Few things are more irritating than the constant drip, gurgle, or splash of your toilet. These sounds can be your worst nightmare for two reasons: they are most noticeable at nighttime when you’re trying to sleep, and they could be indicative of a serious toilet problem.
(Pixabay / Svyatoslav)
Noisy toilets can happen for various reasons. Some of them are caused by malfunctioning toilet fill valves, calcium deposits which have accumulated inside the toilet pipes, and worn out hardware.
Here are some common toilet noises and how you can fix them:
- Vibrations – a dirty valve can cause toilet vibrations, or there might be a loose connection that causes the sounds. To check, turn the water off and unscrew the assembly to check on the valve. Screw everything together again before testing by flushing to see if the vibrations have disappeared.
- Loud Banging – a loud banging, called the water hammer, might happen after you refill the tank. Whenever the tank is full, the refill pipe immediately closes, which results in the rushing water having nowhere to go. It then hits the closed valve and results in a clamor coming from within your walls. Solving this problem may require you to simply replace the washer behind the ball valve.
- The Gurgling Drain – when you hear a gurgling sound after you flush the toilet, it can be caused by an issue with your toilet’s vent. Try unclogging it to stop the pressure build-up in the system.
Other Sources of Toilet Noise
If your toilet continually sounds like it’s running, the problem might be the fill valve. The diaphragm gasket in the fill valve can suffer from regular wear and tear, harden, and even lose its elasticity. You can run a check to see whether the issue is a malfunctioning fill valve by merely removing your toilet tank lid and lifting the float arm slowly by hand. The float arm is connected to the fill valve, so if manually lifting the arm stops the noise, it means you will have to replace the fill valve as soon as possible.
There are other loud sounds, such as whistling, that can be heard if the fill valve is not working properly. Try adjusting the fill valve until the noise stops. If the sound doesn’t go away, it might be time to replace the valve.
If you are tired of all the noises you are getting from the toilet, and you can’t find the solution on your own, it is probably time to get on the phone and call your professional drain cleaner and rooter. A good drain cleaner and rooter will be able to assess the problem quickly and recommend replacement parts as necessary.