No Excuses! Let's Replace a Fluidmaster Toilet Fill Valve | Basic Life Skills, by Hacks by Dad on YouTube. 3 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Shut off the water at the supply valve behind the toilet and flush to empty the tank. Soak up the last inch of water with a sponge or towel.
Disconnect the supply line from the bottom of the old fill valve with an adjustable wrench. Keep a small container under it to catch drips.
Lift the old valve out. If the tank has a flexible supply line, you can often pull the valve up and out through the top.
Take the new Fluidmaster 400A apart as marked on the package. Slide the locking clip and adjust the height so the valve top sits above the tank overflow tube.
Fit the new valve through the tank hole and tighten the shank nut from underneath by hand, then a quarter turn with pliers. Do not overtighten.
Reconnect the supply line to the new valve and hand tighten, then snug it with the wrench.
Clip the refill tube onto the overflow tube so it points into the bowl, not down the tube.
Turn the water back on and let the tank fill. Check for leaks at the supply connection and the shank nut.
Set the tank water level by turning the height adjustment screw or sliding the float so the water sits about 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube.
Flush a few times and watch the refill. Adjust the float if the valve keeps running or shuts off too early.
Tips and common mistakes
Turn the water off before you start and flush first, or you will get a wet floor.
Do not overtighten the plastic shank nut, as it can crack the tank or strip the threads.
Keep the refill tube clipped above the water line and aimed into the overflow, not pushed down it.
If the toilet still runs, check the flapper as well, since a bad flapper is a common cause.
Questions
Do I need to remove the tank to replace the fill valve?
No. On most toilets you can lift the old valve out through the top of the tank and fit the new one the same way.
How do I know the new valve is set to the right height?
The valve should sit so its top is above the tank overflow tube and the water line stays about an inch below the tube top.
What if the water keeps running after the swap?
Check the float height setting and the flapper seal. A refill tube pushed into the overflow tube can also cause constant running.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
