[kellinewmexico]

Heck. We had someone come out to do a leak detection, and he found it - 4 feet from the meter. The water was shut off all day while he made the repair (he had to remove tons of rock to get to the bad piping).

Great! Leak fixed! He's gone, now my toilet tank won't fill. Could it be air in the water line? It was working fine this morning. How do I troubleshoot what it could be, then fix it?

Thanks a million -

Kelli

[danielnoahsmommy]

Did he turn the water back on?

[kellinewmexico]

Hehe - yes, everything else works fine. It's just this one toilet.

Thanks anyway! :)

[kellinewmexico]

Okay my first thought was to shut off the water behind the toilet, then to disconnect the water supply hose to the tank - then slowly turn the water back on at the wall (with a tub under it) to make sure we were even getting any water on that line.

Then my husband called, I told him what was going on, and he said "oh, there's probably something stuck in the trap on the roof. I'll get it when I get home."

The ROOF? What's up there that has to do with my toilet?

I am so clueless it's not even funny. Thanks for the quick response though, I appreciate it.

[hkstroud]

Probably trash in fill valve or ballcock .
Turn off water at stop valve below toilet.
If you have fill valve, reach under float, lift and grasp shank. Turn cap 1/4 turn counter clockwise. Remove seal. Put a cloth or small bowl on top of fill valve, open stop valve slightly and flush fill valve. Reinstall seal and cap.

If you have ball cock remove six screws (at 11) and do the same.


Husband has a good sense of humor.

[kellinewmexico]

Harold, thank you. I will save this info in case "whatever's on the roof" doesn't cut it, ha!

[hkstroud]

Till Hubby gets home, use toilet, flush by pouring a bucket of water in toilet bowl. Pour fast. After flushing, pour a half bucket slowly.

[letmetellu]

Harold, thank you. I will save this info in case "whatever's on the roof" doesn't cut it, ha!

If I were you I would do the needed work before you hubby gets home because I don't think he has a clue.
Your thought about taking loose the supply at the commode tank was a good idea. If that does not do the trick then do what you were told about the fill valve.

[speedball1]

What has happened here is that dirt got in the line when it was open and the first fixture or faucet that made a draw sucked the dirt into the valve, in this case your ballcock. Shut the water off to the ballcock under the tank and take the top off the ballcock. Place a pan over the open ballcock and turn the water back on to flush it out. You should have a strong stream. If so replace the top and turn the water back on. If not click on back.And tell Hubby to stay off the roof before he hurts himself. You don't fix a potty by going up on the roof! Good luck, Tom

[kellinewmexico]

I wanted to come back and thank you all for the help!

It was just as you ALL had said - some schmutz got into the open water line and clogged up the apparatus in the tank. I went to Ace and bought a new fill valve fixture and was able to get it installed with a minimum of cursing. :) (tight squeeze between the tank and the wall, even for me - hubby never would have fit in there).

Apparently there IS a vent on the roof, and sometimes if something blows over the top of it, it will cause the toilet not to fill properly? That's what I was told and I didn't argue, just followed your instructions when hubby left this morning for work. I feel a real sense of accomplishment! Many thanks again.

[hkstroud]

Congratulations, good job. Yes, there is a vent pipe that goes through the roof. It's there to let sewer gasses out and to let air in so that your traps are not syphoned dry. That's relative to toilet draining properly, not filling.

Beware of plumbing advice from places like Home Depot, Lowe's and ACE, these are sales people. Got plumbing problems, need advise, ask Tom. He helped build the Roman aqueducts.

By the way,

Hubby owes you a dinner out for the money you saved not having to call a plumber.

[afaroo]

Harold,
Sorry I wanted to rate you but it will not let me do it because I have to rate 5 pepple before I rate you, any how you did a good job on this one, good luck.

John

[speedball1]

Arar

Beware of plumbing advice from places like Home Depot, Lowe's and ACE, these are sales people. Got plumbing problems, need advise, ask Tom. He helped build the Roman aqueducts.
By the way,
Hubby owes you a dinner out for the money you saved not having to call a plumber.

I not only roughed in the Aqueducts but I ran service on them after they were operational. Did you know the word "plumber" did not come from the word "plumb" as in "plumb bob" but from the Latin word "Plumbarius" which means " lead worker". This is because the water pipes were all lead back then which may explain my diminished capacity to answer questions correctly. Good work Killi, Hubby owes you, not only for fixing the potty but, also for keeping his hinnie from falling off the roof. This calls for the best supper club in town plus a bottle of vintage wine. Enjoy!! Cheers, Tom

[letmetellu]

Kelli, you did good...

[speedball1]

Beware of plumbing advice from places like Home Depot, Lowe's and ACE, these are sales people.

Once in a while you'll run into a retired plumber or tradesman but for the most part Big box salesmen are just that, salesmen without knowledge of local codes or construction procedures.
Not putting them down, just making plain what they are and what they are not . Regards, Tom

[virtualjudy]

Thank you, thank you! This same thing happened here today and I have saved myself a plumber's fee because of your brilliant advice. :)

[hkstroud]

You are welcome and congratulations. Nothing like that sense of satisfaction you get when you fix it yourself is there?

[frankiedon53]

It seems strange that a blocked vent would cause a toilet not to fill . It would cause it not to flush but I don't see what it has to do with the feed-line coming to the toilet unless some one connected the two.

[hkstroud]

You are misreading, there was never a blocked vent. That was just kellinnewmexico's hubby's response when she called him. She was smart enough to come here for help and replace the fill valve.