If a toilet in your home creates a noise nuisance, you'll want to read on. We have tips that will help you trouble-shoot the problem. The condition, in addition to taking a toll on your eardrums, could result in wasted water.
When it is understood precisely how a toilet works, correcting the problem is easy. For all the noise it generates, a toilet has very few moving parts.
When the flush handle is depressed, a large, air-filled rubber plug (the flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank is raised. This allows water to rapidly escape out of the tank and into the toilet bowl. The rushing water enters the bowl through many small holes at the underside of the rim and through a large port at the bottom of the bowl. The water from the ports creates a washing action that is intended to clean the bowl. As the wash water begins to fill the bowl its own weight forces it downward into an `S' shaped port (the 'P' trap) hidden in the base of the toilet. The action of the water filling the P trap causes a siphon to begin within it. The siphon, which is the second phase of the flush, becomes so great that it rapidly draws the water out of the bowl and into the sewer. The third part of the flush is the accumulation of fresh water that remains after the siphon action has removed the waste. This modest amount of water is needed to keep the P trap full. Without water in the P trap, sewer gasses could back up into the bathroom. Note: There are no moving parts between the flapper in the toilet tank and the sewer lines. A flush depends entirely on the forces of gravity and siphon.
In summary, the only moving parts needed for a flush are the toilet handle, the flapper, the chain that connects them, and the water in the tank. All of the other mechanisms in the tank are designed to fill it once it has been emptied by a flush. These fill mechanisms do not assist the flush in any way. And, the water pressure in the bowl has absolutely nothing to do with the water pressure in your house water pipes. The water pressure in the bowl is developed by the force of the water as it escapes from the toilet tank. Thus, good water pressure in your house has nothing to do with how well your toilet flushes.
After the flush has drained the tank, the flapper, which is filled with air, closes. Once it has been raised by the flush handle the air within it keeps it open until the water level in the tank gets so low that it is insufficient to keep the flapper afloat or opened. With the flapper closed, the float-controlled water valve (ballcock) refills the tank. When the water raises the float to the proper level it shuts off the ballcock and the tank is ready for the next flush.
We have studied the ballcock (the tank fill valve) and the flapper (the tank drain valve). Each are moving parts that can fail and become the cause of a toilet leak. Like any other faucet in your home, the ballcock has a gasket that can fail and cause it to leak. When the float is in the up position, the ballcock should be off. If water runs with the float in the up position, chances are the ballcock needs adjustment or to be replaced. A ballcock that is out of adjustment can cause the water level in the tank to increase and run out the overflow. If this happens, adjust the ballcock so that it shuts off when the water level is one-half to three-quarters of an inch below the top of the overflow tube. Also, if the refill tube from the inlet valve is pushed too far into the overflow pipe, a draining action will occur that will result in a leak.
Finally, if the flapper or the seat it rests in are worn or are out of alignment, a leak will result. Sometimes this particular leak is almost impossible to detect. If you suspect this condition, try our test: Put two or three drops of red food coloring in the tank. Fifteen minutes later check the bowl for color. If the food coloring got through, the flapper needs attention.
