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How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve – Part 2

Bob Jackson
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by Bob Jackson

How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve – disconnect the PVC water supply hose and remove the old ballcock float ball valve.

This project is continued from How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve – Part 1.

Disconnect the Toilet Water Supply Hose

Unscrew the coupling nut that attaches the water supply hose to the toilet fill valve. This is located under the tank on the left side of the toilet. The nut usually has large “wings” to unscrew by hand. Use a large adjustable wrench if the plastic nut is stuck.

Take care to shut off the water supply valve (valve at the bottom of the photo) before unscrewing the nut or you’ll have water gushing out and flood the bathroom!

Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Remove the Water Supply Hose Coupling Nut
Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Remove the Water Supply Hose Coupling Nut

The water supply hose nut is unscrewed from the fill valve threads. The supply hose is now loose – several ounces of water will run out of the fill valve. Use a towel to catch the water.

Toilet Repair: Disconnect the Water Supply Hose
Toilet Repair: Disconnect the Water Supply Hose

The toilet fill valve lock nut holds the valve body against the toilet tank. Use a 10-inch adjustable wrench (or channel locks will do in a pinch) to unscrew the nut:

Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Unscrew the Lock Nut
Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Unscrew the Lock Nut

The fill valve is loose inside the tank when the lock nut is removed:

Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Lock Nut and Toilet Tank
Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Lock Nut and Toilet Tank

Toilet Water Shutoff Valve: Disconnect the Supply Hose

If you are not replacing the water supply hose, skip the next two steps.

Because I’m replacing the toilet connector PVC plastic hose with a reinforced Brasscraft hose, the old plastic supply hose is removed and discarded. Unscrew the compression nut with the adjustable wrench. If the nut is unusually tight, place a second wrench on the valve body to avoid torquing the copper water pipe:

Toilet Shutoff Valve: Unscrew the Water Supply Host Compression Nut
Toilet Shutoff Valve: Unscrew the Water Supply Host Compression Nut

Here’s the old PVC supply hose (a.k.a. toilet connector). While I’ve not had a PVC supply hose fail on me and cause flooding, this $2 plastic hose is simple to replace with a $6 reinforced Brasscraft toilet connector hose.

Toilet Repair: Old PVC Connector Hose
Toilet Repair: Old PVC Connector Hose

Remove the Toilet Ballcock Fill Valve

After unscrewing the lock nut, the old ballcock fill valve simply lifts out of the tank:

Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Lift the old Ballcock Valve out of Tank
Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Lift the old Ballcock Valve out of Tank

The toilet tank is ready for the new fill valve and flapper. Now’s a good time to wipe down the inside of tank to remove any remaining sediment and iron stains that couldn’t be reached previously:

Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Toilet Tank Ready for New Valve
Replace a Toilet Fill Valve: Toilet Tank Ready for New Valve

View of the water supply shutoff valve and bottom of toilet tank. The reinforced Brasscraft toilet connector hose will be installed here:

Toilet Repair: Water Supply Valve and Tank Ready new Connector Hose
Toilet Repair: Water Supply Valve and Tank Ready new Connector Hose

This project is continued in How to Replace a Toilet Fill Valve – Part 3.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

3/8" compression nut7/8" wing nut toilet connectorfloat ballreplace toilet ballcock valvereplace toilet hose
Bob Jackson
Bob Jackson
Technology product manager by day and a prolific handyman in the evenings and over the weekends. Bob was the founder of the original Handyman How To website and that tradition continues on this site with excellent new handyman content into the future.
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