Toilet Repair Instructions for 10 Common Problems

This is a new one on me. My friend had me look at her toilet because there was a hesitation of refilling after it was flushed. I had no clue but I took the lid off and when I turned it sideways all this water fell out of a hole that was in the lid. Actually there was a big hole and a little hole and the water came from the little hole. After that it started filling like it should. Have you ever heard of this?

No

I RECENTLY INSTALLED A HYDROCLEAN FILL VALVE AND REPLACED THE SNAP ON RUBBER FLAPPER USED ON AMERICAN STANDARD. NOW EVER 1/2 HOUR OR SO THE TOILET TOPS OFF. I CLEANED THE FLAPPER SEAT AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE IN ORDER.

THANKS FOR THE HELP,

PETER

Peter,
You need to install a new flapper that includes a new seat. I use Fluidmaster.

We have 5 toilets in our house. The master bath's toilet on the second floor is difficult to flush. All the others work fine. It takes a great deal of pressure on the lever to actuate it. It appears to be time related. If flushed immediately twice in a row, it works fine the second time. If not flushed for a day. it is difficult. The mechanism works fine. It feels as though there is a suction developed over time. Is it a problem with the vent?

Scott,
No problem with the vent. I feel it is just a flapper valve that is getting a little too cozy with the valve seat.

Our toilet tank water refills and very frequently there is no water cut off and water overflows into overflow tube. We must use water cut off valve to stop water or keep flushing until it checks water and stops at right water level-- ie below overflow tube is desired. Please advise.Thanks.

Merrie Jo,
Ahem....... The answer is just above in this column. :-> You can also discover tons of other toilet-repair tips in other columns here.

Hello,
Tried everything. Toilet is on 1st floor of two story house and about farthest from where pipe leaves house to septic. About 36' and three other in house work fine. When flushed there is like a burp or bubble that comes up through water first, then poor flushing because all water has stop because flapper dropped. Bought new toilet,a professional said toilet was broken? It may not be adjusted properly. Ran garden hose way down drain. Looking in basement I don't see anywhere a vent pipe is connected in drain by that toilet unless it is in the wall behind sink somewhere. Could this be it? It has never worked right since bought house 10 tears ago. Help!!!!

Hello,
The problem we have is the flapper not staying long enough for the water to flush. As soon as we push and let go the handle, the flapper will go down and block the water( too soon).
Help!

I already posted my toilet problem above but after more observation i have a better idea but not sure how to fix.
The air bubble comes out of the whole in bottom of bowl before the water comes out. You can also see air come into tank when flapper lifts. Is this normal? I adjusted water level down to fix double flush but flushing is still horrible. Doesn't usually flush all the way through. Also toilet is at the end of a very long branch and I did see wher the sink which is before it connect to drain line and that is also probably the vent but I read somewhere the toilet should not be at the end. Is that true?
Thanks for your help.

Terry,
My initial thought is that this is a first-generation low-flush toilet. Please read my past column about these bad toilets. I would pour a 5-gallon bucket of water into the bowl as fast as you possibly can. If there is no overflow and it makes the normal suction sound as the last water goes into the bowl, I vote you get a new toilet.

Vaughn,
Install a new flapper valve as well as the seat for the valve. These kits can be found at hardware stores.

Terry,
That is not true. A toilet can be at the end of a plumbing system and work fine. I am convinced you have a low-quality toilet.

I work in the maintenance department of a hotel and am looking to see if someone can give us some help with this. We seem to be having a lot of toilet overflows lately. I am not talking about just toilet clogs, that we have all the time. It seems that when the toilets are clogged, the flapper does not come down and the water from the tank never stops going into the bowl until we can get to the room and shut the water valve off. We are getting a lot of flooded rooms. What's keeping the flapper from coming down? The are 3.5 Kohler Wellworth toilets.

Donna,
Flapper valves fail for any number of reasons. The most common I have found is sediment buildup on the axle. Look at how one operates.
You will see that the rubber tabs of the valve rotate on a plastic shaft. Remove the flapper and take a cotton swab to clean the inside of the holes. Clean the plastic shaft. Then lubricate the shaft with a waterproof grease - the type used for o-rings. All should work fine.

Hello, Installed new tile on the floor, Raised the toilet about 3/4 of an inch. Wax ring will not make contact with bottom of toilet now, Was told to double the wax ring, tried this now the toilet makes gurgling and sucking noise and does not flush complete. Am I not getting a good seal at the wax ring????? Thanks

Bill,
Correct. You need a third ring if necessary to make a good seal.

I have a one bathroom house. My toilet flushes fine when there is no solids or paper being flushed but when there are solids and paper then it just fills the bowl up. Plunging will clear it and force it to flush. The tub and sink drain great. The cleanout is outside near the bathroom window. I can see water passing by the cleanout (I had my son flush while I watched the cleanout). There is no blockage in the main line.

I replaced everything inside the tank and the tank gasket about 6 months ago. The toilet worked great up until 3 weeks ago.

Any ideas?

Hello,
We bought an older house and when we flush the toilets there is a very loud gurgling noise. Now, sewer smells are starting to come up through the bathroom sink. The vent pipe that goes out the roof is very short. I am assuming that the vent pipe is clogged. Do you think that could be it?
Help, I can't stand the smell.

Beth,
That is indeed the first thing I would check - a stopped-up vent pipe. Put a garden hose in it and see if the water backs up. The vent pipe should be able to take every drop of water from the hose.

No plumber has been able to solve yet
3 toilets in the house When the toilet in the basement is flushed, the toilet above it vibrates and the ball shakes loudly for at least 30 seconds. The entire parts of the upstairs toilet were replaced and alse the shut off valves.
Any ideas what may be the problem?

Kris,
Sounds like it is a water pressure issue...... Your pressure might be too high.

Problem with 2nd floor toilet. House is 2 years old, toilets are 1.6Gpf Sterling series. Recently 2nd floor toilet bowl will fill upon flush and very slowly, if at all, drain. Master bath toilet on adjacent wall works fine. Removed toilet to look for clog (ie kids toy) and no clog, drain pipe looks clear. Slightly confused as adjacent toilet works fine when considering common drian and venting (I am assuming they are common), suggestions? Thanks

David,
What happens when you pour a 5-gallon bucket of water into the toilet quickly? Read all of my toilet columns AFTER you do this test.

Hello,
Out Master bath toilet, 2nd floor, will not flush. If you flush it, it just backs up with water in the bowl. We've installed all new hardware in the tank, snaked the pipes up to 25 feet (well over where the other 2nd floor toilet is), actually taken the toilet off and poured a ton of water directly into the pipe to check for a clog. Everything looks fine in the toilet and the pipe. What could this be, and is there something else we can do?

Okay, I checked the other comments and am convinced I am overlooking something slight. I have two toilets that seem to have the same problem. When flushed the flapper won't fall-it just sits so you have jiggle the handle for it to. Occasionally they do make a slight dripping sound, but it's never clogged or in need of plunging. Can I simply replace the flapper to solve the problem? Or is there something else I am missing?

Melissa,
The issue is that water from the tank is not getting into the bowl fast enough....... Check for blockages in the syphon-jet hole and under the bowl rim.

John,
You need new flapper valves.

toilet problem. sometimes the water in the bowl will start to bubble and the bowl water level will drop. this will happen when the toilet is not being used or flushed. what can be causing this? flush it and the bowl water level will return to normal. what could be causing the syphoning of water out of the bowl. thanks.

Craig,
There could be a clog in the main drain line downstream of this toilet.

I have three toilets in my home. One on second floor, one on first floor and 3rd in basement. Toilets on 2nd and 1st floor flush partially to hardly any at all. The toilet in basement is not used and no water in it. Could this be the reason for the partial flushes...an opening in the loop...for lack of better word. I've poured 5 gal. bucket of water into both toilets and goes down with no problem. Any feedback would be appreciated. Duane

Duane,
Put water in that basement toilet! You need that trap seal to stop sewer gas and vermin. The other two toilets may be poorly engineered. Read all of my toilet columns.

There is a brown substance seeping out from under the toilet. NO smell to it NO other problems with the toilet
I am assuming I need to call a professional---what is the cause and how much$$$$ are we looking at?

Hi:

I have a big problem with my toilet at home. it is that when I flush the toilet it take the water back but the water do not stop and over flow my toilet and the water run on the floor.

What can I do? Do I need to put a new mechanical system or what you can recomend me to do?

Maggy

Rajat,
It sounds like the seal has failed. It is an easy fix and should be affordable.

Maggy,
If the water is overflowing the bowl, you have a clog. If water is coming out of your tank, then that is a different matter. Call a plumber.

Replaced the flapper in my toilet and now I have to stand there and hold the handle down or the flapper will slam shut too quickly to complete a flush. I adjusted the chain on this new fluidmaster flapper but it still does the same thing. What is it?

I have two toilets that will not flush all the way every time. Sometimes you have to hold the handle down until it flushes and even then it doesn't always do it. We have a septic tank and emptied it last year. It is especially bad when it rains and then the toilets make bubbling noises. Help please!

My toilet bowl rocked side to side. My brother said to tighten the hold down bolts...well I did and one of them broke off. The toilet is roughly 25 years old. What do I do now?

Ray,
The chain is too short.

Liz,
I would replace the broken part. Before you start, read all of my past columns about Installing Toilets.

When it rains, one of the toilets in the house seems to bubble up or gurgle.
Why?

Brenda,
I would say you have a clog in the main drain. If that is not it, then a clog or blocked vent line.

We have three toilets in our house, one on the ground floor and two on the second floor. They work fine most of the time, but once in a while do not flush well, with water standing for a long time before it goes down the pipe completely. It happpens without a visible reason. In the recent couple of weeks this problem comes up in one of the toilets on the second floor almost every other day. In between - it works perfectly. Do you have any idea, why it happens?

my toilet bubbles when flushed. do you have a remedy?

Michael,
I do. Read all of the comments and my responses. Also read all of my Toilet-Repair columns.

John,
Yes. It is in these comments or others ones at the bottom of other toilet columns of mine. Happy Hunting!

when I flush the water comes back up overflow tube....slow swirling drainage of toilet

My first floor toilet just went "Blub Blub" and then the water went from the tank into the toilet bowl. There was not enough of a rush to push the water down thru the pipes. Also, the water continued to fill the tank.
What would cause this?

Anne1,
A partial clog. Check by pouring a 5-gallon bucket of water into the toilet as fast as possible.

Great site .... guess you also know about NOT using any of those drop-in cleaners (the ones you drop into the tank and supposedly disinfects and adds color to the toilet bowl water) ... had the problem about four years ago and when I came upon it on the web, I immediately emptied all the tanks and took the gooey mess out from all three toilets (using rubber gloves or else your hands will be badly stained!) and cleaned the tanks thoroughly ... immediate success ... no more sluggish toilets - The Blue Goo story is at:
http://www.toiletology.com/blue-goo.shtml. New (sluggish) problem has resurfaced in one toilet nearest to the septic tank but I will change flappers as I suspect this may be a partial problem - I also suspect partially clogged (hard water) holes under the rim but will try something safe - just had the 1000 gal. septic tank pumped this past weekend. Aside from dismounting the tank and using muriatic acid, is there any household stuff I can use for this (like vinegar for instance?)... appreciate your suggestions!

Allison,
Nothing I know of works as fast as muriatic acid. You do not have to take the toilet apart to get it to work.

I recently remodled my bathroom and I had to move my toilet drain over about 7", I had to use a 22.5 degree elbow with 2" extended pipe and then the new drain, i then installed a new toilet and it gets clogged very easily. Any suggestions. Thanks 4 your time

Jason,
The problem could be the toilet. Some less-expensive ones have a hard 90-degree bend where the colon exits the toilet. I know of a friend that had a toilet like this. Once she bought a name-brand one, no more clogs.

Our toilet has gradually over the last year started missing flushes. When it does flush, it works great. Its happening more frequently - I put a snake in the hole to make sure there were no mineral deposits as suggested, and checked around the rim.
I also snaked down the main hole as far as I could go - nothing there.

If there is no clog, (the other toilet does fine) does it mean its time to get a new toilet?

Kristi,

Go to:

http://www.toiletology.com/blue-goo.shtml

and see if this might be your problem!

I,HAVE A GOOD ONE , REPLACED THE TOILET AND TURNED ON THE WATER STARTS TO FILL TANK AND BOWL, BUT FILLS THE BOWL FIRST AND DOES NOT QUIT FILLING BOWL UNTIL IT OVERFLOWS. I PUSHED THE FLAPPER DOWN, AND IT STILL FILLS .HELP.

I have three bathrooms and two of the three work just fine. The problem is the toilet wouldn't stop running and wouldn't flush. Water would fill up in the bowel almost to the rim then slowly go down but never actually flush. So we replaced everything in the tank. Now the toilet no longer runs but it is still not flushing. It fills up almost to the rim as before then slowly goes back down but never flushes. We are lost. The other toilets are working. Please help.

I have 2 toilets on the mail floor of my house. One flushes without any problems, the second one will not flush. When I flush the problem toilet the water just swirls in the bowl and will not leave the bowl without plunging. If I open the tank, I see air bubbles entering at the drain. I have taken the toilet of the floor and checked for blockages, I have ran a garden hose down the floor drain, I have ran a garden hose down the vent stack, I have cleaned the drain holes in the toilet rim, I have replaced all of the workings in the tank. Nothing has worked. Any ideas?

My toliet on first floor keeps clogging. I have used auger. Called Plumber and still often have to plunge. Is it possible that a new toliet will solve problem? I just don't know what to do. Your help is appreciated.

After flushing the toilet (which works fine), the only way the toilet will re-fill is to shut off the water supply to the toilet and then turning it back on. The toilet just started doing this.

We recently had our basement WC (toilet only) remodeled by a skilled handyman/plumber. The handyman was doing other repairs in the basement as well. I alone use the toilet.
When he was finished, the place looks great, but now the toilet will not deal with solid waste. No problem with liquids, but solids will not pass through the system without a number (5 or 6) flushes accompanied by plunging. Eventually, it all goes away, but what a production! The last time I looked into the bowl, I realized that what I thought was just discoloration from long contact with waste is, in fact, a thick, hard solidified deposit of gypsum drywall compound at the lowest curve of the outflow tract of the toilet. I haven't applied the muriatic acid to it yet, but my questions are: Is that likely to be the source of the trouble? and is muriatic acid likely to dislodge it? Is there anything better, like grout cleaner? Or do I have to remove and upend the toilet?

We have a toilet that was installed without a vent pipe and it flushes...sometimes - is there some way we can add one without starting over ?

Hi,
I have a problem with American Standard Cadet compact toilet which worked OK for about 3 years (in brand new house) and now it doesn't flash properly... My issue looks similar to Terry's. When flushed there is like a burp or bubble that comes up through water first, and the water level in the bowl goes a little bit up. Then poor flushing and it also looks like jet stream does not really come out as well.
Please, help!!!

My toilet shoots water to ceiling when top is off after flushing. But when top is back on, water is so forceful it runs over top down to floor. It makes all kinds of sounds. Please help me.

We have a toilet that has been installed for close to 10 years and never had an issue. Lately it occasionally wont flush (acts like it's stopped up), I know it isn't stopped up because I may use it & it will be just fine then use it again 4-5 hours later and it will have this issue. A plunger has no effect on the problem other than pushing all of the water out of the bowl.The toilet may be like this for a few hours then you come back and it will work just fine. When it is having this issue the bowl will completely fill with water and slowly drain.

My toilet makes a very annoying very high pitched noise when it is flushed. It is the only toilet on my side of the duplex. Any ideas what is causing it and how to fix it?

Thanks and Gig 'em!

Howdy,
How can I increase the height of the overflow tube to allow slightly more water to flow into the tank? My toilet doesn't quite flush completely. I have adjusted the float to allow more water but it is still not quite enough. This is a newer 1.6 toilet.

I Have lived in my flat for about a year, sometime over the last few months it has stopped water flushing right around the bowl to the front, its flushes about two thrids round on each side from the back and pours into the water but never makes its round to the front of the bowl/pan to wash away unwanted splashes, this has started to cause a slight smell each day.

It is an "ideal standard toilet" but I cannot even get into the systern as the flush buttons on top don't seem to undo/unscrew, how would i take these round buttons off correctly to see inside the tank?

There seems to be power in the flush but my dad seems to think it might be lack of power not pushing water far round enough? any ideas?

My toilet won't flush. It has many issues. You flush and it doesn't go down. 15 minutes later the water level is low. I adjusted, the ballcock, now the water level is way to high! almost over flowing. I go back in and sure enough the water level is low again. I tightened the screws on the bottom as well. what the heck is wrong. ugh... besides me

Help! We had a big party in the house and all of a sudden all toilets stoped flushing and we didn't have any water in the sinks. We thought maybe the tank had run out of water so we decided to wait overnight for it to fill again. After a few hours, the toilet downstairs started working but both toilets upstairs are still empty. Any help greatly appreciated.

I have a 1 piece toilette and have replaced the flapper but the water never stops running. The toilet works but the water never stops running. Can it be fixed?
Thanks

My toddlers flushed a thermometer and an empty toilet paper roll down the toilet. Bear with me...I'm a mom who is far from handy. Do I need to call a plumber? Is there anything I should worry about? Will the roll eventually clog the toilet? All seems to be okay for the moment.

Hi,

My masterbathroom toilet will bubble and gurgle when no one has used the toilet and then it will flush on its own and the water will not refill in the bowl or will drain down to just below the bowl. The first time it happened I flused it and it worked fine but then I heard it do it again in the middle of the night and am afraid to flush it again. Do I have a clog or a leak?

hi
i have a problem with my toilet, after flushing the toilet, the water comes up very slowly and makes a whistling sound , the bowl also does not have any water in it.i do not have a ball type though. would love for some advice.
thank you in advance,
lee.

When flushed with normal water levels in the bowl the toilet overflows.Water slowly recedes then over drains, gurgles then returns to a lower level. Have tried a 6ft snake and a plumbers plunger with no change.
Any thoughts??

My problem sounds exactly like Scott's (09 Dec 2007). You say it's a flapper value that is getting a little too cozy with the valve seat.

How do you fix that?

My toilet became clogged after someone used it and when flushed the water overflowed the rim of the toilet seat and onto the floor. This continued for an hour until someone noticed. How could this have happened?

Help!!! I live in a block of flats with 8 other houses. My toilet is brand new and is making a buzzing noise whenever I use the cold water (cold tap, shower, washing machine) sometimes it starts on its own. I had a new bathroom installed 6 months ago and it was fine until my neighbour had a problem and shut off the main water to our close, now the thing won't shut up. Please help - I'm at my wits end!

Have bathroom toilet that seemm not to want to flush properly. When I pour buckett of wate in bowl water swirls properly and goes down but when I flush normally I do not get enough swirl to flush. Is It the flapper?

When I flush the toilet the water spins and spins but it will stop and not take anything down (I can place a square of toilet paper in the bowl, flush and it will not be taken down). If I plunge the toilet and then flush it the water will go down for about 5 to 7 flushes. Have no idea what to do?

I have bought my toilet a year ago but yet lately I have been having a problem. When I flush the water in the toilet, the water will not rise to the normal level it used to rise to. It stays low and when I flush, it gives a few air bubbles and then it fluses. If I slowly let the water flow into the toilet letting it rise to the normal level, then it stays that way until the next flush.Could there be a clog somewhere? The other toilets (from the same manufacturer) are not doing that. what could it be? How can it be fixed?

Toilet flushes fine, and refills fine and stops. Then like magic it continues to fill and leak through flush handle opening. All ne parts inside toilet. HELP Thanks

Hi, I have used your garden hose method to determine that I have a clogged vent pipe. What type of professional should I call to help clear it? Is there anything that I can do on my own to fix the situation?

all the pluming was re-done by someone that doesnt know what the was doing.after we bought the two storie house. we tried flushingboth down stairs and upstairs toilets,will not flush.have to use a plunger ever time...please help

The tank on the master bath toilet looses water. After we flush the toilet about a half an hour later the tank will be half full. I can't hear any water leaking through the flapper. It also does not fill back up unless we touch the fill valve.

Couple of issues when we flush our toilet in our second bathroom. Seems to flush normal, but the bowl almost overflows and then the water level slowly drops until there is barely any water in the bowl. The second issue is when we flush this toilet or our other toilet, we sometimes hear a gurgling noise from the other toilet in the house.

The toilet tank doesn't fill after flushing...I have to turn the tub faucets on to get the water running in the tank every morning. What could be causing this?

Is it possible to replace a bowl without replacing the tank???

We have 3 toilets, 1 downstairs and 2 upstairs. For a few months now the two upstairs spontaneously make a noise like the final part of a normal flushing process. One can do it every 10/15 minutes or so then the other one will start. It also appears that water is trickling down the pan following this process. What is happenig and how can we stop this annoying thing. Apart from this all toilets flush normally and efficiently.
Thanks Jo

Hi,
First of all thank you for this page...
One of the two toilets in our house has continually running water into the bowl. It flushes & fills just as normal but recently after every flush is completed the slow trickle of water that finishes filling the bowl never shuts off...I heard something about a "turning the screw" inside the tank to adjust the ball? but it did not seem to work. I am a total novice at this & Im worred Im paying for all this extra H2O? Could the rubber plug at the bottom need replacing?What else could I try?
thank you! K

I just remodeled my bathrooms. I had to replace sewer lines to my septic, due to moving both toilets.

The one NEW toilet has been installed, but in flushes very slowly and clogs often. I have not installed the other toilet yet.

Like I said, the toilet is new and the waste lines are all new.

Please help

Karina,

Tim has a video on the flapper valve that continues to run. It might help with your problem. http://www.askthebuilder.com/Toilet_Flapper_Valve_Video.shtml

I installed new toilets last summer and everything was fine until recently, when the seat comes flying down during my visits. Needless to say, my quick reflexes causes a complete wetdown of the area (fireman lingo). Is there anyway to correct this problem?
PS: I had to install 10" bolt set because of heating pipes which meant a smaller tank that leans slightly forward.

Toilet was leaking at junction of tank & base. Took apart & put on new gasket. When I flush it leaks where the two parts are joined. I noticed, when the toilet is apart there is water in the are where the two tanks come together, should this be empty after the flush??

I have two problems with one toilet and I'm not sure if they are related. The toilet in question is on the bottom floor of a 3 story apartment building. The first problem is that the toilet flushes multiple times in a row. Specifically, if you push the handle once, the toilet will drain the water (normal pressure), fill the bowl half way, drain again, fill half way again, drain again, and repeat this process 3 or 4 times before it finally fills all the way and stops. All the material is completely cleared with the first flush but it keeps going any way. It also used to run constantly unless you jiggled the handle just right. I told the plumber about both problems and he put in a new handle (and I think a new chain). This stopped the constant running but not the repeated flushing. Then today (about a week after the repair), the toilet overflowed. It was quite unexpected because I was careful to flush a few times during that visit to the toilet so that I wouldn't overload it. But it overflowed anyway. I tried to shut off the water but I was too late. It then drained and cleared all the material away almost as quickly as it overflowed. I didn't even have to plunge it. What might be causing this behavior? Could the overflow problem be related to the repeated flushing? Thanks for you help.

We have a 1.6 gal toilet. Recently, when we flush, water bubbles up and squirts up to the toilet seat. Any ideas what is causing this? The toilet actully clears fine but the squirting of water is annoying and unsanitary.

I was cleaning the toilet with my Clorox wand when the blue disk came off the wand and fell in the toilet. Somehow it got jammed and clogged the toilet. We've tried taking the toilet off and looking but nothing. We tried pouring liquid dish soap and hot water down the toilet and it worked for a day but when someone went and used a lot of toilet paper, it stopped flushing again. It rises up really high, then goes down super slowly to the point of almost no water but the tank is full. Any advice???

I have a new house (2 years old) and the toilet in the master bathroom has never been great. It's farthest away. At first I think it has a flapper problem as it was doing the dripping every now and then and filling and also it wouldn't fully flush. Now though it won't flush at all. New water comes in and not much goes down. Then it after the bowl has refilled (really high)it will slowly drain down to normal level. I have tried plunging to no avail, but I can't even think of what would've clogged it.

Hi Tim
My son wanted to install my new toilet,I bought a Crane,he cracked the tank so he went to lowes and got a Jameco. Does it matter if you have a diffrent bowl than the seat? We can't seem to get it to flush right. Thanks Brenda

I have the same problem as Vaughn and a few others below that you did not respond to. I have replaced the flapper. It slams back shut any way. You have to hold the handle down to get a complete flush. Whats up?

I recently installed a "universal" toilet repair kit from Fluid Master and now the flapper ball stays up about 5 seconds too long with every flush. The pull chain is not kinked or tangled. There is sufficient slack/tension on the pull lever. I lubed the "hinge" areas, and played around with water levels. The end result is the same. The flapper ball does not drop quick enough after the flush. Any suggestions?

had a lot of trouble unclogging the toilet with a snake and vigorous plunger. now the toilet flushes , but it makes a swishing sound and it does not seem to fill from around the entire rim?

After flushing the toilet does not refill. The valve is open and I hear water running. There is no water coming out the little tube going across to the syphon. Can you tell me the problem?

Hi:

In the past week or so, when I flush my toilet, there is a whistling sound. I read your problem articles but none seem to address my problem.

I have a fluidmaster valve installed.

Thanks
Mr M.

I purchased a condo built 11 years ago in July. I was really surprised to see the rust and its effects in the back water tank. I have a home warranty and they sent a plumber who replaced broken parts. recently I have noticed a strong urine smell coming from my master bath toilet. There is no sign of leaking anywhere around the toilet. What could this be?

When I flush my upstairs toilet, about 15 seconds later the drain pipe rattles like a train is passing. Is it the venting or syphoning problem?

toilet flushes slowly. When the shower is going or other toilet is flushed, we hear gurgling coming from the toilet. We look and air bubbles are coming up and the water level in the bowl is going down. What is it?

hi, ive never really done any work with toilets before, but have a problem with mine. when i flush it, it seems to be working fine, but the bowl fills almost to an overflowing point, and stays that way for over an hour before draing. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Krisi

Hello all, the problem we have is when someone sits on the master bedroom toilet (second floor) I hear water dripping, no visual signs of water movement in bowl, or leaks around the toilet?
appreciate any feed back.
Fred

For some reason water continues to rise in my tank. The water is not running at all, but when I look at the inside of the tank lid it is full of condensation. However, there is no condensation on the outside of the toilet. It seems that the hole for the handle is set lower than the overflow tube hence the water is leaking out of that hole. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Water is constantly running into the bowl, and I can't figure why. The tank is not constantly refilling to replace water leaking out of the tank, so it's not a flapper problem. The water level in the tank is .5" below the top of the overflow. I pulled the tube from the valve to the overflow tube out of the overflow tube, but that didn't solve it. I can hear dripping somewhere inside which is making this even more annoying! How can water flow into the bowl without going through the tank?

First, does anyone maintain this page anymore? It doesn't look like the builder has been answering questions since July?

Anyway, Need help fast (only one toilet in the house). My toilet got clogged yesterday and right away I turned off the water supply so that it would not overflow. I plunged the toilet and it cleared up, however when I turned the water supply back on I got nothing...the tank does not fill at all anymore, not even a drop of water going into the tank. Does anyone have an idea as to what the problem could be? Please help!!!! every time I have to use the toliet I have to fill the tank manually with a pitcher...not fun!!!

Please, any feed back would be appreciated..
Thanks

My toilet is approx 40 years old. It does not usually flush the first time....make take up to 4-5 times and then it totally flushes. It is especially bad in the morning when first used. A plumber came out and cleaned out the line and it was better but am back to the same problem. He said the toilet needed to be replaced. Can you concur? Do you have some favorite brands for a budget?

My fill tube will not fill up the take after the toilet has been flushed. However, if I turn off the shut-off valve underneath the tank and then turn on the shut-off valve the fill tube fills up the tank. Also, there seems to be a leak at the shutoff valve too.

Any ideas. I plan on repairing the leaking shutoff valve. Thanks.

I have 2 bathrooms in my house, one on the 2nd floor and one in the basement. This just started happening. When I flush the upstairs toilet, the water level rises in the bowl, then slowly slowly drains out. The toilet in the basement is fine. Could this be a clog? I see how to check it (but I'm currently at work and will check tonight), but if it isn't a clog, then what else could it be? Thanks in advance!

Hello
I bought a foreclosed home that didnt have water running through the pipes for several years. The master toilet would only flush completely sometimes. Probably every third flush. I just thought that it want getting enough pressure. Then it happened, toilet water everywhere! I couldnt find where it was leaking from. I took the toilet up and tried to clean the "P" trap but there was nothing in it. Do I need to buy a new toilet?

Water runs continuously down the inside back of the toilet bowl; however, the overall water level does not change. Any idea how to stop the water from running?

My toilet runs for a couple of seconds after I run water in the sink , and it doesn't have to be the sink in the bathroom . It's like there is a vaccum that sucks water from the bowl to make it run. How do I stop this waste of water running .

this never happened before!!!!! bought a new toilet at h.d. when i put it in the bowl will drain and the floor is wet.than replaced wax ring again w/heavy duty one. same thing happened! do you think this bowl came w/a crack in the inside?? please reply!

Toilet was working fine then suddenly no water at all will go into the tank, not even a drop.

Toilet on 2nd floor has been cloggedfor awhile. I've tried plunging, snaking, ad even rented a rooter and used all 100 feet. any ides on what tocheck next?

hey need help? my toilet water is not draining right all the mechanisms sound good it just doesnt drain right if it is clogged how do i unclog it thanx

I have a one bathroom house. My toilet flushes fine when there are no solids or paper being flushed but when there are solids and paper then it just fills the bowl up. Plunging will clear it.The tub and sink drain great.

Hi it works half the time right then some times it doesnt do anything it fills with water then you wait couple of minutes it drains to no water. then you flush again it does the same thing until you use a plunger.

problem just started.
my two toilets just fill up when flushed and slowly go down.
and when bathtub drains both toilets bubble.

I am having a problem with the toilet when it flushes there is a burp of air and water that come up from the drain hole(in the bowl). When this happens the toilet does not completely flush. It fills with water and then drains but does not flush strongly like it should. The next time I flush (right after the first) typically the toilet does not burp and the toilet flushes like it should. Any ideas? Thanks.

Having problems with flushing the toilet. Replaced the toilet I could see water when I looked into the hole but the new toilet acts just like the old one, doesn't flush completely air bubbles into the toilet so violently the water splashes out onto the floor. Don't know where else to look before I call the septic company (maybe it needs to be pumped? no odor or backup) HELP!!!

I have a 2 story home and when we use the shower upstairs our toliet down stairs fills with a gunk material and sometimes overflows not all the time. Also the sink down stairs gurgles before this happens. Can anyone help with what my problem might be and how to fix it?

hello, we have an older home in Texas, and one of the bathrooms, is very slow, it makes the bubbles like in the example before, but also takes 6 gallons of water everytime it flushes, so its long before it can be flushed again, I want to replace it for a 1.6 gallon one (newer), but my husband was told by a homeimprovement store employee, that its is almost imposible, because the inclination of the toilet its design to handle that amount of water and that a newer one will never work, that we will have to lift the whole fundation to replace it!...help please!

after i flush, water does not refill. tank is empty.what do i need to replace?

I Have a toilet that you can hear water dripping into the bowl and it occasionally refills ( Once every several hours). The flapper has been replaced. The thing I don't understand is how the bowl refills after flushing. There is no hose leading from the fill mechanism to the overflow tube.The toilet is about three years old and a chlorine tablet in the tank damaged the flapper. Any help?

Hi -

A couple of the holes on underside of my toilet's rim have become enlarged, the two right at the front of the toilet just left and right of center. I think it happened when cleaning them to make them flow better. One sort of shoots the water at the rim edge and hits the bottom of the seat, the other one sends the water straight down into the bowl with a heavy stream not angled to swirl like the other holes thus sort of disrupting the swirling water. This some times causes the toilet not to flush, just partially empty then refill. Short of replacing the whole bowl, is there a way shrink the holes using some sort of glue or plaster, as long as a small angled whole is made in it (glue a small straw in)?

Thanks.

tank bolts leak.we replaced them again! this order-metal washer,rubber washer against bottom of tank,bolt through tank,hex nut under tank,sat tank on toilet,then metal washer, rubber washer, wing nut. It's leaking again around the bolts - HELP

When the toilet is being filled up
after i have pulled handle it makes
a very grating noise as it fills up
is this because there is an air babble in the pipe from which the water is coming from ?

Hi,
Our home was built in 2006 and purchased in 2008. It was never lived in, however the builder lost it, so it was banked owned. It looked like there were some kids hanging out before we moved in and possibly tobacco (?) or something in the toilets. More recently our toilets become clogged SUPER easily. We have to plunge them at least once a week. Any ideas on what could be wrong? We didn't have this problem in our old house, which was MUCH older and our plumbing seemed much worse.

Hi,

we have about 6 toilets all incesa standards which are from 1993...coincedentally all of them have become slow flushers with little water flushing power and I tried washing out with the muriatic acid (only once) and there was no noticeable improvement...in the area I live in we are plagued with excessive limestone in the water...is it likely we have to change all of the toilets?

My toilet handle (Kohler, low volume flush, post 1998) has to be jiggled to stop running. Do I need a fishing weight on the arm(as was suggested, do I need a new handle or does this point to another problem?

Hi,
I have been having a problem at my apartment complex. It is always in the whee hours of the morning like midnight-6 a.m. everytime I use the bathroom the back of the toilet starts to vibrate and it is soo loud like a bee bee gun. I have no I dea what it could be. It that what a whistling tank fill is?

The first paragraph of your article is important. But how do I tell when my toilet was made? In the tank is Elger 141 0220 1.6 Gpf and than stamped into the clay is the # 4068. How do I determine if I have one of the first generation 1.6gal flush toilets that is destined for failure?

I have the old 5 gal. toilet on 1st level of home. About 25% of the time the water in the bowl fills up and I need to cut off the water supply line so it doesn't over flow. 5-10 seconds later the water drains on it's own and I then turn the water back on. Very tedious. Any ideas?

My toilet continues to fill ever so slowly after the float is all of the way up. Obviously this wastes water and causes a slight noise from the water constantly running. I've tried adjusting the height/level where the float obtains it's cutoff but this does not impact the problem.

I have cahnged the flapper and fill valve, but the toilet still fluches slow.....If I hold the lever for about 5 seconds then I get a little swoooosh down the bowl...Water fills up very vigerously along the sides of the bowl but not alot of power to flush....water fills up the bowl , goes down fast but it just won't give that swoos to clear down the hole....what's up..I watched the flapper stay up till 80% of the water empties...thanks

Similar to the problem found by vaughn (12/12/2007), the flapper has a bulb on the reverse side which has fallen off and has been pushed down into the valve that feeds the syphon jets into the bowl rim. Other than replacing the toilet itself, is there any other way to dislodge the rubber bulb. Not sure that a muriatic wash would do any good on rubber as it would with calcium buildup.

Well, this may have a very simple answer but the tank fills up with water fine, but the bowl does not. What could be the problem?

I have to hold the handle down to get the toilet to flush, how do I fix this?

Hi,
An older, upstairs toilet fills almost to the rim when flushed and slowly drains with poor "whirl action". It has been plunged, augered and chemicals have been used, so I'm pretty sure there is no clog. Our ourside line has also recently been replaced due to roots so I know it is clear. The plumbers checked it and it worked fine... for a day. The flapper seems to be operating correctly as do the fill valve and pipe in the tank. Help please!

My toilet is flushing fine, except the water wont refill. After I flush, I wait and hit the lever again and it starts to refill. There's no sound of running water when it doesn't refill. Help?

My partially flushes. I don't put any paper in it unless absolutely necessary. I flush it once a day and it works beautifully. Any more than that and it will not flush everything down. The kitchen sink, bathtub and the bathroom sink all drain into the same system and they drain just fine. We had the septic tank emptied less than a year ago. What could be causing this problem? I need your help.

Hi Tim. At the end of the toilet flush, there is a squeal which can be heard in the other bathroom. If the refrigerator is too close to the icemaker's copper tubing, the squealing sound can be heard in the refrigerator's water line as well. Can you help me? Thanks.

the american sandard flush overfills above the level and water does not stop and leaks from the flush handle
pl advise thanks
cb

Our toilet is not flushing properly. After flushing, a big bubbling of water enters the base of toilet and it will fill up near the rim and drain very slowly and eventually empty and give that "gurgling" sound at the bottom. I've tried plunging it MANY times with no success. Is it a clogged problem or a mechanical issue? Thanks for any advice you can give me.

When I flush the upstairs toilet it makes a loud clank in the pipes, is there a easy way to fix or do I need a plumber?

How can I adjust the water level in the bowl?
My toilet flushes well (as it seems) and the water level is held in the bowl, but it is very low.

Thanks

my toilets are phantom flushing after being here for 8 years. the pool man just installed a pool sweep and that's when it started.the pool has an auto fill with a fluid master. could that be why the toilets are phantom flushing? I replaced all the flappers and they still go night and day.thanks

when I flush the toilet it fills almost to the rim then drains slowly which results to another flush which sometimes overflows and some times it will simply flush. Most times it takes twice and some time 3. After installing another toilet it work great then it started doing what the other one did. I have watched water drain from the shower into the pipe the toilet sets on and after about 15 minutes no clog. I have talked to plummers about it but can tell me nothing. They dont know. If you can shed some light on this problem I would be greatful and will wash your car while you enjoy milk and cookies while you wait graciously provided by me.

my tank fills fine and flushes fine but it leaves little water in my bowl. How do I get it to leave a higher water level?

My toilet makes strange noises all the time. It will be quiet and then you will hear a whistling noise or a gurgling/bubbling type noise. Then silence followed by more noises. Any suggesttions?

The last six months or so whenever water is used anywhere in the home (kitchen sink, dishwasher, laundry, bathroom sink, etc) one of the three stools (randomly) will sound like it is running for a brief period. What is causing this and how do we fix it

I have a downstairs toilet that flushes fine. The problem is that recently the water drops below the water level and the toilet makes a noise as the water is being dragged thru. It then reaches a level well down into the toilet bottom. I have rodded the drain from outside and there are no blockages.

I have a weak flush and the flapper
remains in the "up" position...the
flapper is suspended in ~4" of tank
water and never closes. Any help?

I need to move my toilet to about 30 inches from the wall cause I bought this sort of table cover but when you sit down you hit the back. I love this table cover and I do need a new toilet anyway so is there a toilet of reasonable price that will fit over the orgignal 12" rough opening yet extent to at least 30" so I don't break by back when I sit on the bowl?
Joe

I have a 1.6 gallon toilet that is 4 years old. The toilet is in a rental and am not sure if something was dropped into it when it was new. I had to plunge it and afterward no prblem until recently a new tenant moved in. I thought it might be the flapper closing to quick, so I made this adjusment, and it seemed to work until yesterdys plug. I plunged i and the water wnet down. Howevr, Ichecked it by placing a large amount of paer into it and noticed the paper woujld not flush. Icould see the paper protruding from the hole. I plunged it and it went down. Could thre be an partial obstrucion if so , wht can I do?

We recently bought a home built in 1990 and have a septic system. Both toilets seem to have a flushing problem at times, but not always. Often it takes 2 to 4 attempts to flush the toilets. We have tried holding down the handle until the bowl empties--that works sometimes but not always. When the toilets aren't flushing properly, the water in the bowl just swirls around but doesn't go down. The toilets do not overflow, but we're wasting a lot of precious water, let alone being frustrated. We've had a plumber come in but he couldn't resolve the problem since it doesn't happen all the time. Any help you can provide would be most appreciated!

In reply to Jean Deem (11/28/07): I've seen an instance where the small fill line inside the tank comes ajar and points in the wrong direction. My guess is it came loose, pointed (or spashed or sprayed) toward the lid, and hit the holes. That accounts for the delayed fill, because the tank wouldn't start filling until the lid was full.

The problem i'm having is when you flush my toilet the water doesn't go down but then after 5-10 minutes there will be no water in the tank. What do you think the problem is?

My upstairs toilet started leaking onto the floor. I'm in the middle of a move, so I just turned the water off to the toilet at the base and decided I'd deal with it later. To my surprise, the very next day, the same bathroom had water on the floor and a full tank on the toilet! So I thought I just didn't turn the valve off as tightly as I needed to.I flushed the toilet and it did not refill.
The next morning, same problem! How can this toilet tank keep filling (and toilet keep leaking) if I have shut of the water to the toilet! Help :-)

Hissign sound turned out to be water running into overflow pipe. Water supply has been turned off.

There is no ball used iin the design of my tank. It flushes with a push-button from the side (people don't know how to respond to it - it's turned into sort of an IQ test).

There is a flap. There is a tube that is fed by a hose. My hose defiitely has dry-rot. I plan to replace it today. Will this solve my problem? Visually, everything else seems to be in order.

If I need to replace all of the workings (less the commode), I'm up for the task.

I'd appreciate your help.

Thanks,
Nancy

I flushed a rag down the toliet it does not seem to be stopped up do I need to do anything or just wait and see

Hi, Our toilet has been making a very loud sucking sound once you flush it. It sounds like it would suck you right down with it. Everything in the back of it checks out fine but its the flushing and the loud sound it makes everytime you flush. What do you think it could be? Thanks debie

After installing a smaller new tank as advised by manufacture the bowl will fully empty only every other flush. The water level in the bowl is different between each flush. When I hold the flapper open the bowl empties but I notice the water level still changes every oter flush. Can you help? Thanks

"As the tank fills, water is also sent through this tube. It is used to refill the toilet bowl since it lost its water during the flush." This is what I needed to know. I thought I was doing something wrong and took the new fill valve in and out 20 times and caused other problems with the pipes. No manual said anything about this.

I have a dual flush toilet. Once the toilet flushes, for the next few hours periodically it sounds like it is doing a partial fill. Can you help me fix this please.

Hello,

We have 2 problems with our toliet that is under 3 years old.

1) it takes 6 mins for the water to fill after a flush.

2)if you don't hold the handle down the entire time-it won't flush

thank you,
deb

THANK YOU!! After searching all morning and trying everything under the sun, you are the first one to mention hard water deposits in the syphon hole! This is my problem and now I know what to do about it. The syphon hole is almost totally closed. THANK YOU!!!

I have a Case 1100 toilet that runs a little after the tank has filled. What part needs replacing? We replaced the top section that has the arm and ball on it and it did not stop the problem. Thanks

My toilet makes a "whoosh" sound every 30 min or so. It appears that the water in the bowl is lower, but not by much. It flushes fine when it is flushed. Am I losing water from the tank into the bowl, or is some water from the bowl draining out? Not sure what to do to repair it.

My toilet bowl is not emptying with enough force when flushed. I have had a plumber twice. He has run an auger ddownt the drain and replaced all the inside of the tank. It will work for a day or two then slow down again. He says I need a new toilet. Is there something in the toilet bowl that can cause the water and waste to stop emptying properly. Can a new toilet be the answer? Thanks for your response.

hi!
after somebody take a bath the toilet didn't flush completely. It takes an hour or two before it flush completely and sometimes there is gurgling sound.

teddy

Our overflow valve on the toilet is constantly overflowing. I have adjusted the ball to its lowest level. When the water reaches the point where the ball is set, the water turns off, but not completely, I cannot see where the water is continuing to come into the tank from. Do I need to replace the entire valve? Also we experienced the same problem (with the same toilet) & had the valve replaced less than 1 year ago. What could be the cause of this?

Thanks!

I replaced the wax ring on my toilet. Now when the tank is refilling with water, it sounds louder and just before the the tank is filled there is a vibrating sound.

My toilet rises with new water when flushed but there is not suction, it eventually goes down but it's not really carrying out anything. What could be causing this? I have plunged it but that doesn't seem to help. HELP!

toilet flushes one time and the next not all the way. its almost every other time

Hi, I am in the process of buying a foreclosed home. The house has not been empty more than a few months. Any ways I was there yesterday for the home inspection and noticed in one toilet there was this almost spotted light/dark brown algae growing inside the bowl under the water. Now that was there before. However, in the upstairs bathroom the toilet looks like someone took #2 and didnt flush it or even like someone burnt something and threw it in there. Either way it wasnt there when we were there for the showing a couple weeks ago and I am not sure what it is. There is also a leak somewhere in the second floor batthroom so I was a little hesitant to try and flush it. Anyways any help or suggestions on how to get rid of this stuff would be appreciated! Thanks

i have quite an unusual problem,ive replaced the ball and cock mechanism on my flusher but without fail at 3 in the morning the tank fills and overflows,before i go to bed i step onto the toilet lid,peer into the cistern that is on the end of a long pole,not your traditional housing and all seems silent,no drips or spills,then at between 3 and 4am the flood gates open,why is this happening?

Water fills the bowl rapidly, and although the toilet never overflows, the water stays at a high level and the contents are often not flushed away. If I pour water into the toilet from a bucket, it flushes effectively every time. I cleaned the bowl rim swirl holes, but the problem persists. Any ideas?
Thanks

I sometimes have a strong smell of urine on the enclosed porch that backs up to both my bathrooms. My neighbor said it was because my "p" or pee traps needed replacing. What is this and how is it done?

Thank you!

i have a toilet in my basement that when flushed alot it backs up into the toilet bowl itself and also into the basement shower. i had a plumber look at it n he snaked it for clogs and there was none. could it possible be from the toilet not being vented in the basement?

you need to shorten the chain conected to the flapper that way more water will go down at a time, or put more water in the tank so that the fill vaulve doesnt tip immedietly

I noticed that Muratic Acid may be used to clean old toilets. Do we drain first or pour into the water and how much.
I had been told this years ago but thought there may be rules against it now
Thanks for your help

I have the problem where the water level in the bowl is fine right after a flush, but slowly drops down after a couple minutes. This is a brand new toilet (just installed yesterday) so there can't be anything clogged in the colon of the toilet. What else could it be?

The toilet sometimes takes two flushes to drain before it refills. I have tried using a plunger to get the toilet to empty but it does not do so each time. Any suggestions other than keep trying the plunger?

I have tried everything. Toilet over flows but the drains are clear and the vent tubes. Ihave snaked the toilet drains and vent tubes. Can't find a cure.

hi there
our problem is when flushing the water doesn't flush anything away it just spins it around and stays where it is, tried pouring a load of water down it to see if the bowl was clogged but still same problems could you please advise

Toilet flushes ok, but then the bowl fills all the way to the top of the rim, and then very slowly drains down almost all the way.....
what do I need to do?

I have a leak coming from what looks like between the tank and the bowl where the bolts are. First I tightened the bolt just a little bit but that did not stop the leaking. Then I replaced the bolts and washers with new ones because I thought it was from the bolt. After putting on new bolts and washers on both sides, the leak is still there on the one side (where the flapper attaches). I took out the bolts and washers and there were 2 rubber washers between the tank and the bowl. They are just on the same side as where the flapper attaches. Are there supposed to be rubber washers between the tank and bowl and why was there none on the left side of the tank? Does the tank need to be level before I put the bolts in?

Recently we had a very bad water leak from the main under the house. water department said we were using at least 250,000 gallons a month. we have since fixed the problem but the toilet overflows all the time when flushed. We have been hearing suction sounds from bathtub a lot before water leak. When plunged water comes back up thru bathtub drain. Would air vent cause this problem?

When I flush my upstairs toilet or drain my kitchen sink, my basement toilet turns into a bidet. We have checked the "stack" and can't see any blockage.

Live in a 4 year old condo. Problem is occassional 'sicky sweet sewer like odor coming from the toilet. It's so strong that we have to close the door and keep flushing the toilet. Not too sure if it helps but after about 5 hours it goes away. We first thought it was coming from the tub so we closed the drain. That didn't help. Other neighbors haven't noticed the problem.

About 12 yr old American Standard toilet. When flushed about 1/2 the tank emptys into the bowl just fine, then slows almost to a stop until water level is low enough for the ballvalve to drop. I cant imagine what could be interfering inside the bowl, especially sinse the first half of the tank water runs so well into the bowl. Dont tell me Uncle Sam has mandated a water saver IN THE BOWL. ?

I have a problem with my downstairs tiolet my other two tiolets work just fine it's just the one downstairs when I flush it the water rises to the top and then slowly within hours it goes back down, tried using a tiolet auger does'nt work. Called a plumber said that there might a clog way under maybe crack in pipes or something to do with foundation don't knowwhat to do what else canI try before having to call my warranty?

I have a toilet that I replaced the tank on with a 1.6 gallon tank. I also removed a small ball from the trap that my grand daughter flushed.
Ever since this, the toilet has flushed very gently, without enough power to flush solids.
Is it possible something else is clogging the trap, even though the snake didn't dislodge anything else, or could the 1.6 gallong tank not be large enough for the older bowl?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I flushed my toilet and upon refill it started to skake and make a thumping noise. I have to turn the water valve down very low so the water refilling is just trickling to keep it from shaking or making the noise. If the water comes out medium or full force the toilet goes crazy. If I run the sink while the toilet is refilling then the shaking and noise stop as well. I don't know what happened. It was out of the blue and there were no signs of a problem beforehand.

Our toliet has stopped filling up after flushing and has been making gurgling noises for a few days< now this am we woke up to sewage water in our tub?

My toilet is new and the home is new. When I flush the toilet, the water rises high and then goes down vigorously. If I hold the lever and control the amount of water going into the bowl, it will work normal like the other toilets in the home. However I flush the toilet, most of the time there will be a bang as the water goes down. I closed the valve that lets water into the tank and flushed, but same problem.

need new lever,square push model either encora or other. not sure tried home depot unsucessful "1994" any ideas ? Thank you

For the last few weeks when we use the waching machine the tubs and toilets overflow. It's disgusting. How can I fix it? Thank you.

hi,

I have a Fowler dual flush cistern. Water is slowly leaking into the bowl. Are there some easy instructions as to which washer to change within the cistern?
Ta!

My problem is a little different. After the toilet flushes, nothing happens, and all I hear is a hissing noise coming from the filling tube.

Most people will say that I need to replace this, however the problem isnt from the valve itself, its coming from the main water supply.

Whats weird is that if I shut the main supply off and leave it for 2 minutes, then turn it back on it works just fine and fills up the tank.

I think the problem is there is poor water pressure coming from the main supply line, can anyone confirm this?

Why is it that when I close the supply line and open it back up, it works just fine?

Tim, I discovered a very simple cause behind my toilet bowl overflowing onto the bathroom floor with no clog or blockage of any kind. This is a Karat brand 1.6 GPF "low-boy."
1) There was a slow leak coming from the old ballcock assembly. 2) The small hose going to the refill tube had popped out of place and was filling the tank (not to refill the toilet bowl). Result: The toilet tank overflowed into the refill tube, continuing to fill the toilet bowl to the point of overflowing.

I have trouble flushing my toilet. When I take the rubber hose that runs from the filler valve to the overflow tube out of the overflow tube, the toilet flushes fine. But when I place it back in, the problems start again.

Any ideas?

Thanks

I turned the water off to my toilet a week or so ago because it was continually filling. I finally got a new flapper and installed it today and went to turn the water back on and .... no water. I am completely stumped by this. There is water everywhere else in the house. What could be going on?
Also, thank you for offering this service - I sure do appreciate it.

Basement toilet. When I flush toilet I get a bubble of air coming up and then water flushes out. at same time then leaks out of base of toilet. Is this a venting problem? or possibly clog in line?

Downstairs toilet suddenly began weird problem -- flushes ok, begins filling ok, but if you turn on sink faucet (bath or kitchen) water in toilet stops, and resumes filling tank when sink faucet is turned off. Do I need a pro, or is there something I can do myself?

I have the same problem as Vaughn
(12 Dec 2007, 12:24)What was the
answer to his question? I just
installed a complete Fluidmaster
kit including a new flush valve so
the flapper ball should be okay, shouldn't it?

I own a duplex. One side has never given me a problem, however the other side's toilet has given me much more problems over a 5 year period. I do know there is not much slope in the line to the septic tank. the side i'm having a problem with is the farthest from the septic tank. I've had a plumber look at it, with no real solutions. They get it working again (as have I by simply plunging) and a few months usually go by with no problem. I can't tell if it's the tenant or the toilet/line. I have noticed it happens sometimes after we've have quite a bit of rain. Can a lot of rain cause this? Any suggestions?

We have had a problem with our toilet not flushing right for over a year now. I got some advice from one <a rel="follow" href="http://mycloggedtoilet.com">toilet repair</a> website, which helped quite a bit, but it is still not flushing like it used to.

Is it just possible for a toilet to wear out over time? How often should you replace a toilet in your home?

Thanks for the help.

i have a whistling toilet, but it is two yrs. old. the tank is full and every so often the toilet starts whistling until i flush it.
it may wait an hour or two and starts whistling. help, it drives me nuts during the night

Where can I find info about a 1994 toilet that doesn't have a conventional flapper.

The overflow tube is also (somehow) the flapper.

What style is that?

How do I replace that sluggish (non) flapper type?

Thanks.

I have replace the whole insdie of the toilet tank with new parts. It worked well for the last year. Recently the water level in the tank slowly goes down and then the toilet makes a noise as it fills back up. I have put in a new flapper(?) the part that the water goes out of and then when you release the handle it seals so the tank can fill back up. There is no water leaking anywhere and I cannot figure out what the problem is. Please help!

I have an american standard toilet that keeps running. The water just keeps filling in the tank and go down the overflow. The tube is already attached to the via the 'clip'. It also has developed a drip behind the tank. I have tried moving the 'yellow' box up and down into various positions and nothing seems to work. What can I do?

Your website was the only one I found that suggested a solution to my problem. My toilet flushed and filled OK, but the bowl level gradually dropped over time. Most other websites suggested re-seating the bowl was necessary.
I plunged the toilet briefly and the problem was solved. I saved $$$$ by not having to call a plumber to re-seat the bowl. Thanks!!!!

Hi I hear a dripping sound but I have no clue how to fiz this problem it is driving me crazy. When I open the bowl thing there is a long pipe thing with a black top that hold the lond pipe with that balloon thing on the end. Well it is dripping from the top of the black top. I have no clue what these parts are but I tried pusing the top on it down to stop the dripping but that diesnt work. the water in the toilet bowl shakes too with each drip what can I do.. Help

Hi! I had to check a friends toilet, An American Standard. Its at least 30 years old. The water goes down the bowl very slowly. I first snaked the bowl and tried a plunger a few times. It seemed to help but not by much. Checked the jet holes around under the rim and the the large hole at the bottom of the trap (Bottom of Bowl) No calcium deposits as far as I could see. Finally I pulled the bowl off the floor and checked the drain and the bowl carefully. No restrictions. Reinstalled and still the same problem. Then when flushing I found the water that comes out of the siphon to force the water through the trap was very weak. Looks like its time to replace the toilet?

We have a new built home and one toilet has always had a very weak flush, so much so that it frequently leaves waste in the bowl. It then takes a while for it to fill so it can be reflushed. We keep a large bowl close by and fill with water and that automatically flushes it and works well. Any ideas on how to fix?

Older (30 yrs) toilet, two months ago replaced flapper, etc. Just now, alone in house, heard a loud "boom" from bathroom. Went in and heard toliet running (no one has used it). Took of lid, saw water pouring into fill tube, water rising past normal level in tank. Turned off water at wall to avoid flood. What exploded, please? Thank you.

I recently had a clogged toilet that appeared okay after I used a plunger. The toilet now "gurgles" at the end of the flush. The water seems to go down fine but for some reason it drops way down and makes a gurgling sound. Any suggestions?

I am having a problem with the two bolts at the bottom of my tank tha connect the tank to the toilet I have replaced them but they still leak what can I do to repair this jackie

the toilet bowl does not always fill with water. also, sometimes there is a gassy smell.

My problem started when my granddaughter flushed a whole roll of tp down the toilet. Vigurous plunging finally releaved the clog. But now I do not get any water comming out under the rim, only from the bottom of the toilet. Why is this? and What can I do if anything besides replacing the toilet.

Thanks
Rebecca

When I flush the toilet the stool comes up into the bathtub.

I changed the flapper, and it still leaks. Now my brain is leaking! This thing is driving me nuts! What next? The toilet is only 2 years old. I changed everything that can be changed inside tank without having to remove the tank, including the flapper. Matter fact, I changed the flapper twice! and it still refills after the water level drops an inch or so. Help! or I will hammer this toilet. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

my toilet makes gurgling noises when i'm in the shower.not every time just once in a while.it gurgles and flushes.what is wrong?

I have back to back bathrooms. When i flush toilet in one, I get water backing up in the other bathtub. What could be the cause of this?

I replaced the toilet shut off valve. Now the toilet fills way too slowly

The handle on the toilet tank gets stuck in the down position when flushed, therefore causing the water to keep running. If the handle is pushed up, then the water stops running after the tank fills up. What is causing this to happen, and what is the cure?

Hello,
Our second floor bathroom has sewer odor coming out of toilet when you lift the lid. Also there is sewer odor coming up sink drain when you run the water. Ran a snake down the ventilation pipe on the roof. It appeared to be clear. Also replaced the wax ring on the toilet but it didn't help. There is no odor problems in first floor bathroom at all or kitchen sink. Any suggestions.... Thanks

the flush in my toilet sticks to start stays open to stop. Knocking the side of the tank will start the refill cycle and also stop the overfill. The mechanism is about a year old. What is the solution?

It got very cold here which doesn't happen often. Our toilets stopped flushing and our sink and showers would rain for awhile then stop. We thought it might be from frozen drain pipes, but it is warmingup now. Sometimes it all drains and flushes fine adn then it doesn't

We recently replaced the ballcock the problem is now it is leaking onto the floor where it should be sealed. We are puzzled at what to do to correct this problem. Any help is much appreciated.

We had a second floor bathroom reno about 4 years ago. The plumber said the venting wasn't right and reconfigured it. When the toilet has any solids in it, it seems to rush down the pipe to the basement and then bangs on the turn in the drain there. It never did that prior to the reno but the toilet is new as well. Also if the shower is running and the toilet is flushed there is gurgling in the bathtub (separate shower) and sometimes the water must get sucked out of the bathtub drain as we get sewer smell in the tub and have to run watr in it to fill up the drain.

I've replaced the flapper and the chain is short - there's no more slack in it - but I still have to hold down the handle for a few seconds before it will flush. If I take the tank lid off, it flushes perfectly, this only happens when the tank lid is on. Leads me to believe it's an air problem, but I don't know how to resolve. Help!

Jeff,

Could the handle arm be hitting the tank lid? That could stop the flapper from opening all the way when the lid is on. And why it works when the lid is off.

When i flush my toilet the bowl fills all the way up with water and sometimes overflows. doesnt matter if there is anything in the bowl or not. Is there an adjustment i am missing?

Recently my Toto toilet started being very slow to refill the tank after flushing. It takes several minutes before I hear any water refilling. Is this a water refill valve problem?

Whoa muratic acid! Thats hardcore; careful anyone who needs this treatment.

I've read the problems above and I'm experiencing parts from different ones. When flushed, my toilet will slowly fill up all the way with water. As time goes by, the water will go down below the normal level. I've looked under the lid and things seem fine. What's wrong?

Alaina,

Check out this video ... http://www.askthebuilder.com/Toilet_Flapper_Valve_Video.shtml

I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS VAUGHN

he problem we have is the flapper not staying long enough for the water to flush. As soon as we push and let go the handle, the flapper will go down and block the water
( too soon).

My husband and I installed a new toliet in our master bath. It works fine but now I hear water whenever any other toliet is flushed and when the showers are on. Now there is an odor in the bathroom. Our house is only three years old. What should we do to stop the smell?

I installed a new supply line to the toilet and now it doesn't fill, it seems like there is no water getting through. If I turn the water off and back on it works, but then after the first flush it's back to the same. Any ideas?

Our toilet will flush and then the tank will not refill. If you turn the water source off and then turn it back on again the tank will refill. You flush and the process starts all over again.

Hello

When I use the tap in the kitchen for example I hear the toilet tank top up for like 1 or 2 sec. It's like the water in the tank move when I use water somewhere else in the house. Do you know what could cause that?

The water had been turned off by mistake on the pipe connected to the toilet, now when you turn the pipe on there is no water coming to the pipes. The sink in the bathroom is operating just fine.

What does this mean?

Toilet will not take light waste like paper down, have replaced flapper etc. House was built in 1999, so don't think it's the 94-97 design you mention but will check.

We have 3 toiltets in our home, but there is one that never you could make it works.Always the same problem no matter the parts we have exchange. It do not fill the tank...the only way we can get it done it is pulling the flap up....
However, lately, it is not helping anymore...
Please, help!
Thanks,

Vaughn,
Sounds like a bad flapper. Water-logged, most likely. Just replace it. About $5 at any hardware store.

Terry,
The vent pipe would run up the wall, most likely behind the toilet, but possibly behind the sink. Look on the roof for the vent stack. It may help you locate it within the house, or you may be able to clean it out from the roof with a snake.

-Not a Plumber.

we live in a raised bungalow, one toilet in basement, two toilets on main level share same dividing wall (main/ensuite). In the past week the main toilet every 1/2 hour or so sounds like it is refilling for a few seconds. The flapper seems stable and that toilet flushes well.

I flushed a toothbrush and now the toilet is clogged. What does my husband have to do to fix it? LOL

I have a toilet that is filling slowly. The valve is all the way open from what I can tell. There are sometimes that I have to flush 2X to get everything down? What is the problem?

I HAVE A KOHLER TOILET AND THE SEAT WILL NOT STAY SCREWED ON TIGHT FROM THE BACK AND KIND OF WIGGLES IF YOU MOVE ON IT HOW CAN I SECURE IT TIGHT

I've never seen this before. My dr's toilet at his office does the following.
When you push handle, the water just swirls around and then the tank fills up and shuts off. Then you push the handle again it flushes right and fills tank fills up till it shuts off. Then push the handle again and the water just swirls around again. It is perfect timing. 1st flush, water swirls around, wait till water shuts off, then flush again, works right. Could this be a venting problem? He says nothing has changed, no trees around vent or anything.
Any ideas? My Dr explains and shows his toilet 1 or 2 times a week to different people trying to find out the problem. He building was built in 1950's. He had a rod out the vent. Water pressure is the same as it always been. This is not a big commerical toilet. Just a small Dr office.

Hi, my toilet flush handle won't flush , but if you work it 2 or 3 times it will work. I have had a look inside and taken the handle off and work it without the handle and it seams fine. So if I use some WD40 in the handle to make sure its free (it does seam free already) will this work or should I buy a new handle and keep my finger crossed?
thanks

Hi,
My issue is with the toilet in my main washroom. Everytime I flush it the bowl overflows. I've tried liquid plumber and that didn't work. I've tried to snake the bowl and that also didn't work.
What Should I do?

we have just replaced our toilet we have no leaks but are still smelling sewer whats up with it? will the smell go away?

Hi i have three toilet on my second floor and none of them flush clean you always have to flush two or three times before it flush.Thanks

installed hydro clean unit. It won't refill after it flushes. If we wait it will refill hours later. however we take the lid off and push down on the top and it refills. Is there a setting I don't have right?

Ok so yesterday i got home from work and used the toliet. When i flushed it looked like it was going to overflow but it didn't it drained really slow. so slow that it didnt take anything with it. We moved into the place about 2 months ago and noticed a loud groaning noise everytime we flushed. Yesterday we tried plunging and nothing changed.... today we poured a bucket of water but that did nothing except fill the bowl. I even tried a metal coat hanger to see if there was a clog or anything but still no change.... when we do plunge some stuff comes up but that doesnt change anything... i think its stuff that hasnt gotten sucked down due to the poor draining any ideas...

When I flush my toilet I have to quick turn on the sink beside it or the toilet want refill, I have changed several units to correct this problem but still no luck,I am so puzzled...could I have a clogged vent causing this problem. Please email me a reply if possible Thank You so Much.

i have a toilet that when u flush it and its clogged it will overflow and flood everything should it not stop when the flapper goes back down?

I stay in South Africa. Friends of ours had an enormous water consumption. No outside leak was found. Then comes the plumber, and he recons, that the toilet in the house kept on flushing.
How much water can be used within 1 hour. Can you help me perhaps.

Will be very glad.
Greetings

Bessie de Kock

I have a toilet on the second floor that continues to back up. I have removed the toilet, done a complete tune-up using Fluidmaster parts, replaced the wax ring. While I had the toilet removed, I poured large quantities of water down the drain with no issues. I have done the same with the toilet in place with no issues. I give up. Any advice?

The flapper on my toilet falls as soon as the handle is released, not allowing for a full flush. I installed 2 new flappers with no luck fixing it. Any suggestions? PS. The toilet has a plastic ring around the flapper, slowing the water to the hole.

Hey there. I can't find my problem. My toilet sounds like a train when it is flushed, not just a little whistle, but a get off the tracks noise for quite a few seconds. What do I do?

My toilet doesn't flush properly. The water goes down but then doesn't stop going up, sometimes overflowing my entire bathroom. Later I always hear a gurgling sound as the water slowly bubbles and drains at fifteen minute intervals. What's going on? How can I fix this?

Hi
We live in a moblie home and have 2 bathrooms. One toilet flushies fine as all the drains also drain well. The 2nd toilet just started to slowly flush and the water level fills to almost over flowing then it slowly leaves the bowl and burps at the end leaving very little water backin the bowl. I have plunged the heck out of it to no avail. What should I try next?

For the last few weeks my toilette started making 'partial flushing' noises every 15-30 minutes and nobody is using it? Sounds like the tank is partially draining on it's own but for a few seconds but not a full flush. What could be the problem?

The flush is slow and will not take anything down. I've replaced all components in the tank, put a new adapter on the water faucet with a new flex tube. I've taken both units apart and reassembled them a few times. I've run a clothes hanger through the back of the bowl, attached a rag at the other end and pulled it back and through the opening. I've taken the end of a hanger and pushed it up into the flush holes under the rim to clear out any debris or crusting. I've replaced the wax ring, snaked throught the toilet and through the hole in the floor twenty-five feet down. Of course, I also plunged before and after all these tasks. I asked friends, employees at Home Depot & Lowes, among others, for advise and It still flushes slowly. Unless you have another idea I've yet to try, I'm beginning to think a new unit is inevitable. Since I have all new parts in the tank, can I just replace the bowl? Thanks for your time, looking forward to solve this issue.

My 2nd floor toilet splashes too much when flushed. Is there an adjustment that I could make to lessen the intensity/splash?

when i flush the fill valve trickles but if i shut off the water supply at the shut off valve and then turn it back on it fill fine, that is until i flush it again. then it's back to a trickle. I believe this is original equipt. from 1970. any suggestion is appreciated. thanks

when my toilet is flushed, air bubbles come up thru the exit hole in tank and prevent flapper from closing. sometimes the toilet will flush two to three times before the flapper will close. i have changed the flapper and checked vent for obstruction.

My toilet is leaking. It does not have a flapper system however. It instead had a tube with a cyliner and a gasket type thing at the bottom. The gasket is completely worn out but I haven't been able to find much replacement help online because I have no idea what it is called. And every time I search I just get flapper replacement.

My upstairs toliet will not fill back up unless the valve is turned off and turned back on? Why?

Finishing our basement and just installed a new toilet. Everything works fine when flushed and bowel is half filled with water after flushing. However, after about 30 minutes almost all water has disappeared from bowel. Toilet is on a tile floor and shows no signs of leaking. What could the problem be?

One of my toilets, repaired by a professional plumber, flushes for a very long period of time and makes an odd high-pitched sound it never made before. The plumber tells me this is, for today, "normal". But it doesn't sound like my other toilet, which has a quick flush. There is a new valve (not a plastic one like the one that was on there before and which is on my "quick flush" toilet) that when I barely turn it either is off or on, so I can't finely adjust it as I could the "old-fashioned" plastic valve. I can't stand to use this toilet now because of the sound. I have extremely hard water (12-14 grains) and recently replaced the flapper. What do I do now? Pay another plumber? And another? And another? I'm bleeding money I don't have ...