Toilets are in everyone’s house and are used every day yet many people don’t know most of the mechanisms that are in them. This often means that an easy fix gets blown out of the water. This also results in the fix costing a lot more due to hiring a professional plumber.
Luckily, this article is here to give you an easy way to find out about any part of your toilet. There will be a part discussing the toilet bowl, one discussing the toilet tank, one discussing the toilet seat, and one talking about the plumbing parts.
3 Toilet Bowl Parts to Know
The toilet bowl is described as the bottom part of the toilet that holds the water and the waste. Most toilets are made with porcelain or vitreous China which is a special clay. There are three main components that are found in and around the toilet bowl, so let’s get into those!
The Seat
This piece is often made out of plastic unless you pay more money for the porcelain seats. This means that it often gets very wobbly and needs to be tightened but this is something you can easily do at home with a screwdriver that you have around the house.
The Bowl
That said, every now and then, it can crack.
The Wax Ring
This protected attachment will ensure that your toilet stays in place and is able to work properly throughout the entire time you have it. It also keeps the nasty sewer smells from being released.
8 Toilet Tank Parts to Know
The toilet tank has much more going on than the bowl does and that is due to the majority of the plumbing mechanisms being housed within it. This is almost always made from the same material that the toilet bowl is so there is no reason to go into that.
The Cover
You probably already know what the toilet tank cover is since it isn’t rare for people to have to take it off to check on things. This is a very heavy lid that covers the entire toilet tank. This helps keep things clean and working right.
Often, this cover is used as a shelf for some things in the bathroom.
The Handle
The other piece that is on the outside of the toilet tank is the handle. The handle is used to manually flush your toilet. Generally, this is on the front side of the tank. On dual flush models, there are two buttons located on the top of the toilet or on the side.
While not the best situation to be in, you can flush your toilet without a handle too.
The Tank Lever
The lever is inside of the toilet tank but is connected to the handle that is on the outside. This lever will list the rubber flapper that then indicates the toilet to flush.
It is an essential piece that must be in place for your toilet to be working properly.
The Chain
The chain is something most people are familiar with because it tends to easily get messed up.
These links of metal are what connects the lever to the flapper. If these two are not connected, then your toilet will not be able to flush correctly or really at all.
The Flush Valve
Another thing that is necessary in order for your toilet to flush is the flush valve.
This is something that is situated in the middle of your toilet tank. When activated by the handle it will release water from the tank into the bowl which makes your toilet flush waste away.
The Float
The float is just as it is named. It is a part of the toilet tank that floats in your toilet bowl. This is sometimes connected to the flush valve, but it is not always necessary. This helps to measure the amount of water in the tank.
The float is also handy for preventing overflow as well as filling the water tank.
The Overflow Tube
Another thing that helps with keeping the tank from overflowing is the overflow tube as it is aptly named. This keeps excess water from flowing into the tank. It protects from water spilling out of the tank onto your entire bathroom floor.
This is a very necessary piece for the toilet to work well and to avoid any unnecessary messes.
The Supply Line
Although all pieces of the toilet tank are important this one may take the cake. The supply line is what attaches the water supply to the toilet. Without it, none of the other mechanisms would matter and your toilet would be unusable.
This is what allows your toilet to flush and refill just as it was made to do. The supply line also comes equipped with a shut-off valve to avoid leaking and can be useful during emergency repairs.
2 Toilet Seat Parts to Know
These will be essentially a restatement of what was said in the first list having to do with parts of the toilet bowl. However, it is important to know parts of the toilet seat without relation to parts of the toilet bowl as well.
The Lid
The lid is the full surface that is available to cover the toilet bowl. This was made for it to look better and also made to keep kids and pets from playing in the toilet. It is never a good idea to sit on the toilet lid because it is often plastic, which is not great at holding weight, especially in cheaper toilets.
Sitting on this could cause it to crack. This means you would have to buy a completely new lid, take off the old one, and screw on the new one. It can be a time-consuming process. Another thing that often happens with toilet lids is that they get a little wiggly. If this happens it is almost always a quick, easy fix of just tightening some screws.
The Rim
Another part that is essential to the toilet seat is the toilet rim. This is always either a hard clay or porcelain part because it needs to be tough enough to be sat on by people of various weights and sizes. The rim sits directly underneath the toilet seat. There is a thinner rim here that holds up the toilet seat.
This rim also protects against the toilet overflowing or splashing when it is flushed. It also helps to feed water back into the toilet after it is flushed each time. If this part of the toilet breaks it often means you must get a whole new toilet since this is a main part of the toilet.
If it is broken it has the ability to leak which no one wants.
4 Toilet Plumbing Parts to Know
There are five main plumbing parts of the toilet that are needed in order for it to work properly.
Sometimes these parts are easily fixable but more often than not it is best to call a plumber to fix them so you do not risk breaking your toilet.
The Flapper Valve
This is the seal for the flush valve that releases water from the tank into the toilet bowl. This goes up when the toilet handle is pushed down and stops water from constantly flowing into the toilet bowl.
This valve helps to control how much water is let into the toilet bowl after the toilet is flushed. The flapper will help to make sure it does not overflow and that there is enough water to flush next time.
The Fill Valve
This is the valve that refills the toilet tank after the toilet is flushed. It is triggered by the flapper going back down into place. When this happens, the tank can begin to fill again and get ready for the next time it is flushed.
It will also work with the float to make sure that the water is at the correct level in the toilet bowl at all times. This is located in the tank part of the toilet as well.
The Gasket
This is what connects the toilet tank to the toilet bowl. This is essential for all the other parts to work properly and not randomly release water into your bathroom. The gasket helps to control or eliminate leaks that could happen in the transition from the tank to the bowl.
The Flange
The flange is the part under the wax ring on the floor. This part of the toilet plumbing opens to the drain that will then go to the sewer. It also allows the toilet to be securely mounted to the bathroom floor.
It is crucial that this stays debris free in order to allow waste to go through it successfully.
Which Parts of a Toilet Are Most Likely to Break?
The first thing that is most likely to break, normally on accident, is the lid or the seat. This is more likely for those that have thinner plastic seats on their toilets. These will crack when under heavier weights, but thankfully it is almost always an easy fix.
Your toilet may also mess up in the tank quite a bit since there are so many different aspects in that area. A running toilet could be because of a dirty or old flapper. It is best to check on the flapper from time to time to make sure it does not need to be replaced.
The tank sometimes won’t fill either and that could also indicate there is a buildup of dirt or debris inside a valve. This can often be cleaned and fixed but sometimes you may need to hire a plumber if you cannot find the root of the problem. It is better to have professional help with an issue like this one because letting the problem linger can cause permanent damage.
Summary
Although the parts of a toilet can seem daunting, most of the fixes are often easy, especially with the toilet bowl. There are many more pieces inside of the toilet tank that have the ability to go wrong.
If you are having issues with your toilet you could use this site or Google to try and troubleshoot. However, if you cannot figure it out in the end it is best to call a plumber and not risk breaking your toilet.