Do you hear a constant hiss or banging sound coming from your toilet? Noisy toilets can be downright annoying, but they can also indicate a more serious issue. Here are a few common sounds you may hear and what you should do about them.
Hissing and Whistling Sounds
If your toilet is making a hissing or whistling sound after you flush it, the cause is likely a defective refill valve. Inside the tank of the toilet, there are two valves: the flapper valve at the bottom that allows water to enter and the refill valve which either has a floating ball or plastic tower. The refill valve can become blocked, causing a zone of high water pressure inside the tube that hisses.
Sometimes, fixing the fill valve can be as easy as flushing out a piece of debris. If that doesn't work, you may need to replace the entire valve.
Gurgling Noises
A gurgling toilet can wake you up in the middle of the night making you wonder what is wrong. A gurgling sound is indicative of negative air pressure causing suction in the drainage line. This negative air pressure zone is almost always caused by a clog in either the toilet or deeper in the drainage system.
The easiest fix is to close all the other drains in the bathroom and use your plunger on the toilet. Make sure the other drains are sealed so the pressure dislodges the clog and doesn't just exit another drain. The other do-it-yourself option is to try snaking the drain. Running a snake through will hopefully dislodge the clog and fix your gurgling toilet.
If the issue is deeper in the system, you will need to call in a plumber to access the sewer line and use their heavy-duty sewer cleanout tools to fix the issue.
Banging Sounds
Banging sounds coming from your toilet can be startling and extremely annoying. This sound usually happens right after your tank has finished refilling. It is caused by water in the pipes coming to a sudden stop when the refill pipe closes and the water crashes into the now-closed valve, creating a banging shockwave.
If this noise happens constantly, you'll need to drain your plumbing system to empty out the air chambers in the toilet. You can do this by turning off the water to the bathroom and opening all of the faucets to let the water completely drain out.
Running Noises
If your toilet is running for more than a minute or two after you flush, something is wrong with the refill valve. Sometimes the issue is nothing more than the flapper not settling back down properly. This can be fixed with a simple jiggle of the flushing handle. If this doesn't work, check to make sure there isn't a leak between the toilet and the bowl which will need to be sealed.
Of course, if you're experiencing any of these problems, your best course of action is to call in David Gray Plumbing to help. We can troubleshoot your plumbing issues so those sounds go away for good. Give us a call today at (904) 605-8190.