For many homeowners, the plumbing behind the toilet is a mystery, outside of the supply line and shut-off valve. However, there are times that it’s necessary to know the location and function of the plumbing behind your toilet. Here is a simple and straightforward explanation of the plumbing behind your toilet.

Closet Flange

The closet flange is used to mount the toilet to the floor, and it also connects the toilet drain to the drain pipe. This is the piece that the wax ring sits inside of when the toilet is first bolted to the piping and floor.

Ballcock

The ballcock sits inside the toilet tank, and it controls the rate of water delivery to the toilet tank. When the toilet is flushed, the drop in water is sensed by a float or pressure gauge, and it triggers the ballcock to refill the toilet tank. This part is the same thing as the part that used to be named a float ball.

Shut Off Valve

This valve is used to turn off the supply of water to the toilet plumbing. It’s used for emergencies, or to repair the toilet. It is generally really close to the floor and you can see the water line running from it.

Flex Hose

This is the flexible, sometimes metal piece of hose that runs from the supply valve and runs into the ballcock.

Flush Valve Gasket

The flush valve gasket allows water to flow into the bowl when the toilet is flushed.

P Trap Pipe

The P trap pipe is the u-shaped piece of pipe that holds water and keeps the gases beneath from rising up to the toilet.

Once the individual parts of identified, it’s fairly easy to trace the path both in and out of the toilet. This makes simple repairs and shutting off the water to the toilet a fairly simple task. Most of the time, for the basic toilet repairs that most homeowners choose to DIY repairs, you’ll need to be able to locate and turn off the shut-off valve. The remainder of the basic toilet repairs are parts inside of the toilet tank.

The majority of most residential plumbing toilet repairs are replacing the flapper because of a bad seat, a broken handle arm, or a broken chain that runs from the handle to the flapper. Toilet clogs that must be snaked are the second most reported residential toilet problems.

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other cities in New Jersey, such as Verona, Teaneck and Bergenfield.