IMPORTANT PARTS OF A TOILET – An Overview
IMPORTANT PARTS OF A TOILET
RIM HOLES AND JET– These are the little perforation holes located under the rim of the toilet. These holes or jets serve two purposes; one is to scour the bowl. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain the scouring process or what material is being scoured right? The second function is to fill the bowl with water in order for siphonic action to being.
The jet hole is located at the very bottom of the bowl right at the point where the trap begins. When you depress the flush handle a portion of water is diverted from the tank and begins to shoot out of the jet at a high velocity. This jet of water begins siphonic action.
PROBLEM: These rim homes can become clogged with hard minerals over time especially in homes with private wells. If they do become clogged water enters the bowl more slowly, the self-cleaning process is greatly compromised and it can be a huge reason your toilet won t flush.
Similarly, if the flow from the jet is diminished because of similar buildup your toilet will flush slowly or you’ll end up with a clogged toilet and it won’t flush at all.
BOWL & TRAP: Vitreous china used for plumbing and is for the most part glazed. There are several reasons for this but the two most important reasons when it comes to toilets is that glazing creates a non porous surface so it is naturally antimicrobial and it’s smooth so things don’t get hung up or caught up on the surface.
PROBLEM: If the glazing in the bowl or trap is compromised from extended use or abrasive cleaners it can cause solids to stick, which could be another reason for a clogged toilet.
The Tank
FILL VALVE OR BALLCOCK: This is the part of toilet that controls the water coming into the tank. An old style fill valve will consist of a valve, which is controlled by a rod with a float ball screwed on to the end of the rod. When the water rises pushing up the float to a predetermined level the incoming water to the take shuts off. In a new style fill valve the float is fashioned around the vertical part of the valve body itself and is attached by an arm. The valve works the some way it’s just a lot less cumbersome inside a tank.
FLUSH VALVE: The flush valve is the mechanism, which allows the water stored in the tank into the bowl. It consists of three basic parts, the handle, the flapper and the overflow tube. The handle is connected to the flapper by linkage made of some metal attached to the end of the handle assembly rod. When you press down on the handle it lifts rod and attached chain and flapper allowing the water to rush into the tank. Once the tank is evacuated the flapper falls back down sealing the opening to the tank and the water fills it once again.
