Both the tank and bowl of the toilet must be filled with water before a toilet can be tested. When the lever on the tank is pressed, it flips up a rubber stopper called a flapper, which releases the water in the tank to flow into the bowl. The water flushing action is accomplished by water shooting from small holes around the inner ring of the top of the bowl, in coordination with a siphoned jet hole at the bottom of the bowl. The bowl should be rinsed clean at the end of the flush, as the flapper resets itself over the opening at the bottom of the tank and the tank refills.
Here’s what we check:
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The tank and bowl should have a smooth, cleanable surface without any cracks. -
The inspector will straddle the toilet bowl between his legs with a gentle rocking action to see if the connection to the floor is loose. A secure, bolted connection to floor is important: a loose bowl will eventually open the wax seal connection to the drain pipe in the floor, and allow slow leakage to spread across the floor. When the toilet is sitting on a wood floor structure, wood rot will weaken the floor over time. Also, he will confirm with a nudge that the connection between the tank and the bowl is not loose.
