A toilet fill valve is literally non-existent in your world– until suddenly your toilet stops flushing one day and you start running to the store! This device is very important in maintaining the hygiene of your toilet. Moreover, it ensures the effortless flushing of your toilet with the right amount of water. I’ve experienced lots of trouble with poor fill valves until I found the right one.
So, what is exactly the toilet fill valve? It is a device that detects the water level in the toilet tank. It lets the water refill the tank after the required water level drops. Simply put, each time you flush the toilet, this kit is responsible for controlling the re-fill of the tank of the flushing toilets.
Why should you know more about toilet water fill valves? It might occur to you that you can do without learning anything on this as long as there's a plumber just a phone call away. However, you’re wrong! There are so many different kinds of these kits on the market and choosing the right one will reduce a significant amount of your time and money over time. Therefore, understanding the way this device works will help you choose the best toilet fill valve out there.
In this comprehensive guide, we will talk about the importance of these kits, their key parts, mechanisms, and how to choose the right one. Let’s begin!
The ToiletsGuide team comprises a cluster of experienced interior designers and plumbing engineers who have been working in the field of Interior Designing and bathroom fittings for the past decade. The team's dynamic professionalism introduced them to new trends of advanced bathroom fittings and fixtures. We conduct researches on separate fields of fittings and fixtures but share a common lab for testing out each reviewed product.
The mission of the ToiletsGuide is to reveal the facts about the products we recommend. It's rather a sharing platform where our how-to blogs and product reviews extensively discuss various aspects of top deals on the market. We do our homework before we set to prepare a list. What's more, we make our research result open for everyone to have a look for themselves.
Nevertheless, we're not sponsored for brand promotion, the very essence of ToiletsGuide stands against any type of monetary gain apart from a small commission that we receive from each of your purchases from our site and we use it for the website maintenance. Our enterprise will succeed if our reviews can help our readers make the right choice.
How did we pick these products?
We adapted an extensive research framework before choosing our preferred models.
First, we made a 30-hour extensive online research for finding out 25 best rated toilet fill valve models with the highest number of user ratings and positive feedback. We had to sift through hundreds of online magazines, forums, and customer feedback to have different perspectives.
Next, the ToiletsGuide team and a group of volunteers carried out field tests on each of the 25 products in our lab. The aim was to have practical usage data for a better understanding of how the reviewing items performed in a simulated environment. It turned out that not all every item matched what was claimed on paper. Most of the items did well and we narrowed down our list to 10 on the basis of their overall performance, functioning speed, efficiency, noise level, ease of installation, building material, and warranty coverage.
That didn' end the study. We had to arrange interviews with top industry experts and celebrated plumbing engineers for receiving their insights on our list and their evaluation on who makes the best toilet fill valve. Their suggestions helped us rank our top models according to their unique properties that made them stand out among others.
Please have a look at the research result given below to find out the range of features we covered on each of the selected valve models.
Our top 10 product list
Writing this review was not an easy task. There are different types of valves, brands, and categories with their highest performers. This is why we have picked the top 10 from different categories. We hope that this approach will help you find the easiest solution for a dysfunctional flush tank. What is the best toilet fill valve? Let’s begin!
Why do you need a quality fill valve?
It's not easy for a regular person to choose the right plumbing fixture and kit. There are so many ways a poorly designed commode fill valve kit may dysfunction, which is also true for a toilet flush tank. The most common problem many users deal with is the valve not registering the water level. Therefore, the tank does not get filled.
The second problem refers to constant re-filling when water keeps going away and therefore re-fills all the time. As a result, you spend lots of water! This is a serious problem you must address immediately.
In addition, many users complain about lots of noise when the tank is getting re-filled. This is also related to the fill valve. Some toilets are slow to fill. This slow re-filling process is another boring problem caused by a poor tank valve.
This is why you must get a quality product that will last a long time and perform in an impeccable manner. In order to pick the right valve, you should know more about its internal parts.
Tank fill valve: buying guide
There are some important factors to consider when it comes to checking the quality and adjustability of a toilet tank water filling kit. Take a look at these factors:
1. Internal parts
As fill valves are supposed to stay immersed in water, most experts agree that durable, high-quality plastic is an ideal choice. Even though metal is more durable than plastic, being immersed in water would lead to corrosion.
This is why the quality models are made from PVC, rubber or other synthetic materials and they don’t contain metal parts.
2. Types (Ballcock or Plunger or Diaphragm style)
If you pick the ballcock valve assembly or the plunger type, it means that the valve belongs to the older generation. It has two key parts - the brass arm and the toilet bowl float ball. If it breaks, you have to get a new part called a rubber washer.
Another popular style is the diaphragm style. It is a bit trickier to repair. However, these are very cheap and you don’t have to spend a fortune on their replacement.
3. Ease of installation & adjustment
It is very important to pick a valve that is easy to install. As this type of thing is usually DIY projects, you probably won’t call the handyman or an expert. That’s why you should look for a model that requires simple installation.
Today, most manufacturers provide all of the necessary tools. You can usually install the kit within 10-15 minutes. Also, there are some great models on the market that don’t require any tools for installation.
When it comes to adjustments, most valves today are easily adjustable. This, mainly, refers to the height. This is very important in terms of compatibility with different types of tanks and toilets. Also, users highly appreciate toilet tank fill kits that offer water flow rate adjustments.
4. Anti-siphon feature
This is a great feature that only some specific models come with. If you come across the anti-siphon valve, we definitely recommend you to buy it. What does the anti-siphon feature offer?
Basically, it is a feature that blocks the back-flow of water. This is important for preserving the cleanliness of drinking water system. Simply put, the anti-siphon feature allows the water to flow in only one direction.
5. The height of your tank
The height of the tank used to be the most important determinant when buying the valve. However, today, most manufacturers offer adjustable height models. This is why most valves today fit most tank models. You should pick one with adjustable height. The majority of them have several inches adjustment space, from 7.75 to 13.8 inches or within this range.
6. Your toilet's flush type & GPF
The wrong kit might lead to incompatibility of your valve and toilet tank. Namely, there are two types of flush – the single and dual flush.
Some water fill kits do not support the dual flush feature. Actually, they won’t fit those tanks. Therefore, you should check your tank type beforehand. Look for the special “dual flush” label on the body of the kit and you’re good to go! Note: these units are usually more expensive than the regular ones.
When it comes to the GPF of your toilet, you must understand and keep in mind some regulations. Namely, GPF stands for gallons per flush. We believe that you have already understood that this story has something to do with the water consumption regulations. Correct!
The Federal law states that the maximum amount of water spent per flush shall not be over 1.6 gallons. If you want to have a high-efficiency toilet, you should go even below this limit. Why is this important for the valve type? Actually, these products are now produced in accordance with these regulations. Pay attention to the labels and you won’t have any bad experiences.
7. Price vs. quality
There are many price categories for these kits. Always remember that you won’t get too much with the cheapest model on the market. At the same time, there is no need for overpaying the valve. You should stick to the balanced, mid-range prices so that you can get a good-quality toilet fill valve at a reasonable cost.
How to spot a good price vs quality ratio? Check for the features. If your valve is made from quality materials and the manufacturer offers a decent warranty, go for it. Remember that you can always find some special offers, even by reputable brands.
Final words
In conclusion, we hope that you have learned something new from this buying guide. We tried to cover some important points, such as the key valve parts and basic toilet tank valve problems you might have to deal with.
Moreover, remember that finding the best toilet fill valve is not easy. It is a process that requires substantial knowledge and market analysis. This is why we have come up with the top 10 valve review section.
To recap, our overall top choice is the TOTO TSU99A.X model. It has everything an ideal toilet tank fill valve should have– durability, quality materials, warranty, as well as easy installation features and convenience. On the other hand, Fluidmaster 400CRP14 is not only affordable but also a durable adjustable valve. The top silent performer is the KOHLER Genuine Part GP1138930 that comes from a reputable brand and will hush the noise of your toilet. It is the quietest fill valve on the market.
There are some other reputed fill valve manufacturers like Macdee, Water Ridge, Hushflo, Ideal Standard, Glacier Bay, Caroma, Eljer, Jacuzzi, Moen, Viva, Delchem, Siamp, Proflo, Brasscraft Mfg, Flushking, Uberhaus, Torbeck, Jacuzzi, Porcher, and Mansfield. Surprisingly, no model from these brands made it to our final list. Our selection process was so rigid that they were dropped out in midway.
Finally, let’s remind you that there are lots of amazing products out there and you must make your own research as well to find the right kit that fits your needs.
