The ABC’s of Plumbing – Toilet Fill Valve

The toilet fill valve a.k.a. “ballcocks” are the plumbing part that enable the toilet tank to drain, then refill after flushing. When it’s time to replace the ballcock, you will first need to know what kind you have. Here are the 5 main types of fill valve:

1. Plunger / Piston Fill Valve – Plunger or piston style fill valves are one of the earliest designs. Made of cast brass it uses a bottom-fill water discharge tube. If you have this style of fill valve, you should replace it with a newer anti-siphon design that meets current plumbing codes.

2. Plastic Diaphragm Fill Valve – Diaphragm fill valves have also been around for a long time, but have anti-siphon design and are usually made of plastic.

3. Brass Diaphragm Fill Valve – Also has an anti-siphon design with brass construction.

4. Float Cup Fill Valve – A more up-to-date style of anti-siphon fill valve introduced in the 1950s is the float cup fill valve. Made of plastic, it has a floating O-shaped cup that moves up and down around the fill valve shaft. The floating cup is attached using a metal spring clipped to a metal actuating rod.

5. Floatless Type Fill Valve – Floatless fill valves are made of plastic and use a diaphragm pressure sensing design to adjust the water level in the toilet tank.

Need help replacing your toilet fill valve? Call ABC Southwest Plumbing & Air Conditioning. We can help with all your home plumbing repairs.