How to Turn Off the Water Supply to a Toilet?

There are primarily two ways to switch off the toilet's water supply. While the second one is done through the main shut-off valve, the first is done through the toilet shut-off valve.

What should you do if the toilet's shut-off valve is broken or missing, and you need to isolate the water going to the bathroom but don't want to cut off the water to the entire house? It would help if you used your creativity here, and we'll tell you what to do.

Turn the Water Off Using Toilet Shut-off Valve

Find the toilet shut-off valve on the wall behind the commode to turn off the water supply immediately. Full clockwise rotation is required. Pull the push/pull valve out if you have one instead. Alternately, raise the toilet float or locate and close the main home shut-off valve.

You must first cut off the water to the toilet if you need to fix an overflowing toilet that won't stop running, replace the toilet, or perform any other toilet repairs. You must drain the toilet and turn off the water; otherwise, your bathroom will get very messy.

Spray WD-40 oil or another penetrating oil on the valve in this situation and wait approximately 15 minutes before attempting again. If you need to rapidly turn off the water to the toilet, go straight to the main water supply valve.

Close the Main Shut-off Valve

You might be required to shut off the main valve to stop the water flow to the toilet if for some reason, your toilet lacks a shut-off valve or if the one that is present is inoperable. Additionally, all other fixtures in the house will stop receiving water.

• The main shut-off valve's location depends on your home's style. It is simple to find the main shut-off valve if you can find your water meter.

• The main shut-off valve is almost always situated near the water meter. Either a red wheel that needs to be turned anticlockwise or a lever valve that needs to be rotated 90 degrees is required to turn it off (perpendicular to the water pipe).

• The main shut-off valve will be on an exterior wall where the main service line from the street enters the house if you can't find it in the basement near the water heater. The shut-off valve may be located in the basement, crawlspace, utility room, laundry room, or another location. Look for a shut-off valve near the pressure tank if you have a private well.

Due to how little this valve is used, you may stick it; therefore, you'll need to grease it with a little penetrating oil like WD-40.

Set the Toilet Float Up

You'll need to know how toilets function to pull this off.

The toilet tank cover should be removed and set aside. Check to see if your bathroom uses a float cup or float ball. The toilet float is typically attached to the fill valve to regulate how much water enters the toilet after each flush. When you flush the toilet, the float descends to the bottom of the tank, which causes the fill valve to open and allows water to fill the tank.

The float begins to slowly rise upward as the toilet tank fills with water until the water reaches the desired level, and the float stops. As a result, when the toilet tank is full, the float will be at the top, and the water will not be dripping into the tank. Therefore, your responsibility will be to ensure the toilet float is kept in that position.

To support the toilet float, place a piece of wood beneath it. In this manner, the toilet fill valve will stay closed even if the toilet is flushed, preventing water from filling the toilet tank. This technique can help you hold on until a plumber is available if your toilet is overflowing or won't stop running. However, it will only function if the toilet is going to be removed.

Unplug the Supply Line for the Toilet Water

If you have to work on the toilet and don't want to turn off the water to the entire house, the water supply line from the toilet tank may be disconnected, and the opening can be sealed with duct tape and a plastic bag.

The steel braided line that travels from the toilet shut-off valve to the toilet tank, where it is attached to the fill valve, is the toilet water supply line. Sometimes plastic is used to make the water supply lines for toilets. Could you remove it from the toilet tank's base? Always try to loosen the coupling with your hand before using a wrench to prevent damage.

As soon as the line is severed, hastily wrap it in a plastic bag and duct tape it closed. Prepare a bucket to catch any remaining water in the tank.

With this technique, you can simply repair your toilet, even if it entails taking it apart to replace a wax ring or toilet flange. Even if your bathroom is disorganized, your house will still have working toilets in other rooms.

How to Restore the Toilet's Water Supply

Find the toilet shut-off valve on the left side of the toilet on the back wall, closer to the floor, to turn on the water supply to your toilet. This valve should be turned the other way. The toilet tank should begin to fill with water as you listen.

Push the push/pull valve inside if your toilet has one. Spray a penetrating oil like WD − 40 on your toilet shut-off valve if it feels a bit rusty to prevent it from being stuck and becoming rusted in the future.

Conclusion

Even though turning off the water to a toilet while it is being repaired is as easy as learning the alphabet, doing so might be challenging if the toilet shut‑off valve is missing or broken and you have to look help. However, now you can use the hacks discussed in this tutorial to turn off the water supply to your toilet as soon as you discover a problem.