Toilet fill times

[pakle]

Totally random question: why are my toilet fill times different? I have 3 identical AS Cadet3 toilets bought at the same time with the same factory-set innards including Fluidmaster 400A fill valve. Time from flush to full-fill varies. Here are the config:

Toilet 1 - 1st level and closest to the water heater: 40 sec
Toilet 2 - 2nd level and almost right above Toilet 1: 45 sec
Toilet 3 - 1st level and all the way on the other side of the unit (I'd say 3x as far as Toilet 1): 25 sec

All 3 times are well within acceptable range so why the discrepancy? I get that upstairs would probably take longer but it's almost double the downstairs despite being much closer. Would love to hear the gurus chime in on this slow news day lol.

PS. One of the toilets has since been replaced with a Toto but same fill time.

 

[MicEd69]

The fill times are dependent on the supply pressure and restrictions in the lines to the toilets. The supply pressure will be pretty much the same at each toilet, and the lines to each toilet are probably not going to provide much in the way of restriction of flow to a toilet fill flow rate. But I would guess that the stop valves at each toilet and the flexible lines to the fill valves are having an impact on your fill rates. Mineral buildup inside those components can be surprising and will restrict water flow and therefor the time to refill the tank.

 

[pakle]

The fill times are dependent on the supply pressure and restrictions in the lines to the toilets. The supply pressure will be pretty much the same at each toilet, and the lines to each toilet are probably not going to provide much in the way of restriction of flow to a toilet fill flow rate. But I would guess that the stop valves at each toilet and the flexible lines to the fill valves are having an impact on your fill rates. Mineral buildup inside those components can be surprising and will restrict water flow and therefor the time to refill the tank.

Thanks! I didn't think about the lines and stops. They were all replaced at the same time a few years prior to the toilets. However the 25 sec toilet has a newer supply line because I replaced it when I changed the bidet attachment on it. So maybe that one doesn't have as much buildup as the others.

I guess I should have had the plumber replace the supply line on the toilet recently swapped out with a Toto - that's the 45 sec toilet.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

(I wish I hadn't read this thread. Now I am going to have to time my toilets as well. )

 

[pakle]

(I wish I hadn't read this thread. Now I am going to have to time my toilets as well. )

The 45sec one is right above my bedroom. On those sleepless nights with nothing to do you start counting the seconds... Wouldn't care otherwise lol

 

[Rossando]

Fill valves definitely go bad and if you replace them I bet your fill time will improve. Sediment gets inside and slows there flow down. It's a simple thing as long as the shut offs work.

 

[JeffreyWisc]

The 45sec one is right above my bedroom. On those sleepless nights with nothing to do you start counting the seconds... Wouldn't care otherwise lol

If you can hear it filling without trying to hear it, I would bet on some mineral build up. Of course you can always hear it to a slight degree but it shouldn't really be that noticeable depending on a variety of construction differences also. I had a toilet that had a slight piece of build up in the supply line once and it whistled on refill. Talk about annoying.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

The 45sec one is right above my bedroom. On those sleepless nights with nothing to do you start counting the seconds... Wouldn't care otherwise lol

I used to try and count sheep jumping over a fence to try and fall asleep because of the noisy family that lives in an adjoining townhouse. Then we installed a white noise generator that was supposed to be random in nature but found out that it was a 15 second loop of audio that repeated itself over and over and over again. I hate finding patterns like that!