Toto Fill Valve Problem

**Kiko** · 02-01-2013, 03:32 PM

A family member has a Toto toilet. He says, when it is flushed, there is a delay of more than six seconds before it begins refilling the tank. After the long pause, it refills quickly. He said that it used to refill instantly when it was flushed.

Is the fill-valve on the way out or can it be adjusted?

**jadnashua** · 02-01-2013, 03:50 PM

Most of the Toto toilets come with a valve made for them by Korky. If they have that one, the only real wear part in the refill valve is the seal cap, available at Lowes and most hardware stores. It takes about a minute to replace with no tools. That will probably resolve this. But, as long as it doesn't overfill, and does refill the toilet, you can live with it for a long time. The instructions are on the package. Basically, turn the water off, pop the cover off the top of the refill valve, twist the seal cap, remove the cap, put a new cap on, put the cover back on, turn on the water. Details are on the package...cost about $3. This is true for any toilet that uses the Korky refill valves.

**wjcandee** · 02-01-2013, 04:13 PM

Just clean out the little hole in the bottom of the float housing, and you will be back in business. The thing is designed not to start spilling refill water the moment you pull the handle because that water is wasted. Instead, there is a little check ball and hole in the float housing that retains water in the housing for a couple of seconds to delay the,start of refill until the flapper has closed or is about to close. If it gets schmutz in it, it narrows and delays the onset of refill longer. There are written instructions on the korky web site, as well as links to videos, on how to clean the valve. It requires no tools, is easy, and only takes five minutes. Sometimes just running your finger around under the float housing's end, and over that little hole a couple of times, without doing anything else, will clear it.

**Kiko** · 02-01-2013, 06:12 PM

Thanks to you both.

RE: the Korky website, I looked at all their videos on troubleshooting and maintenance of the 528 Quiet Fill, and they don't mention this problem of "delayed fill".

http://korky.com/quietfill.html

Is there any reason I can't replace this with a 400A?

**wjcandee** · 02-01-2013, 06:20 PM

No, they don't mention this issue on the site. They tell you generally how to service the valve. Cleaning around that little hole is extra-credit.

It's an issue I know enough about the valve to tell you how to fix, but it's not a common issue. Cleaning that area is mentioned on this Toto piece, part of Item 8 on the Type B valve: http://www.bayplumbingsupply.com/ima...ns-rev06-1.pdf

The reason you can't replace this with a 400A is that you won't get enough refill. A GMax Toto requires a 40 percent refill ratio; the 400A produces the standard 20%. If you don't get enough refill ratio, the water spot in the bowl will be too low -- eeew -- and when you go to flush part of the flush water will be used to raise the level of water in the bowl and the flush sequence will be off; i.e. the performance will be degraded.

You want to replace it, replace it with a Korky 528MPK (or MP) from Lowe's. That has a variable refill ratio, from zero to 40%.

I actually think the 528 is a much better valve than the 400A. I'm not going to give you the litany, because there are old timers on here who swear by the 400A. Suffice it to say that you're doing your relative a disservice by going the Fluidmaster route, particularly since anything on a 528 can be fixed very quickly and easily by non-professionals. And if it's important to you, the 528 is made in Wisconsin while the 400A is hecho en Mexico.

So just get your relative to run his finger over the bottom of the valve and see if that doesn't fix it. If not, a quick valve service should do it. Then leave it alone, and it should work great for some time to come.