Plumbing Question - Toilet?

Question

We have an upstairs toilet that works fine, but the water in the bowl is very low when not in use. The water rises to a normal level when flushed, but it doesn't fill back up completely afterward, an air bubble comes up when the handle is pressed. My husband would like to fix it himself. What's the problem and what can he do to fix it?

We just bought the house in May, so I don't know a lot about past performance - the inspector did mention it when he inspected the house. But said he couldn't be sure why it was happening.

My hubby did try adjusting the floater/water level, so we knew it was not just that.

Answer 1

Sounds more like a vent problem. On windy days, the wind blowing across the vent(which sticks out above your roof) will cause the water in a toilet bowl to actually move. The pipe needs air to drain properly. If it gets clogged or can't get enough air it will cause this problem. Go up on the roof, the vent should be 3-4" in diam.. Use a flashlight and look down for any obvious blockages. Squirrels like to drop nuts into these, among other things. A plumber can clean this out.

Answer 2

It is either the float (adjusted too low - enough water in the tank to flush, but not enough to fill up the bowl again afterwards), or it is the "ball" (I'm not sure what the actual term is - the part that falls into place allowing the tank to fill back up again).

Typically the float is on a metal "arm" that you adjust by bending. Having said that, I've had toilets that when adjusted to the right height, it becomes unadjusted by "unscrewing" itself from the handle. Make sure it is screwed in tight and then bend.

The "Ball" is harder to replace, but still, you probably don't need a plumber. Replacement ones are widely available and come with instructions.

There is a chance that it is the seal at the base of the toilet. In that case, however, it would fill up and slowly leak out to a lower level. This too can be replaced by yourself, but is a major pain.

Answer 3

If the pan has a normal level when flushed, then its nothing to do with the "float level". The pan can usually only lose its water seal through the following scenarios: Induced siphonage which happens when another appliance is flushed into a waste that has inadaquate ventilation, self siphonage which again could be be poor ventilation or a waste pipe with too much fall, evaporation (rarely used appliance) or wind blowing through a poorly protected open vented system. If the bubble comes up through the pan after use, this would indicate partial blocking further down the line followed by induced siphonage as all the backed up waste escapes.(from a IPHE qualified UK plumber http://www.iphe.org.uk/consumer/techfaq.html#16) Good luck!

Answer 4

Try adjusting the float in the tank to allow a higher level of water, after flushing.

Answer 5

u can get the entire setup at any hardware, home improvement store for replacing the inside of your toilet. The best sell is FLUIDMASTER. It consist of the ball valve, flush valve and gaskets. It runs around $15.00. Make sure you turn off the water and flush the toilet before you start the repair. Very simple repair.

Answer 6

The stop valve is defective. Shut off the water to the toilet and remove and replace it also replace the stopper plug as well. Its not hard to do should take about an hour total and you can get the new components at the hardware

Answer 7

Sounds like a venting problem to me...assuming it worked well in the past you may need to snake out your lines, including down from the roof.

Answer 8

the float can be adjusted. the air bubbles is a problem though, you need to find where there is air intrusion in the line

Answer 9

check the vent,
nothing wrong with toilet,
also check the fill level control setting, and the little hose that fits into the fill pipe,

Answer 10

A plugged vent gets my vote.