A Major Cause of Fill-Valve Failure in a Toilet Is Debris and Sediment

A major cause of fill-valve failure in a toilet is debris and sediment. In new construction, there is still a lot of debris in the water-supply line that hasn't yet been flushed out when it comes time to hook up the toilet. So it makes sense to give the system a flush into an empty mud bucket before hooking up the water supply. And if you empty the filled bucket into the toilet bowl, you can check for leaks in the wax seal. The angle stop is a compression-fit valve that fits over the supply stub. A closet supply tube makes the connection between the angle stop and the tank's threaded fill-valve supply, but usually the location of the angle stop is not directly aligned with the fill-valve supply. This means that the supply tube will have to make some curves as it connects point A to point B. However, there are braided stainless-steel supply tubes specifically made for toilets that make this connection easily. Braided supply tubes shouldn't be used in houses with high water pressure, and in some areas they may not be allowed by code. But they are very easy to install, especially in retrofit applications where extreme changes in direction are necessary. Chrome-plated brass tubing makes the most reliable closet supply connection and can be used for houses with high water pressure, though it is more difficult to get a good fit and more time-consuming to install than braided tubing. There are tubing benders available that make curving the pipe easier, but bending can also be done by hand in most cases, though you'll need to be careful not to kink the tubing. Chromed-brass supply tubing is available with either a flat heador an acorn head. The flat-head type has a plastic sealing pad that sits against the bottom edge of the fill-valve supply. A flat connection is vital for a leak-free installation, and flat-head tubing works better if the other parts of the connection are brass. The acorn head looks like it sounds and actually extends up into the fill-valve supply so that an absolutely perfect connection isn't necessary for a leak-free installation. Teflon tape should be wrapped around the male threads of the fill-valve supply before connecting the supply tubing. After the water is hooked up, check for leaks at the angle stop and at all the plumbing connections. Also, check the tank bolts to make sure that they aren't dripping water on the floor, and flush the toilet a number of times to make sure that everything is kosher. Now the closet bolts can be trimmed to size with a hack saw, and the closet bolt caps can be filled with plumber's putty and pressed into place on the bolts. In some areas, code will require that the base of the toilet be sealed to the floor with caulk. I don't like to use caulk where I don't need to, though, and sealing up this area will conceal the fact that there is a leak if one occurs around the wax ring, while not actually preventing any damage (though it can help keep dirt from accumulating here and prevent bugs from moving in under the toilet). Source: deweyfiremen.com