Dear Help Desk:

My old Kohler fill valve fills only half way up to the fill line and then continues to fill very slowly. It appears to be partially blocked and may need to be flushed. It shuts off if I manually keep the float down until the tank is filled.

It has two caps held in place by screws, but I hesitate to remove the caps, since I do not have access to replacement parts. Can you tell me if removing one cap and using a cup to cover the opening will that allow the valve to flush or do I have to shut off the water, remove the fill valve and then use a hose to clean it? Ben