Suggestions to improve older toilet - pictures

[Bill Spratt]

First of all we are frugal. We have a working toilet so please don't tell me to change it. Its an older American Standard that we love with the exception that it takes forever to refill. I have adjusted the water level down pretty good to use less but this hasn't helped. This older toilet came with the house we bought less than 2 years ago. I changed the "guts" out with a newer float valve system but that has not helped. Perhaps an adjustment? I'm willing to put new parts inside if that will make a difference. Also the rubber hose at the top was "crimped" shut (now its not but as I look at the picture it looks squeezed?) So I'm hoping someone who knows these things well can tell me what to do to get this thing working optimally? We have a Koehler in the other bathroom that flushes in about 1/3 the time. Any suggestions at all? Thanks in advance - Bill

 

[Geofd]

Take that blue thing off of the tube, I never use those check your toilet supply valve make sure it's all the way on, check your toilet toilet supply connection make sure it's not crimped disconnect your supply, aim it into a bucket see what kind of pressure you get change it if it's older

 

[Twowaxhack]

Could be the ballcock. I’d replace it along with the pipe from the stop valve to the ballcock.

If that doesn’t correct it , could be the stop valve. If it’s not the stop valve it could be the pipe leaking to the toilet stop valve.

Some of those ballcock have a flow restrictor in the inlet. It’s rubber and spiral shaped. Pull it out with needle nose pliers. Or the fluidmaster seal in the top has swell up...


That’s all I got.

 

[breplum]

The first thing is like twowax said: pull the rubber flow restrictor out of the shank of the ballcock.
When you are doing that, put a long no-burst on the angle stop and run that into a bucket or the toilet bowl. See if the flow is massively excellent as it should be.
Often, even on homes with copper piping, the stub out from the wall is sometimes a galvanized nipple, and those readily corrode to impede flow. It should be a brass nipple.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The water level is set too low in that toilet.

It’s best to set the level high then make the flapper close quicker if you don’t want to use the water.

 

[Bill Spratt]

You guys are awesome! I took the blue thing off the tube and just held the tube horizontal and we went from 59 sec to 35! My first instinct is to take off about 1 1/2" of the white plastic tube so that the hose doesn't have to travel so far up. Is this wise or would you try something else? (found the bottleneck) Pressure is good btw.

 

[Twowaxhack]

You guys are awesome! I took the blue thing off the tube and just held the tube horizontal and we went from 59 sec to 35! My first instinct is to take off about 1 1/2" of the white plastic tube so that the hose doesn't have to travel so far up. Is this wise or would you try something else? (found the bottleneck) Pressure is good btw.

That tube should be clipped to the white pipe just like your picture shows but you need to adjust the ballcock taller so the water level will be higher in the tank.

The hose is meant to refill the toilet bowl. Not the tank.

 

[Bill Spratt]

Ok I will raise the water level. How do I get the flapper to close quicker?

 

[Twowaxhack]

If you have the adjustable type, it’ll have numbers on it, you rotate it like a clock to time the flappers up position after you flush it.

You have a fluidmaster flapper but I can’t tell if that particular flavor is adjustable. They make both types and they look the same almost.


Does your flapper have numbers around the edge of it ?

 

[Bill Spratt]

It does not - I did not see anyway to adjust it so I did order one (adjustable fluidmaster) from Amazon for 5 or 6 bucks. Thanks - will report back when installed.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Pay more attention to the suggestions that the flow rate from the toilet shutoff valve is too weak.

Start there first, then work into the tank guts if the flex supply does have strong flow.

Use the clip on the bowl refill hose, clip it to the overflow pipe, do not just stick it into the overflow or hang it loose into the tank.