Easy DIY Fix For A Slow Filling Toilet

Fill Valve Replacement Seal - amzn.to/3WldGth
Video On Replacing The Fill Valve - • Rebuild Your Toilet an...
I will walk you through a simple fix that any homeowner can perform to quickly fix a toilet that fills the tank slowly. The majority of tanks should fill in 30-45 seconds but mine took over 5 minutes so I knew there was an issue. I have found this fix to be the same solution to other common issues such as a toilet that continues to run or when you hear a loud whistle at the end of the fill cycle.
Free Home Maintenance Checklist:
everydayhomerepairs.com/home-...
Join Our Community on Patreon: / everydayhomerepairs
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@gregpochet4812]

I just buy the whole new floater system for ~$12! didn't know you can replace the seal inside for a lot less. Thanks!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet!

[@KameraShy]

Takes a lot less time and work, less mess.

[@docferringer]

The nice thing about the Fluidmaster line is they are entirely modular and serviceable. If you have a toilet that is a pain to get a good tank seal on when you do a full replacement (say, older ceramic with uneven glazing where the o-ring sits for instance) you can leave that part alone and replace just the part of the stalk that is up in the tank. If you look at the video around the 5:20 mark you can see a plastic locking ring that lets you adjust the height of the whole assembly in your tank....or take old assembly out and put on a new one. All without compromising the outer tank seals.

[@poochyenarulez]

Thank you! This was exactly the issue. I didn't even need to replace it, I just had to clean it.

[@Shootsmith]

Plumbers grease helps the valve seal last even longer

[@jilll.4835]

$2 later and toilet went from taking about 8 or more minutes to fill to about 30 seconds. AMAZING. Thank you SO much!!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Nice! Thanks for the feedback 👍

[@AndrewGenovese-lo3kw]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs I watched the video when you replaced the toilet handle. What store did you buy the Fluidmaster toilet handle from?

[@cdbbroadfield6154]

That’s a great tip, I will try this out thanks

[@NSFWHarold]

You just saved me the hassle of replacing the whole kit. One of mine has been doing exactly this for about a year. Now I don't have to climb under my toilet. Easy peasy. Thanks brother!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Nice!

[@NSFWHarold]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs Yep, ordered on amazon yesterday, arrived today, popped it in, and I am back in business. Now I can tell the wife "See, I told you I would get around to it! It only took me a year!"

[@rickcormier9160]

I put in the Korky valve with good results. My toilets each use 3 gallons of water for each flush. I filled a slim water jug with water and used it to displace 1 gallon of water in the tank. Now I only use 2 gallons of water per flush and the tank refills in a third less time. The toilet still flushes great. I did this mostly because of frequent water outages and needing to store a few 5 gallon buckets of water for emergency flushing.

[@jme36053]

This is a fix worth remembering. Thanks!

[@markkempton4579]

I had no idea this was a thing. Very excited to try. We have a slow filler. It may be because it was sold as a "quiet" fill, but it's become so much slower than it was previously. It takes at least 90 seconds to fill the tank and bowl.

[@moboutmen]

Well presented. New gasket is the key. Dont just open and clean.

[@jaym1244]

I love your attention to details. One of the reasons I love your channel.

[@johng.4959]

Nicely done! Just replaced a fill valve this weekend. Wish I knew there was another option. Thanks for the video~!

[@jogathome]

Such a simple and cheap solution to my problem. Worked just perfect. Just bought two more for the other bathrooms. 2:52

[@markczarnecki7251]

Good vid. Also, while removing and reinstalling the cap, it helps to hold up the lever as you do it.

[@grassrj]

Thanks! That solved my exact problem!!! Would have bought the whole kit.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks so much for the support 🙌

[@Dave-ld3dr]

Ironically I just did this a couple of weeks ago.I put a clear glass over the top of the fill valve while turning the valve back open a few times.While the tank was empty I poured some CLR down the fill valve & left it there for about an hour then flushed the fill valve out again just to be sure there was no lime or calcium in there blocking those vents.Everything works great & the CLR in the tank cleaned everything nice.You could probably just use vinegar.I almost bought & replaced the entire fill valve before changing that one part.Good video.

[@rootpower8664]

I'll definitely give this a try, so far I've tried every little fix out there like playing with the adjustment screw and cleaning different pieces, so this will most likely do the trick. Thanks for the video!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet, best of luck!

[@jayjudd6518]

Great demonstration.😊😅

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks!

[@FernRoses]

Oh my! I'm about to do this for my parents' toilet. Thank you so much.

[@eyeheartsushi2212]

Thanks. Fixed my toilet. There was a seal that fell out to easily when I removed the cap. Cleaned everything, put it back together and voilá, running like new!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Boom 👊

[@tretre1692]

Shooootttt!!! I didn’t know you could replace innards like that!!

[@helenl44]

I'm going to try this because I have a very slow filler. But I also have an occasional running problem when the hook on the flushing lever gets stuck in a horizontal position instead of in the usual vertical position.

[@Mcwasabic]

Good job

[@57haldir]

I have tried this dozens of times and it has never solved any problem. I’ve even tried to replace the entire cap. I don’t know why it doesn’t work for me.. I appreciate you showing us how to do this and I’m glad it was successful but I always wind up replacing the entire valve.

[@mattlco]

Flush time went from 3 min 36 seconds to 1 min 16 seconds. Well worth the $2 and under 10 minutes investment!!

[@rzh3443]

Yes , did this exact repair to one of my toilets a few years ago. That diaphragm is pretty much the whole operational deal to the Fluidmaster fill valve. Very reliable and a real bargain for the long run.

[@jimm6339]

Thanks. This was a timely video . In the past I have replaced the whole valve, pricey and time consuming. This was a quick fix for toilet.

[@ncooty]

Another great video, Scott! Excellent! Thank you.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You bet, happy to help!

[@wallingj68]

I would have loved to have seen if the debris you flushed out would have made a difference before replacing the seal. Good old troubleshooting tactic... change one thing at a time.

[@JimE6243]

Once again, more great useful info. Thanks Scott! JimE

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the support Jim 👍

[@8475143117]

THANKS 👍😁

[@gilbertopatino2616]

Thank you 🙏🏻 for sharing this information 👏👍

[@Joe-xy3vy]

Mine was slow due to debris behind the shutoff valve. I often find chunks of gaskets and other debris in my feed. I assume it's because of backflow from my neighbors.

[@user-tx2yt2nh8k]

Thanksso much brother

[@rickkane8043]

About the one it doesn’t fill if you don’t touch the fill valve inside the tank. Sometimes our toilet doesn’t fill and I need to shake the handle or open te tank cover and touch the fill valve before it fills

[@whattheschmidt]

Well this is great timing. I have had mine have filling issues, sticking and loud for a month or two now - I didn't care because I'm going to remove the toilet soon to redo the floor of that half bath. But, I will check if it's just that seal instead of needing to replace the whole fill valve! Thanks!

[@whattheschmidt]

Update - I replaced it just now. My shut off valve (gate valve) worked well enough (very slow drip) and I put in a Fluidmaster 400 that I bought 4 weeks ago from Amazon. Easy replacement job. I could not get the top off of the NuFlush fill on the toilet, I couldn't twist it off. Didn't matter anyway, I didn't have the replacement seal for it. All set!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Nice, thanks for the feedback and nice work on the swap out 🙌

[@batbawls]

Awesome! I had no idea!

[@GustavoA320]

Thanks for the video!

[@jeffreybaba4155]

I bought a brand new fluidmaster unit like that and it's still working slow. But I recently had a new water line put in so there might be some grit or something inside there.

[@user-oh7vp2rc3w]

Thanks!

[@hassanbazzi3545]

Well done.

[@felipemacias8334]

You are the best thank you

[@skyboundzoo]

This is different from most slow full vids I’ve seen and tried . I flushed out my fill valve and checked to make sure the little tube from the fill valve to the bowl fill valve was clean and also empty but those didn’t fix my issue. Ima try this now and follow up after!

[@garyabudsr1245]

Thanks a lot ,

[@TomMcDonaldatYahooDotCom]

Cool, thanks !!👍

[@jamkpa]

Good stuff.

[@rcmrcm3370]

Fast fill can create water hammer, similar with solenoid valves on clothes washing machine.

[@KameraShy]

If you have water hammer, that needs to be addressed separately. Turn the water off, turn on a faucet at the lowest level and let it drain out entirely. Usually fixes the problem.

[@TonyC93]

Do you have a video on how to make the toilet filled up with more water when its to low

[@neiltitmus9744]

Good fix if it works ,usuwlly better changing. The float if you can get at it easy

[@0mega619]

Thank you 1000%

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

For sure 👍

[@marmaladesunrise]

That was helpful.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks!

[@KKemp-bt6nl]

Great video, thanks! I replaced my fill assembly, and the toilet bowl only fills about 1/4. Any advice for getting more water into the toilet bowl?

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Check that fill tube going into the overflow tube. Is the water going into the overflow tube?

[@andrewpolasek5524]

If your toilet is still slow to fill after doing this repair, there is a rubber water restrictor in the bottom of the Fluidmaster fill valve which can be removed with a pair of needle nose pliers.

[@peterbergeris6510]

Replaced flapper. When it is filling too slowly, I move the flapper so it's more in the center of the tank seal n all is ok. Would it be the tank seal or gasket at the bottom of the fill tube or what you suggested here in the video.

[@oldschool2722]

But sometimes u need some loud noises to cover up other noises

[@morganw02]

What are your thoughts on the adjustable flappers? Bought a house with a couple already installed, but they seem to make it harder to get the flush pressure set.

[@sapelesteve]

I have this exact slow fill toilet problem. However, I have a Kohler unit not a Fluidmaster. Will this seal work with the Kohler? Great DIY video! Thanks! 👍👍

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Depends on the Kohler fill valve. Take a look at your fill valve and do a quick search for Kohler Fill Valve for the specific model. Some of the Kohler valves are very similar to the FluidMaster 400 series and the seal might be interchangeable.

[@emirbukva5393]

What’s the best thing to do when a float won’t come all the way to the top to shut off the flow of water unless nudged up by hand? Adjusting the float vertical position with the screw didn’t help and neither did a cleaning. Replace the whole fill valve?

[@patrickursomanno8861]

What the yellow thing in the chain going to flap? Soes that make it close quicker, mine does, was thinking of cutting it off.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Suppose to help delay the flapper closing to empty more water out of the tank. Some times you run into an issue where the flapper closes too fast and you only get a partial flush. No bueno 👎

[@patrickursomanno8861]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs seems like its helping mine close to fast, so thought it might be a weight (to close it faster n save water) thanks for your time and videos

[@dankelley9361]

Great coverage on that flush master valve. A whole lot easier & cheaper than replacing the whole valve!

[@markd9105]

Can you give any ideas why a bathroom faucet would have low water pressure?

[@joshuaguenin9507]

the filter may be clogged, twist it off and run the water to see if flow is restored

[@markd9105]

@@joshuaguenin9507 This faucet style doesn't have a screw off filter. I was thinking that there was something obstructing inside the faucet.

[@rishimistry9322]

You can check the pressure coming from the hoses from the shutoff valve below

[@markd9105]

That's what I thought I would do next. Hot and cold both have low pressure but the lines in both could have hard water calcium buildup i suppose.

[@Acrowat40]

Remove the aerator off the faucet and see what the pressure is like then

[@paulklote4845]

Could you do a video on replacing the fill valve parts in an older Manchester stool?

[@KameraShy]

I used to use the metal Manchester valves and was always skeptical of the plastic Fluidmaster. One year I took the plunge and installed a Fluidmaster. It has been years and it has worked just fine. I did replace the seal once and it took all of 15 minutes, mostly because I wanted to make doubly sure I was doing it right. Next time probably 5 minutes.

[@wendy23752]

Is this a standard size? My toilet innards look the same as yours but I don't know if this exact same size valve seal will work? Thanks for any guidance.

[@TheSouthIsHot]

Earlier this month, I replaced all parts in both toilet tanks in Mom's house. I had been dropping bleach toilet tablets into the tanks for several months when she and I noticed that pieces of rubber were floating around in the bowls after flushing and water was beginning to leak everywhere. The bleach toilet tablets had disintegrated all of the rubber parts inside the tanks!😭 I was so MAD!!!😡 I bought Korky kits for the replacements and on the instructions it says do NOT drop cleaning tablets into the tanks! But on the packaging of the bleach toilet tablets, no where does it say that the product can destroy the rubber parts inside a toilet tank. I want to sue!!! PS: I'm a 54yo 5'2" female who had never replaced toilet parts before. (This includes removing the tank from the bowl.) The instructions are easy to follow and manufacturers have videos on their websites. So don't be afraid to give it a go, ladies! Read the instructions thoroughly and watch the videos before you start. You might hit a few snags along the way but you'll figure it out and learn from your mistakes and fix them. PPS: Thank you for this great video. Half the problem is figuring out what the problem is!🤣

[@KameraShy]

ALL toilet tank parts contain some rubber. Even without the "additives" they do wear and disintegrate.

[@johnnym6062]

With the cap off, I turned the water on to flush the line, but it only trickles out even with the main supply wide open. What should I try next?

[@jake9705]

2:04 -- Bold of you to assume my on/off valve can be turned without snapping it off immediately and flooding the entire bathroom in my old ass house 😂

[@jaewok5G]

*your mileage may vary

[@whattheschmidt]

Of course my toilet in my half bath (which has this exact issue) is the ONLY shut off I haven't replaced in my house. It's an old gate valve that shuts 98% of the way though. Close enough? The ones under my main bathroom sink didn't work - when I tried shutting it off it instead sprayed the hot water out at me :).

[@matthewmosier8439]

​​@@whattheschmidtRun a hose out of the sink cabinet to a pan of some sort if you have to. That will give you time to do work. That or turn it off at the main valve, outdoors. Used to install appliances and shut off valves can be a real problem in that profession

[@KameraShy]

People should exercise all water valves periodically. Lack of exercise is why they become frozen.

[@whattheschmidt]

@KameraShy doesn't help when you buy 50 year old houses and the previous 4/5 owners did little to no maintenance!

[@DaveSomething]

got one that pulses... so weird. it's one I've not experienced in over 50 years of using toilets.

[@TomMcDonaldatYahooDotCom]

How do we know what series we have??

[@yupsir791]

My 👀 😳 @ 2:05. I had the valve snap on me, turned a quick 15 minute job into another run to the store. . .

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

When I was a kid and played with dinosaurs, the fill valve use to take up to 3 minutes or more to fill the tank up, and that was brand new and good working order. Even in a family household, it was rare that a toilet needed to be flushed two or more times in a row.

[@mlBeachboy]

Can you adjust the water level in the bowl, either higher or lower?

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

If you upgrade to this fill valve you can as it has a small valve you can adjust for the bowl fill amzn.to/44oQ0pP

[@AllenHorton-lb3ti]

The water level may vary slightly,but the trap regulates the final high level.once the water level reaches the trap level,excess water will drain.The level cannot be made to be raised above that point

[@peterbergeris6510]

My wife flushed the toilet n tank was not filling a half hour later. Water was going in the fill tube though. Seems flapper not centering on gasket

[@Darci3333]

Do you come with the fix😂 Cuz I just know with my luck when I try to turn that thingy ma Doogie it's gonna break into a million pieces.....and I know you can't cuss the parts back together again....in the past I've tried😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@mattwaters6987]

Could you not soak the seal in CLR and clean it then reinstall rather than replace it?

[@KameraShy]

No

[@aray072989]

👍🏿

[@TxHornyToad]

My toilet sometimes continuously runs a small amount of water. If I push the float down couple of seconds it usually stops. I have assumed debris gets trapped under the seat. Maybe I ought to take off the cap and let water flush it out like you did. We have old galvanized iron water pipes.

[@frommatorav1]

When my toilet kept running it always seems to be the flapper. That's a $5 part and only takes a minute to change out.

[@aaron74]

Wow, that is a fast-filling toilet. Almost looks like the video was sped up!

[@dottier3145]

I’ve got both problems, one toilet runs all by itself. Came home to water out into hallway, and neighboring bedrooms. had a plumber fix it, but it still “runs by itself. And another toilet that’s slow.

[@notyou6950]

I replaced mine because the calcium deposits make the float stick and continuously flow the water aka the water bill.

[@murkri8723]

If I drop in a cake of soap into the tank, the tank starts to fill very slowly and only after a few minutes? Why is this?

[@itsgabegutierrez]

That's a cool trick. But to be honest, I don't even bother trouble shooting this. Fill valves are ten bucks and it literally takes 5 minutes to replace.

[@grassrj]

Here in Canada the float valve tower is $42 at home depot. So his gasket advice saved me lots of money.

[@itsgabegutierrez]

@@grassrj What?? That's crazy!! Yeah, in that case using this technique is warranted!