Having a house; as sophisticated as it may sound, is not always that easy. With the ownership comes big responsibility which includes continuous maintenance of various things around the house.
Now, this may sound normal if you have to repair a broken chair or a splintered door handle but what if you have to fix a broken toilet, that requires specific knowledge as there are various things to look at. This article will provide you a guide regarding different types and sizes of flush valves.
The toilet flush Bottom valve is the device placed inside the tank in a hole present at the bottom. Its main function is to allow the water to enter the bowl. A rubber flapper present over the valve ensures a water-tight seal that stores the water inside the tank.
Once the toilet handle is lifted the water rushes into the tank and when the flapper has lowered the water flow shuts off. One should choose wisely among the different sizes of valves as the larger valve provides a better flush by moving the water faster. While replacing the flush valve make sure that the size of the new valve fits the existing toilet.
Different Sizes Of Toilet Flush Valves
- Standard flush valve: This is the most common size of flush valve found in low-flow and other old toilets which have larger tanks. Most of the washrooms use this size of valves.
- Inch valve: The flapper lifts when the toilet handle is pressed down. Changing this flush valve is very easy and can be done by the homeowners as well.
- Inch flush valve: This is a larger version of the standard flush. A 3-inch valve has a larger hole and allows greater volumes of water drainage. By using a 3-inch flush one can ensure faster draining of water. This valve allows effective flush with the overall use of less water. The procedure of changing a 3-inch valve is the same as the 2-inch valve.
- Dual flush valve: Any toilet which has a double flushing option consists of a dual flush valve. This type of valve provides a half flush ( for liquids) as well as a full flush ( for solids). Some dual flushes use a handle; when the handle is pressed down it gives a full flush and when the handle is pushed up it gives a half flush.
Different types of Flush Valve
Tank ball type flush valve
- A traditional toilet flush consists of a flush handle present on the outside which lifts the tank ball at the bottom via a trip lever that is connected to a rod/chain. When the toilet is flushed the trip lever opens the valve and flushes the waste through the waste piping. The float ball is lowered along with the reducing water level, this opens the water valve and allows the water to enter the tank.
- The buoyancy of the tank ball is maintained by the air present in it, this allows it to float until the water is in the flush valve once the tank is emptied the ball sticks to the rim of the valve and seals it. The function of the tank ball can be compromised due to a few reasons, such as the presence of chlorine in the water due to which the ball hardens and loses its shape, and premature deterioration of the ball.
Flapper type toilet flush valve
- This type of flush valve uses a rubber flapper at the bottom of the tank instead of a tank ball. These flappers are made up of basically two materials; plastic with a rubber seal at the bottom of silicone. One must carefully choose the type of flapper they need as there are a variety of flappers each specific for a particular type of toilet and they are non-interchangeable.
- The mechanism of the flapper is similar to the tank ball, when the flapper valve is lifted the tank reservoir opens and the water is flushed down into the toilet. the flapper is built in such that it stays open until the water level in the tank reduces until it is empty then the flapper shuts close the drain opening and allows the tank to refill.
