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Toilet Refill Tube

15 years ago

My "save money by doing my own home repairs" resolution is not starting out well. I heard rushing water in my toilet tank and took the lid off to get sprayed with water from the refill tube.

I only know that it's called a refill tube after an hour on the Internet. What I can't find out is, where do I re-attach it?! No pictures anywhere to show me. I also know I don't have a float, I have one of those thingies on the left side that the tube comes out of.

Oh, yes, I knew how to turn the water off.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

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Comments (4)

lazypup
15 years ago
The tube that your calling a refill tube is properly called a "Trap Primer".

There should have been a small fitting in your rebuild kit that was to be inserted into the end of that tube, then it clips on the top of the vertical standpipe in the center of the tank and directs water down into the standpipe.

After a flush as your refill valve is filling the tank a small percentage of the water is diverted through that tube, down the standpipe and into the bowl to insure there is a proper level of water in the bowl to seal the trap.
bobdog33
Original Author
15 years ago
It worked. Thank you so much, esp. for explaining how it works. Toilets are a mystery to me, and I much prefer they remain that way.

But. . .economics dictates I become very familiar with it now. Ewwwww.
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Maybe there's rubber crud in the line that's messing with the fill valve, which can come from attaching the supply line too tightly (eg. putting the supply line on too tightly can make little rubber shards that get in the line and cause trouble. Still have the instructions? They probably tell you how to clear the valve from gunk after it's installed. (eg. for a fluidmaster, you turn off the shut-off valve, then hold the neck of the fill valve assembly while you twist the top off (leftwards a 1/8 turn, I think, until it's free), then hold hand over opening while you turn water back on for a second to flush the line, then turn it off again, then put top back onto valve and twist 1/8 turn right, then it should work fine.
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Cindy Lemmo
8 years ago
So if the fill tube is in the stand pipe (hope I got the terms correct) my tank won't fill. If I remove it from the stand pipe and hold it outside it will fill the tank fairly quickly. Does this mean that I need a new fill valve? And is that the part that the fill tube is attached to?
Cindy Lemmo
8 years ago
okay, reread the above... the trap primer is what is in the stand pipe. Remove it and hold it next to it and the tank fills pretty quick. I think there is too much pressure coming through it. It would frequently blow right off of the pipe. I drilled a little hole in the pipe and attached it firmly... to the outside because that was the only way it worked. Am I an idiot? Or do I just need a new contraption that I think is the fill valve?

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