Fast faint drip sound under Toto Toilet

[Tamm]

I hear an intermittent fast faint drip sound of water landing on a hard surface that seems to come from below the toilet base. Replaced and adjusted all the old parts in the tank but it didn't change. There is no water leaking onto the floor and no water stains around the toilet drain or it's water supply under the house. The sound randomly comes and goes not in relationship to flushing. It was still there with the water supply shut off and the tank emptied but went away when the water remaining in the toilet bowl was reduced to a tiny amount in the bottom of the bowl. It also can start when someone sits on the toilet. Could there be a hairline crack somewhere in the base of the toilet that drips into the drain pipe and only leaks under weight or pressure?

 

[Reach4]

If you have the water off for long enough, I expect the dripping to stop. Even if you don't have the water off, it should stop dripping with time the same as if the water is off.

Does it behave that way?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WJcandee]

It just sounds like a teensy bit of water occasionally flowing over the weir. I would think a flapper issue (tiny amounts of water drip from tank to bowl, over the weir, and make the dripping sound you hear). But you say you replaced everything in the tank (unnecessary), so I don't know. Make sure the chain isn't too tight (i.e. at least one link but no more sitting on top of the flapper). Sometimes, if the chain is too tight, it holds the flapper imperceptably off the flush valve seat and causes a small drip from tank to bowl. Remember, toilets have a "settle level" in the bowl owing to the fact that excess water will flow over the weir and down the trapway and out the outlet into the flange and closet bend, which is below the floor level.

 

[CountryBumkin]

Nice picture. Does lowering the tank water level have any effect on the height of the Water Seal?

 

[WJcandee]

Not directly. There is a natural level for the water seal -- just below the top of the weir. That's the design refill level. Any less and the thing won't flush as well -- any more and it will just run down the drain.

If you lower the water level in the tank, it won't take as long to refill the tank. In a modern toilet, the shorter time the fill valve runs, the less water will run into the bowl through the refill tube. So you will get less bowl refill water and the next flush won't start properly. In an old toilet, things weren't calibrated as tightly, and excess bowl refill water was always running down the drain. So a shorter tank refill time didn't necessarily prevent a full refill of the bowl. Today, though, it definitely would.

 

[Anthony’s Problem]

I hear an intermittent fast faint drip sound of water landing on a hard surface that seems to come from below the toilet base. Replaced and adjusted all the old parts in the tank but it didn't change. There is no water leaking onto the floor and no water stains around the toilet drain or it's water supply under the house. The sound randomly comes and goes not in relationship to flushing. It was still there with the water supply shut off and the tank emptied but went away when the water remaining in the toilet bowl was reduced to a tiny amount in the bottom of the bowl. It also can start when someone sits on the toilet. Could there be a hairline crack somewhere in the base of the toilet that drips into the drain pipe and only leaks under weight or pressure?

I've ran into the exact same issue on a job site. It's not the flapper nor the fill valve. Same dripping sounds happens even when the water is off to the toilet and to the house. Do you possibly remember what it was? At this point my only option is to replace the toilet. Thank you for your time

 

[vivian rahe]

I hear an intermittent fast faint drip sound of water landing on a hard surface that seems to come from below the toilet base. Replaced and adjusted all the old parts in the tank but it didn't change. There is no water leaking onto the floor and no water stains around the toilet drain or it's water supply under the house. The sound randomly comes and goes not in relationship to flushing. It was still there with the water supply shut off and the tank emptied but went away when the water remaining in the toilet bowl was reduced to a tiny amount in the bottom of the bowl. It also can start when someone sits on the toilet. Could there be a hairline crack somewhere in the base of the toilet that drips into the drain pipe and only leaks under weight or pressure?

 

[vivian rahe]

Tamm, I am having the same EXACT issue with a Toto Eco Ultramax Model MS854114. Did you ever get it fixed or did you buy a new toilet.

 

[Reach4]

I am having the same EXACT issue

Where does the condensation from your AC go? Do you get the sound if the AC has not been running?

 

[c man]

Tamm, I am having the same EXACT issue with a Toto Eco Ultramax Model MS854114. Did you ever get it fixed or did you buy a new toilet.

I am ALSO having the same exact issue - leaking somewhere around the toilet yet the tank doesn't fill up bc the water in the tank is not reducing. This is a complete mystery to me. Plumbers came by and replaced the flappers and are now saying that they are clueless about it and want to replace the entire toilet.

My leak is about 1 drop per 2.5 seconds and does a fantastic job at preventing sleep.

Please some one guide us if you have seen this already and know what the problem is.

I don't have AC so that's not a source. I'm told that the water meter does not show small leaks.

 

[Reach4]

My leak is about 1 drop per 2.5 seconds and does a fantastic job at preventing sleep.

Turn off your stop valve at the wall. Does that affect the sound?

If yes, leave the valve off for an extended period. What happens to the water level in the tank?

 

[Mara B]

Hey I have the same problem with my toto toilet.Water drips somewhere inside.Its not coming from the tank since its not refilling.
It stopped dripping when water valve is off and water is flushed from the tank.Any suggestions ?

 

[Reach4]

Hey I have the same problem with my toto toilet.Water drips somewhere inside.Its not coming from the tank since its not refilling.
It stopped dripping when water valve is off and water is flushed from the tank.Any suggestions ?

Turn off your stop valve at the wall with the tank full. Does the dripping sound stop?

Note the water level. Leave the stop valve off for an hour or more. Does the water level drop?

 

[WorthFlorida]

The water level needs to be about 1/2" to 1" below the overflow pipe.

This may not be the cause of the problem but I had had it happen a few times that caught me off guard. The refill tube that goes in the overflow pipe is what fills the bowl up of water until the flush valve shuts off the water. This is written in the instruction for Fluidmaster flush valves, "The refill tube must remain above the water level of the tank. If the end of the tube is below the water level of the tank, water will be siphoned out of the tank". Of course my symptom was the the flush valve would run about every ten minutes.

If the refill tube is above the water level, after the tank is filled and the flush valve is closed, remove the refill tube from the overflow pipe. Wait and see if you hear the drips. Keep an eye on the refill tube if there is any continuous weeping of water.

 

[Mara B]

Shut the valve off.Still dripping and after like an hour water level came down half way.
Also lately dripping became periodic.It would stop for a few minutes and back at it.Specially after the flash.

 

[Mara B]

I meant it would stop dripping for a few minutes after the flash

 

[Reach4]

Shut the valve off.Still dripping and after like an hour water level came down half way.

That identifies the problem is is with the flush valve (the thing with a flapper and seat). The first and easy thing to try is to clean the seat, and change the flapper. Changing flappers is a pretty easy thing to do.

It says that the fill valve was compensating, but it was pretty quiet when it turned on to add water. It could also be that the fill valve has a slow leak, which was keeping the tank filled.

If you leave the valve off until the level stops dropping, that would indicate where the leak is. The most probable leak is between the flapper and the seat. You can feel the seat for imperfections. Wipe with a cloth to remove debris. If the water level continues to drop below the flapper/seat interface, then the problem is farther down. That is less common, but it happens occasionally.

Do you ever need a plunger? Needing a plunger is pretty rare on the newer good toilets. If you were to update your toilet, that would solve this drip problem, but it should also eliminate flushing problems.

 

[Mara B]

Your suggestion worked.Water did go down all the way down.I changed the flapper and so far no dripping.Thank you