewer safe additive I could put in the tank that would illuminate under black light or something, some type of leak detector?
 
Given it a few tries, I've adjusted the incoming pressure to the toilet a few times, no change in my problem. I tried the opening a faucet before flushing, no good.

My understanding is that there must be a leak somewhere, leaking the same rate as the slow refill, otherwise, the water would refill high enough for the float to shut off...

Is there a sewer safe additive I could put in the tank that would illuminate under black light or something, some type of leak detector?

red food coloring,

flapper,
or overflow
or , look at tank to bowl connection, is it wet?
 
New or not, the flapper may well be the culprit. Korky brand is now my favorite. Did you make sure the surface where the flapper contacts the tank is clean and smooth?
 
I've checked all over the exterior of the tank, found nothing, I'll try the food coloring tomorrow, I did not check the flapper connection for smoothness, pretty embarrassing if that's it lol
 
I tried the red food dye, saw none enter the bowl, saw none leaving the tank. I lifted the flapper, cleaned the ring underneath, wasn't much there. Still leaking somewhere...
 
Given it a few tries, I've adjusted the incoming pressure to the toilet a few times, no change in my problem. I tried the opening a faucet before flushing, no good.

My understanding is that there must be a leak somewhere, leaking the same rate as the slow refill, otherwise, the water would refill high enough for the float to shut off...

Is there a sewer safe additive I could put in the tank that would illuminate under black light or something, some type of leak detector?

How did you adjust the pressure? with the stop valve at the wall?
You cannot adjust pressure there. only the volume or flow can be adjusted with the stop valve.

You need a pressure gauge to check the building water pressure.

get rid of that new ballcock. They still making and selling those things?
They don't work so well if you have high water pressure. Use a Fluidmaster 400a or Some guys like the Korky Fill valve. They are not flush valves by the way. A flush valve is the part that releases the water from the tank into the bowl.

What you installed is a ballcock. The float on the long arm uses the lever action of to apply pressure stop water from flowing. The fault is if the pressure is to high then the lever arm can't press hard enough for 100% shut off.

The newer types use a diaphragm that allows the incoming water pressure to hold the seal closed.
 
I will swap it for the Fluidmaster 400a and post what happens, thanks for the advice!
 
I tried the red food dye, saw none enter the bowl, saw none leaving the tank. I lifted the flapper, cleaned the ring underneath, wasn't much there. Still leaking somewhere...




if you are loosing water out of the tank, it is leaving by the following ways

leaking spud washer
leaking flapper
tank bolts
cracked tank
or back syphonage
evaporation


have you removed the tank and checked the spud nut and washer ?
 
Well, I don't want to get ahead of myself but, installing the Fluidmaster 400a has so far fixed the problem! Only time will tell but thank you all so much!
 

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