While many a homeowner will say that the kitchen is the heart of the home, I think it is safe to say that, in fact, the heart of any home is the bathroom – or more specifically, the toilet. After all, it is almost impossible to go without one. Using the bathroom is as natural and necessary as breathing, and therefore, the toilet is a must.
With that said, and understanding the importance of the toilet, every homeowner and renter should know how to make a few small repairs where this major appliance is concerned. The toilet isn’t all that complicated, so try not to feel intimidated if and when it needs a little TLC. In this post, I am going to teach you about adjusting the water level in your toilet with an emphasis on why you might need to adjust it and how to do it correctly. Let’s get started, shall we?
Why Adjust The Toilet Tank Water Level – Flush Force
The water level in your toilet has more to do with how the appliance functions than you might realize. The water level is a precise calculation as it must be just right so the toilet flushes and fills adequately.
Too little water in the tank can result in not enough flush force to adequately push waste down the drain. As a result, you may end up using a plunger to unclog the toilet more often than you would like. If there is too much water in the tank, the toilet may come uncomfortably close to overflowing each time you flush. This not only causes panic to set in, but it is also a waste of water, which can drive your monthly water bill up.
As you can see, maintaining the right water level in your toilet tank is vital to the operation of the appliance, so follow the steps below to adjust the water level in your toilet if you think it is too high or too low.
What Is the Correct Water Level?
The ideal water level in any toilet is 1-2 inches below the fill valve/overflow tube in the tank. In the toilet bowl, the water should be high enough to cover the P-trap, which will stop sewer gases from rising through your toilet and will create sufficient suction when the toilet is flushed.
You may also like to read Why Is The Water in My Toilet Bowl Low?
How To Adjust The Water Level In Toilet Tank
The water level inside your toilet tank is controlled by a float mechanism that tells the toilet when to turn the water supply on or off based on the level of water in the tank. Depending on the age and style of toilet you have, there are two different kinds of floats: a ball and arms float and a cylinder float. Older models tend to have ball floats while newer models have cylinder floats.
Ball and Arm Float
To raise the water level in a toilet with a ball and arms float, turn off the water supply valve first. This valve is located underneath the toilet tank. Turn it clockwise as far as it will go.
Next, remove the cover from the toilet tank and locate the float. The float looks exactly like a ball on the end of a metal rod. Assess the level of the water when the tank is full and decide whether you need to raise or lower the water level.
Using a small screwdriver, turn the small screw located at the end of the rod where it attaches to the fill valve. Turn it in small increments clockwise to raise the water level and counterclockwise to lower it.
Turn the water supply back on and flush the toilet to find out if your adjustments have resolved the issue. You may need to make multiple adjustments before you achieve the appropriate water level, and this is normal. Try to avoid turning the adjustment screw too far one way or another with a single adjustment as you could end up with an overflowing toilet.
Cylinder Float
A cylinder float, sometimes also called a cup float, is a cylindrical plastic float with a metal rod running through its center. Adjusting this type of float is easier than adjusting a ball float and arm.
Again, turn the water supply off first. Next, locate the metal rod that runs through the center of the float. It will be attached to the float at one end and the fill valve at the other. In most cases, there is a release clip on the float that, if you pinch it together, will allow you to raise or lower the float. Make the appropriate adjustments to raise or lower the water level in the tank and then release the clip. If there is no release clip, you will need to use a screwdriver to turn the center rod clockwise to raise the water level or counterclockwise to lower it.
Turn the water supply back on to test flush and inspect your adjustments.
Why Adjust The Toilet Bowl Water Level
The water level in a toilet bowl is directly related to the water level inside the toilet tank. Too little water in the tank will result in not enough water in the toilet bowl to adequately flush the toilet. This may cause the toilet to clog up regularly.
If there is too much water allowed to flow into the toilet tank, there will be too much water flowing into the toilet bowl, and thus, the toilet may overflow each time it is flushed. This can cause terrible messes that must be cleaned up as well as water waste and an increased water bill. If your toilet bowl seems to have too much or too little water in it, you will need to adjust the water level inside the toilet tank to fix the issue.
How To Raise Water Level In Toilet Bowl
To raise or lower the level of water in a toilet bowl, you need to adjust the float valve in your toilet’s tank. I explained the procedure for adjusting both the ball and arm float and the cylinder float above, but I will cover the steps again here to keep things simple.
Cylinder Float
- Turn the water supply off.
- Remove the tank lid and locate the cylinder float.
- Find the release clip on the float and move it up or down to adjust the water level as needed.
- If there is no release clip, use a screwdriver to turn the center rod clockwise to raise the water level or counterclockwise to lower it.
- Turn the water supply back on and flush to test.
Ball-And-Arm Float
- Turn the water supply off.
- Remove the tank lid and locate the ball and arms float.
- Find the adjustment screw located at the end of the rod attached to the fill valve.
- Turn the screw clockwise to raise the water level and counterclockwise to lower it. Make small adjustments at a time.
- Turn the water supply back on and flush to test.
FAQs Adjust Toilet Water Level
Toilet water rises too high when flushed
If the water level in your toilet rises too high when flushed, lower the float valve in the toilet’s tank. This can be done by sliding the cylinder float down the rod or turning the adjustment screw counterclockwise to lower the ball float.
As a retired Master Plumber Jamie has over 30 years of hands-on experience, making his plumbing knowledge second to none. He has also worked on both residential and commercial HVAC installation and repair projects.
