Toilet Repair FAQs:

Questions & answers about how to diagnose and fix a toilet: how to fix a clogged toilet, slow flushing toilet, or a noisy or leaky toilet? How do toilet valves & controls work? How do I fix a toilet that is loose or wobbly. These replies to reader questions help diagnose and fix most toilet troubles.

This article series discusses the cause, diagnosis, and repair of toilet problems (water closet problems) such as a toilet that does not flush well, clogged toilets, slow-filling toilets, running toilets, loose wobbly toilets, and odors at leaky toilets. Here we explain how to diagnose and repair problems with toilets, leaks, flushes, odors, noises, running and wasted water.

Toilet Fill, Flush, Drain, Odor, Noise, Problem FAQs

Questions & answers about how to repair toilet problems, posted originally at TOILET REPAIR GUIDE - home - be sure to review the toilet trouble diagnosis and repair advice given there.

On 2017-03-02 by (mod) - how to fix a toilet bowl that fills up to the brim and flushes slowly

The main drain or toilet drain is probably blocked.

On 2017-03-02 by linda

my toilet will flush but the bowl fills up with water almost overflowing. Later the water will go down in the bowl, but the content does not go down

On 2017-03-01 by (mod) - why is toilet flushing itself repeatedly?

Sounds as if the flush valve is not sealing in the bottom of the toilet tank. Try replacing it.

On 2017-03-01 by Susan

A toilet in our daughters home flushes ok, but when the water comes back up into the tank it goes back down, then fills again.

This is constant and they have to shut off the water at the toilet to get it to stop. What is going on and what do we do to fix it?

On 2017-02-17 by Herman

My toilet quit flushing suddenly. All seemed well in my trouble shooting. The tank fills as it always did. Water comes into the toilet bowl as it always seemed to.

The contents in the bottom of the toilet usually are washed away. There is no overflow or back-up. I see no signs of a clog. Flushing never takes place.
What is wrong?

On 2016-12-09 by (mod) - fix leaks at toilet base / seal

Brian

There are 2 problems here:

1. the drain is clogged, perhaps close to the toilet

2. the wax ring seal has failed - so there's no good seal between toilet and top of the waste pipe

You need to remove the toilet, snake the drain, and if you can clear a blockage there's just replacing the wax ring to be done.

On 2016-12-06 by Brian barnes

I flushed my toilet the other night and the water level rose and then water started coming out of the bottom of the toilet where it sits on the floor. I've taken it off and snake the drain and everything.

Now every third time I flush it, it does the same thing. Has two good flushes then starts coming out of the bottom. Replaced the wax ring and tightened the bolts. Any other suggestions? Could it be the pipe on my roof clogged? Should go up there and try to snake that?

On 2016-12-04 by Mod - toilet runs intermittently

Pat:

At TOILET RUNS CONTINUOUSLY we describe all of the various reasons that a toilet runs or leaks.

A slow leak or slow-running toilet may not be obvious and looking into the bowl you may not immediately notice that water is entering there.

But but a tell-tale clue is that the toilet appears to "run" or its flush tank to re-fill for no apparent reason.

On 2016-12-04 by Pat

Toilet runs automatically for short time and then stops in between using.

On 2016-11-14 by lou

Toilet when flushed backs into the bowl then drains slowly and makes a gurgling noise. Any ideas?

On 2016-10-19 by Anonymous

Drain problem

On 2016-10-10 by (mod) - how to fix a power-flush toilet that splashes

Good question, Tiger.

Fixing a splashing or too-strong power-flush type toilet:

Power-flush toilets can misbehave in ways similar to conventional flush toilets: e.g. running, or a weak flush. those troubles are typically fixed by adjustment and cleaning, for example you may need to clean the intake screen on the water supply assembly.

A Sloan flushmate toilet that runs may be caused by insufficient water pressure to the toilet or simply misadjustment of the actuator flush rod or push-button.

A clogged inlet screen can cause the same troubles as low water pressure.

But

Excessive power in a power-flush toilet can splash sewage so unpleasantly that it can drive users back to the outhouse.
The trouble may be simply one of adjustment of the power flush system, or it may require cleaning or repair of the air regulator.

First: check the water level in the toilet bowl after the toilet has been flushed and the flush-tank refill cycle has completed.

If the toilet bowl water level is too high that can cause splashing. Some flush systems allow adjustment of the bowl fill level, some by a simple plastic squeeze valve mounted on (or added onto) the plastic tube conducting water to the toilet bowl during toilet tank refill.

Next: check for an obstruction, crud, debris blocking the front of the toilet bowl = a source of splash-up. (and unlikely IMO)

Next: check the building water pressure level and compare that with the operating range specified by your power flush toilet brand and model. Send me (page bottom CONTACT) a photo of the toilet, its flush mechanism, labeling, model name and I can help research this for you.

If the incoming water pressure is too high you will need to install a pressure regulator to drop it back. Just closing a supply valve part way won't fix the trouble.

Next: check for mineral or crud clogging the water holes around the toilet rim. During a toilet flush water directed out of the bowl rim is designed to clean the bowl and to assist the flush. But if the holes are clogged too much water may be directed through other holes or through the primary water supply path causing ugly splashing or a "too-strong toilet flush" that is downright violent.

A newly-installed Flushmate type toilet probably won't have rim hole clogs. In that case, since the pressurizing system is set at the factory and is not user adjustable, you're left with installing a whole-house pressure regulator

OR

a pressure regulator on a water line supplying jut the toilet Set that output pressure down to closer to the minimum operating pressure of the power flush toilet, typically 20-30 psi.

let us know how that works for you.

Last: replace the toilet. Some power flush toilets suffered from such bad behavior that they were recalled.

Joe Barrett reported on this in the Wall Street Journal (Barrett, Joe, "High-Pressure Toilets Shake Up Bathrooms" The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 18, 2002), noting that pressure assist flush toilets were particularly noisy and troublesome.

A Kohler power flush toilet model actually could break (talk about dangerous!) and was recalled. Later power-flush toilet models should have corrected the worst of these problems.

On 2016-10-09 by MetalTiger

Ever since we had "water conservation" toilets installed every flushing throws fecal matter up onto the underside of the toilet lid. I am sick of cleaning this off.

Guests of course wouldn't know to do this so the next person sitting down is actually resting their back against dried fecal matter. How do I fix this? I mentioned it to a plumber once and his response was "...a lot of people complain about that.." Hello??!

Is there a fix? Thanks.

Question: toilet makes a loud noise after it is flushed

Why does my second floor toilet make a loud noise after it is flushed (not a water hammer noise) - Sandy 10/22/11

Reply:

Sandy, we'd need more information - like the toilet brand and model or type.

Some toilets designed to use the smallest possible volume of water to flush the bowl may use water pressure or even a mixture of compressed air and water to scour and clean the bowl; these as well as toilets using a flushometer valve often make more noise than a gravity-operated standard tank-type flush toilet.

Reader comment

(Jan 31, 2013) Joe said:

going back to Sandy's question ? please ,,how do we avoid that noisy toilet flashes on the 2nd floor ? some plumbers are asking me remove the wall and cover the drain pipe with special sound proof material . is it a good idea?
thanks for ur help

Reply:

If the complaint is around the noise of wastewater passing thorugh the drain line, sound insulation around the drain piping is the common solution.

 

Question: sound of draining pipes after new toilet installation

My husband just installed a new toilet. When we go to the bathroom it sounds like the pipes are draining.

I just poured water into the toilet so I could figure out where the noise was coming from. It's not coming from the tank area. I can hear it clearly when my ear is at the bottom of the toilet, by the floor.

I don't feel or see any leaking. Any ideas what this noise is and if it's a problem? - Mary 10/17/2012

Reply:

Mary,

I presume "when we go to the bathroom" refers to entering the room, not actually using the toilet. If you hear drainage noises continuously most likely somewhere a fixture is sending water into the drain line. Look for a running toilet, either this one or one that also shares the same drain.

Question:

I live in a multi-unit building, the gentleman on the bottom floor was experiencing soap suds coming though his toilet.

The plumbers came and installed longer pipes, which solved his problem. Immediately after, however, my toilet (I'm on the top floor) stopped flushing and my water pressure in all faucets/showerheads increased tenfold.

Could these things be related in any way? Plumbers have come back twice and said they fixed the problem, that the toilet was just clogged, and that it's a new "green" toilet so it doesn't have as powerful of a flush. Unfortunately I am now stuck with a toilet that has not been flushed in days and threatens to overflow every time I try.

I've tried plunging to no avail multiple times. Thank you. - Kristen 10/23/2012

Reply:

Kristen:

It sounds as if the building plumbing drain layout may be improper - but obviously I can't tell from just an email note;

The soapsuds backup describes a blocked drain or perhaps less likely a venting problem; adding longer pipes ? I'm unclear what that fixed. Longer what, and where?

And if a fixture is too far from its vent (i.e. "longer pipes?) it will often not drain properly.

You can test the "green toilet" low flush volume to see if that design is not working in your installation by trying a larger flush volume temporarily - pour water from a 5-gallon bucket into the toilet, being careful not to overflow. Poor toilet flush problems, discussed in detail at TOILET REPAIR GUIDE, can be due to

• blockage in the drain
• improper drain piping diameter, routing, distances from plumbing vent, slope
• inadequate flush volume, possibly due to mis-adjustment of the toilet fill level or due to improper operation of the flush control valve
• fixture design and shape (some toilets are just bad flushers)

Try looking through the additional toilet repair articles found More Reading.

Question: toilet backs up through tub drain

(Oct 27, 2012) james said:

hi just earlier today i had a backup happen in my one and only bath, it didnt overflow but some watse came up threw the tub, then slowly drained back out, i went to go look at the pipes downstairs and found water had escaped out from what looks like under the toliet and ran down the pipe.

This is a recently purchased home and was not lived in for the prior 2 years, i went and purchaced a toliet snake and some septic treatment products, im still unable to get a full flush so i havent used the treatment yet but the snake gave me no results. any ideas?

Reply:

James,

What you describe sounds like a partially blocked drain line. The plumbing snake may not have been long enough to get to the blockage. Sometimes a drain treatment will clear a blockage, but if not, the plumber won't be happy to have to work with acid or otherwise dangerous chemicals in the wastewater. I'd guess, if the drain works slowly you can go ahead and try it.

Question: how much water is used when flushing a toilet - normally?

(Nov 23, 2012) ISSY said:

When flushing the toilet there seems to be a lot of water filling up into the main water system in the loft, is this normal? Thanks

Reply:

ISSY

A conventional tank type toilet uses about 1-2 gallons of water per flush; if your water system is doing something else, there should be a different reason for it.

Question: toilet flushes but water doesn't spin or clean the bowl

(Nov 30, 2012) Cassy said:

So, my toilet suddenly stopped working. It will flush, but no "whirlpool" action occurs and it over flows. I've tried plunging it, it doesn't help. It's a traditional toilet, one commonly used in apartment buildings(I don't know the brand). The tank fills normally, but the bowl itself seems as though there is too much water in it when it's calm and filled. Any advice would be appreciated!

Reply:

Typically we see this problem when the toilet drain is partly blocked, slowing the toilet drainage. It may also occur if the dose of water entering the bowl is too small, for example if the toilet is flushed a second time before the flush tank has re-filled.

Question: toilet sounds

(Dec 12, 2012) Allan said:

when I go to the bathroom, I sometimes hear the toilet like its finishing up... What is causing that

Reply:

Baffled in Boca Raton - I don't understand the sound description

Question: repeated toilet clogs

(Jan 2, 2013) DONNA KRUPINSKI said:

What causes toilets to overflow when plumber has been called each time and he snakes out to the main line.

Reply:

Most likely either the plumber hasn't been able to clear the actual blockage or the main drain line is damaged, leaky, root invaded, or is feeding into a failed septic system.

Question: toilet water disturbances

(Jan 5, 2013) Dorothy said:

I have two toilets back to back in separate bathrooms. After remodeling in both bathrooms, (both toilets were removed and replaced) the water moves a lot in the other toilet when one or the other is flushed!

There is nothing leaking on the floor (as this is been happening for more then a year). Can you help me with this problem.

Reply:

Water zooming down the waste line is perhaps creating a vacuum due to inadequate, blocked, or improper plumbing vent piping. The vacuum from the flushed toilet may then disturb water in a nearby toilet. You may also hear gurgling at nearby sink or tub drains.

Question: water from the toilet splashes bystanders

(Jan 18, 2013) Donna said:

water shoots up in bowel when flushed must shut lid when flush.
Also bowel only fills with small amount of water.

This was not a problem until water main broke and toilet was flushed without water comming into it, when we did have water it sounded like pipes were full of air, thinking the sir in line causes to litte waater to fill bowel I tried pouring water to fill bowel and tank with flush, still didn't not add to volume of water in bowel and still shoots up.
Any help, Thank You

Reply:

This sounds to me like a power-flush low-water-consumption toilet whose flush mechanism needs adjustment. If you tell us the brand and model of the toilet I'll research the question further.

Question: sink gurgles when toilet is flushed

(Apr 2, 2013) Tammy in Wiscconsin! said:

Hi Mr. Plummer! Wondering why my sink in Bathroom gurgles & "spits" up water when the toilet is flushed! Seems like the water pressure in toilet is low. Any suggestions_? Thanks

Reply:

Tammy there are twi usual explanations for gurglilng at nearby drains when a toilet is flushed

One is that the plumbing vent system is defective or incomplete or blocked.

Two, gurgling at nearby drains might be heard if the main drain is partly blocked.

Question:

(Mar 2, 2014) chentell said:

hello, my toilet is running water/a steady stream constantly in the back of the bowl. then every 2 minutes it sounds as though it's just beginning to flush every 2 minutes and i hear and see even more water flowing into the bowl. then the clang clang of the pipes/whatever.

then it goes back to just the steady stream of water running in from the back of the bowl and repeats this process OVER AND OVER AND OVER. i wish i could fix it myself, just don't know what to do. please help me b/c it could be days before i can get someone who might be able to help and this is driving me nuts as well as a terrible waste of water. i'd at least like to know what is wrong.....and thank you so much in advance!

i might also add that when i actually do go to flush the toilet, it does feel the same like a definite flush used to. like the flapper is not sealed to begin with or something. it used to just feel like you pushed down and it definitely flushed now it's just so weak, i don't know if it's going to flush or not but it does. i just wanted to add this to my question b/c my problem might be two-fold. thank you so much.

Reply:

Chantell, in the links at CONTINUE READING just above you can take a look at

• TOILET OVERFLOW EMERGENCY
• TOILET RUNS CONTINUOUSLY

Question: toilet bowl doesn't fill to normal level after a flush - or Toilet Cistern (tank) does't fill up enough

Mar 16, 2014) Jim in pgh said:

After flushing the bowl dose not refill to the usual level. There is about two inches of water in the bottom of the bowl. The tank refills to the usual level. If I add water to the bowl it stays at the filled level but when flushed again the bowl does not refill.

(Aug 6, 2014) Bryan said:

My tank fills up after the flush but it seems the bowl is less than full.. Any ideas?

(Dec 22, 2014) Rosemary Hatherly said:
I have a problem with my toilet cistern when you flush the toilet the cistern does not complety fill so to flush the toilet agin you have to top up with a jug or two of water so you can flush the toilet what could the problem be ?

(Dec 22, 2014) Rosemary Hatherly said:
I have a problem with my toilet cistern when you flush the toilet the cistern does not complety fill so to flush the toilet agin you have to top up with a jug or two of water so you can flush the toilet what could the problem be ?

Reply:

Jim,

Lift off (careful not to drop it) the toilet tank lid and look inside.

Flush the toilet. Watch what happens.

If the small diameter fill tube that is supposed to be sending water into the toilet bowl (it connects from the toilet tank fill valve to the top of the toilet tank overflow standpipe) is not connected properly the water level in the bowl post-flush will be too low.

Let me know what you find. Send along photos using the CONTACT US link if you wish and I can comment further.

Bryan

Lift off the toilet tank lid and check to see if the small diameter bowl-fill-tube that is supposed to be inserted into the overflow tube in the tank (where it sends water into the toilet bowl during fill cycle) has come out of its proper postion.

See TOILET FLUSHES POORLY for details of what to check and fix so that the toilet bowl will fill normally. Those repairs, including adjusting the toilet fill valve should fill the cistern to the fill line marked on the tank interior and should put an adequate water re-charge into the toilet bowl.

Rosemary, in ARTICLE INDEX please see the article

TOILET FLUSHES POORLY

where we explain how to diagnose and fix the trouble you describe. It may be as simple as adjusting the toilet fill valve.

Question: toilet clogs up with feces

(Mar 29, 2014) MARIE said:

My toilet always clogs up when you do #2. I have been able to unclog by using a plunger and it take a while to unclog. I tested the toilet by pouring a bucket of water down the toilet, i can hear a gurgling noise once all the water drains out and also when i use the plunger. When you first unclog and flush , dirt is always in the bottom of the toilet.

Reply:

Look for a partly clogged main drain or a failing septic system.

Question: toilet flush tank fills too slowly

(June 10, 2014) Sharon said:

I don't understand why my toilet takes so long to refill now. It used to refill rather quickly. Now it seems to take forever before it finishes refilling. I'm assuming it's using the same amount of water, but it takes soooo much longer.

Reply:

Perhaps the valve on the toilet water supply line is partly closed, or the valve or small diameter piping have become mineral-clogged. Minerals can also clog the fill valve assembly itself. I'd start by replacing that.

Question: toilet bowl empties too slowly

(June 12, 2014) Vicky said:

When I flush my toilet the bowl will fill with water but goes around the bowl and goes down slow until all the water is gone. Then the water fills the bowl to normal level. If I put toilet paper in it acts like is getting stopped up. What could be the problem?

(Dec 8, 2014) Vince said:
With heave load, bowl works fine, with light load dose not flush properly.

Reply:

Vicky if the flush waster quantity is normal then the drain is clogged.

Provided that the flush volume remains normal, the most likely explanation of a slow emptying of the toilet bowl is that the main drain is partly clogged. A second cause of slow toilet bowl draining can be a clogged plumbing vent.

Vince check for inconsistent filling of the flush tank or cistern

Question: contagious toilet flushing

(June 13, 2014) jim said:

we flush the toilet on the first floor and second floor toilet will also flush just for a few seconds. What is the problem?

Reply:

That's a curious problem, Jim. Perhaps a surge or drop in water pressure is stimulating the fill valve in the second toilet.

Jim, I suspect the toilets are not properly vented, or perhaps not vented at all.

Question: hearing water in the walls

(June 17, 2014) beth said:

hey. since my husband replaced our toilet, i keep hearing water switching on and off (in the walls. almost sounds like the icemaker in the fridge.), and it appears to be going in to the toilet bowl. happens every several minutes. wtf?

Reply: check for running toilet

Beth it appears that the toilet is running. Look for a leaky flush valve, fill valve, or at the gasket between bowl and tank.

See TOILET RUNS CONTINUOUSLY

Question: toilet flush handle direction causes stress

(July 29, 2014) Scott said:

I installed a new toilet handle (Danco Universal Toilet Handle) and something is wrong because in order to flush the toiletI have to pull the handle up instead of pushing it down. (It is a side mount Toto toilet)

I have tried the handle every which way I can (handle pointing forward, handle pointing backward, handle pointing upward) without solving the problem.

Reply:

The geometry of some replacement flush control handles might indeed swap the direction of movement. You may have found a flush lever intended for mounting on the right side of a flush tank but installed it on the left side. Some of these levers can be inverted by disassembling the flush lever and flipping over the plastic or metal handle-limiting lugs.

Question: toilet sounds like it's flushing but no water enters the toilet bowl - toilet sounds like sucking air

8/21/14 Rachel Foulger said:

On some occasions I press the flush lever and the toilet makes a flushing sound but no water enters the bowl. This happens about once a day but the rest of the time the flush is normal.

(Jan 9, 2015) Dan dahlstrom said:
All of a sudden, when we flush now, it sounds like our toilet is sucking air while the tank is filling. It fills properly, although maybe a little slower, and it shows no sign of any leaks anywhere. The assembly was replaced about one year ago, and there were no problems until recently.

Reply:

Rachel

What a fabulous question - I'm baffled. If the toilet is "flushing" where is the water going if it doesn't enter the bowl.

If your toilet has a removable top lid, please lift it off and carefully (not to break it) place it on the floor.

Look into the toilet tank. Grab a camera and use the email at our CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos of what you see along with an image of the toilet brand (usually on the base). If there's a date stamped in the lid or in the tank tell me that too.

I wonder if your toilet is an older "low flush" water saving toilet that uses an internal baffle in the tank.

Dan

Did you lift the tank/cistern top to see what's going on?

Is the noise from the fill valve or something else? Look for a slow or blocked main drain too.

Reader follow-up:

(Jan 10, 2015) Dan said:
Thanks , yes ieverything looks normal, it just sounds like there is air in the water flow pouring into the tank through the small nozzle on top.

Reply:

Dan

Next theory - maybe an increase in water pressure that is making the valve misbehave, or a bad fill valve? If there is no air at nearby faucets I suspect we might have a bad fill valve or an increase in water pressure. Try manually moving the fill valve or float valve up and down a few times to see if freeing anything up changes the sound.

If no success, if the fill pressure looks quite strong I'd try closing the toilet supply valve half way to see if the reduced flow rate makes a difference.

Question: toilet makes a "Flush" sound but no water enters the bowl

(Aug 21, 2014) Rachel Foulger said:
On some occasions I press the flush lever and the toilet makes a flushing sound but no water enters the bowl. This happens about once a day but the rest of the time the flush is normal.

Reply:

Rachel

What a fabulous question - I'm baffled. If the toilet is "flushing" where is the water going if it doesn't enter the bowl.

If your toilet has a removable top lid, please lift it off and carefully (not to break it) place it on the floor.

Look into the toilet tank. Grab a camera and use the email at our CONTACT link to send me some sharp photos of what you see along with an image of the toilet brand (usually on the base). If there's a date stamped in the lid or in the tank tell me that too.

I wonder if your toilet is an older "low flush" water saving toilet that uses an internal baffle in the tank.

...

Continue reading  at TOILET REPAIR GUIDE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see TOILETS REPAIR FAQs-3 - more-recent questions and answers about fixing a toilet

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR
• CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS
• SEWER GAS ODORS
• TOILETS, INSPECT, INSTALL, REPAIR - home
• TOILET TYPES, CONTROLS, PARTS - home

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