Basic Operation
When a toilet is ready for use, both the tank and the bowl are partially
filled with water. As the toilet is flushed, the water in the tank enters
the bowl which forces the water in the bowl through the drain channel. The
velocity of the water draining creates a level of suction which pulls the
contents of the toilet bowl down the drain. Once the tank is empty, the tank
and bowl slowly refill.
Trapping the Sewer Gas
If you were to look at a cross section of a toilet, from the bowl to the
drain in the floor, you would see an S-shaped
channel. The S-shaped channel acts as a trap that keeps the water level
in the bowl equal to the highest part of the S-shaped channel. The channel
prevents sewer gasses from entering the house by maintaining water in the
bowl.
Flush
Valve Assembly
The flush valve assembly is the mechanism inside the tank that regulates
the water during the flush operation of the toilet. This assembly
usually consists of the following components. A float ball, called the
ballcock, is attached to the inlet valve. The ball rises and falls with the
water level in the tank. When the ball rises to a certain level, the
inlet valve controlling the incoming water is turned off and the tank
stops filling. The water enters the tank through an inlet tube to the
inlet valve and down through the fill tube. The fill tube is used to
direct the water into the tank.
The flapper is a rubber or
plastic flap at the bottom of the tank. The flap covers the opening,
called the flush valve seat. When the toilet handle is operated, the
flapper is lifted, which causes the water in the tank to enter the toilet
bowl.
The tanks on older toilets vary in size/capacity from 5 to 7 gallons.
All new toilets are required to be 1.6 gallons or less
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