How the Toilet Bowl Works

From a simple clogged toilet all the way up to much larger and more significant plumbing issues, we at All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling have seen it all. Our plumbing experts are here to service any and all needs you and your family may have.

Many of the simplest bathroom-related plumbing issues can actually be solved much more easily by you, the homeowner, with a little basic knowledge about what’s happening in that room. There are two primary parts to the toilet: The tank and the bowl. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss how the toilet bowl works.

Basic Parts

The toilet bowl does not contain any moving parts. However, there are several important features to note:

• Rim holes: Openings around the edge that allow water to refill into the bowl during a flush.
• Jet hole: An opening near the bottom of some bowl styles that increases flushing pressure and limits the risk of a clog.
• Outlet: Opening at the bottom of the bowl.
• Trap: Connected to the outlet, this is the downward curve that then splits upward to hold a pool of water.
• Siphon tube: Just beyond the trap, this is plumbing that moves downward and remains empty between flushes.
• Sewer pipe: The line that connects to the bottom of the toilet and allows waste to flow out when you flush.

The Siphon

Toilets use the power of gravity to flush – more specifically, a basic siphon effect. When you press the handle down, the water in the tank rushes into the bowl through the rim holes and jet holes, a process that takes about three seconds in most cases. Water is sent through the outlet and the trap, into the siphon tube – this has to be done quickly enough to create a vacuum. The vacuum sucks water out of the bowl and into the pipe. From here, air fills the siphon tube and creates the gurgling sound you hear a few seconds later.

Water Refilling

At this point, water has to refill itself. When the fill valve turns on to refill the tank, some of that water is portioned off into the bowl itself. This water is sent by a small hose running through the overflow tubs, which delivers water into the rim holes. This setup makes it impossible for an overfill situation to take place unless a clog is present – the trap remains at the same height as the water should be in the bowl, and gravity controls things from there.

For more on basic components of the toilet, or to find out about or schedule any of our plumbing services, contact the expert staff at All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling today.