How To Disconnect A Toilet Water Line

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If you're trying to fix something wrong with your toilet, the get-go pace is turning off the h2o supply. However, if y'all've never washed this before, or if you lot accept an older toilet without a shutoff valve, this may seem a little intimidating. Fortunately, whether y'all're endmost the toilet'south shutoff valve, turning off the main h2o supply to your abode, or manipulating the float lever to stay upright, there are several easy ways to plow off the h2o supply to your toilet.

1
Locate the shutoff valve fastened to the pipe behind your toilet. The shutoff valve is a football-shaped valve connected to a pipe or hose attached to the bottom of the tank behind your toilet. The other finish of this piping should go into the wall.^[1]
- Some older toilets don't have shutoff valves behind them. If this is the example for y'all, you'll take to apply the wooden board method or simply cut off the main water supply for your entire home to plough off the toilet's water supply.
2
Plough the valve clockwise until it can't turn anymore. Turning the valve clockwise as far as it can become will turn off the water supply to the toilet. The valve should non be difficult to plough, and so don't attempt to force it if yous can't easily turn it.^[2]
- If the h2o valve looks rusty or is difficult to plow, try applying some WD-40 to information technology. If you're nevertheless unable to turn it subsequently this, y'all probably will need to replace it.
Adept TIP

James Schuelke, along with his twin blood brother David, is the co-owner of the Twin Home Experts, a licensed plumbing, leak detection, and mold inspection company based in Los Angeles, California. James has over 32 years of home service and business organisation plumbing experience and has expanded the Twin Home Experts to Phoenix, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest.

James Schuelke
Professional Plumber

Brand sure to shut the valve securely. When the valve is off, give it an actress quarter-turn to the right to brand certain the water is completely off.

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3
Flush your toilet to make sure the h2o is turned off, if you lot tin can. If the water supply is turned off, the water in the dorsum tank will empty out into the toilet bowl and will not be refilled afterwards. If your toilet is clogged, you can also exam if the water has been turned off by lifting the float lever in the tank. This is the lever attached to the hollow, sealed float on height of the water in the tank. If the water is still on, more water will be added to the tank when you push this lever downwardly.
- Notation that if the water is still turned on, you'll need to rapidly push the float lever support to prevent the tank from overflowing.
four

Plow the valve counterclockwise when you're done to plough the water on. Once it'south time to turn the water supply to the toilet back on, all y'all accept to do is simply plough the water valve counterclockwise as far as yous can. Give the toilet a flush to test it and make certain the h2o is turned back on.^[iii]

1
Look for the valve in the basement if you live in a colder climate. In colder areas where freezing temperatures are more than common, the water meter and primary shutoff valve are typically located indoors. Look in the basement near the first foundation wall or in the crawl space underneath your home.^[iv]
- If y'all tin't notice your water meter and valve in these typical locations, your all-time bet is to contact a professional person plumber to have them locate your meter for you.
two
Check outside to find the valve if you live in a warmer climate. The water meter and primary shutoff valve will probably be located in an iron box surreptitious forth the side of your home. Don't worry about information technology being cloak-and-dagger, though; you'll be able to spot the lid covering the meter to a higher place footing.^[5]
- The main shutoff valve volition be 1 or 2 "bike" handles or lever handles jutting in a higher place or next to a metal piping. They will probably be on either side of a water meter.
- If you lot take an external water heater on a side or in back of your domicile, there'due south a skilful chance the water meter will be somewhere near this.
3
Notation that the shutoff valve normally looks similar 1 or 2 "wheel" handles. These are circular handles with finger-sized indentations along the circumference that allow you to become a ameliorate grip on them. There will most likely be a water meter located in betwixt these ii handles along a water pipe running into your dwelling house.^[6]
- Some shutoff valves feature lever handles instead of bike handles.
four
Turn the valve clockwise to close off your main water supply. This will stop all the water flowing into your home, including the h2o supply to the toilet. If there are 2 valves on either side of the water meter, turn the i that is closest to your home.^[seven]
- If there's only 1 bike handle or lever handle, that'southward the one y'all'll desire to operate to plough off the main water supply.
- Once you've finished with your work, simply turn this valve counterclockwise over again to turn the water back on.

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Take the lid off the tank and discover the float most the top of the h2o. When this hollow container floats to a certain height, the valve stops letting h2o into the tank. When yous flush the toilet, the float falls with the water level and reopens the water valve. To foreclose h2o from refilling the tank, you lot'll need to secure the float to prevent the valve from opening afterward a flush.^[8]
2
Slip a narrow length of wood under the float lever to concur it up. Position the piece of wood vertically and so that the bottom of it rests on the bottom of the tank. This mode, the tiptop of the wood will concur the bladder lever up and prevent it from causing the tank to refill later on a flush.^[9]
- For best results, use a piece of forest that is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) shorter than the summit of the tank itself.
- If the sides of the tank are too high to exercise this, then straddle the board higher up the float lever and wrap a length of strong wire effectually both the float arm and the board to hold the float up.
Tip: Note that annihilation tall and sturdy enough to hold up the float lever tin exist used in this method, as long as information technology can hold upward to being placed underwater.
iii

Affluent the toilet to drain the water out of the tank, if y'all can. The tank will empty, while the woods or wire strapping holds the lift arm upwardly, preventing the valve from refilling the tank. If your toilet is clogged and y'all can't flush it, y'all can as well use a bucket or tall loving cup to elevator the water out of the tank until information technology's empty.^[x]
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Remove the lath when you're done to allow the tank to refill. After y'all're finished with your repair work, simply remove the board and or strapping to allow the float to refill the tank. Place the lid back on the tank and you're good to become!^[eleven]

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Article Summary Ten

To plough off the water supply to a toilet, only close the toilet's shutoff valve, which looks similar a football-shaped valve located beneath the tank. Turn the valve clockwise until it can't turn anymore, and so flush your toilet. If your bowl doesn't refill with water, that means you've successfully turned off the water supply. If you accept an older toilet without a shutoff valve, you'll need to shut off the water master valve, which will be in the basement or in an iron box along the side of your home. To locate the valve, expect for a wheel-shaped handle or lever and turn it clockwise to shut off the water. If there are two valves, turn the ane that'south closest to your habitation. For more advice, including how to refill your toilet with water once you're finished with your repairs, keep reading!

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