Hearing water running down toilet drain

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DinoM

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After flushing the toilet, about 20 to 30 seconds after the tank has filled and the water shuts off, I hear water running down the toilet drain, and it lasts for about 10 seconds or so. It also happens after a good pee.

I have read that it is normal, water is being displaced. But why does it not occur until 20-30 seconds more after a refill or pee? When I first heard it, I checked to see if any water was coming from the rim into the bowl, and there was not any. Checked to make sure water wasn't dripping from refill tube in tank. Flapper is not leaking. No changes in the water level in tank.

This is a new development that started within the past week. The fact that is just started doing it makes me wonder if something is wrong. The delay between no liquid entering the bowl and then hearing it run down has me a bit befuddled.
 

Reach4

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This is a new development that started within the past week. The fact that is just started doing it makes me wonder if something is wrong. The delay between no liquid entering the bowl and then hearing it run down has me a bit befuddled.
Experiment: squirt some dish soap into the bowl as the bowl refills. I wonder if this could be related to surface tension.
 

DinoM

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Experiment: squirt some dish soap into the bowl as the bowl refills. I wonder if this could be related to surface tension.
Haven't tried this yet, what is the purpose of it? Would the soap added to the filling bowl counteract any possible surface tension and not cause the delayed running down the drain? I slept through science classes when I was in school.
 

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DinoM

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Tried this, same issue. Hear water running down drain anywhere from 10-30 seconds after peeing or after flushing and tank stops filling. Can hear it run down anywhere from 10-20 seconds. Any other ideas what might be causing it and is something to be concerned about?
 

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Tried this, same issue. Hear water running down drain anywhere from 10-30 seconds after peeing or after flushing and tank stops filling. Can hear it run down anywhere from 10-20 seconds. Any other ideas what might be causing it and is something to be concerned about?
Maybe some of the water is refill water in the toilet passages, and it is taking a little time to get to the bowl. No worry.

Normal. What may cause you noticing it recently is that some toilets have a plastic trapway, and the sound gets through better than with an all-porcelain model.. Did you get a new toilet?
 

Bannerman

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Check the height of the water in the toilet tank just before the tank stops filling. If the tank is filling too much to cause water to overflow the tank's overflow tube, that water will enter the toilet bowl which will then cause the bowl to overflow into the drain piping below. This is the same situation when peeing as anything added to a filled toilet bowl will cause the bowl to overflow.

If the tank is filling too much, adjust the fill valve float to reduce the height of the water in the tank.

With regard to peeing, that situation will continue. The amount of sound transmitted by the drain piping is largely dictated by the type and configuration of the piping and will be more noticeable when the room is quiet such as before flushing or after the tank stops filling.
 

DinoM

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No new toilet, it is original to the house, a 1950 Standard.

The tank is not filling too much, I have checked, the water level in the tank has been consistent, and sits at least an inch below the top of the overflow tube.

There has been no changes made to toilet or drain line or any other plumbing. It is something that just started in the past couple of weeks.

I was (am) afraid that there was a problem somewhere, like a leak in the toilet somewhere, or the wax seal going bad. But the water level doesn't drop in either the tank or the bowl and I have not seen any water on the floor around the base of the toilet. Just trying to figure out why it started all of the sudden. I know water gets displaced when you add liquid into the bowl, and I have heard that before, but I don't know why there is the delay in hearing it. After I finish peeing, it was 20 seconds before I started hearing water run down the drain, and it sounded like a good bit running down, and it lasted for about 15 seconds. Same thing after a flush and the refill stops, wait about 20 seconds or more and start to hear water running down the drain and it will last about 15-20 seconds.
 

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I was (am) afraid that there was a problem somewhere, like a leak in the toilet somewhere, or the wax seal going bad. But the water level doesn't drop in either the tank or the bowl and I have not seen any water on the floor around the base of the toilet. Just trying to figure out why it started all of the sudden. I know water gets displaced when you add liquid into the bowl, and I have heard that before, but I don't know why there is the delay in hearing it. After I finish peeing, it was 20 seconds before I started hearing water run down the drain, and it sounded like a good bit running down, and it lasted for about 15 seconds. Same thing after a flush and the refill stops, wait about 20 seconds or more and start to hear water running down the drain and it will last about 15-20 seconds.
New test idea: add a squeeze of dish detergent to the bowl, down the overflow, and into the toilet tank. Swirl the tank and bowl water to mix. Rest things. Then repeat your actions. Any speedup?
 

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New test idea: add a squeeze of dish detergent to the bowl, down the overflow, and into the toilet tank. Swirl the tank and bowl water to mix. Rest things. Then repeat your actions. Any speedup?
Still happening, no changes. Surface tension apparently has nothing to do with it. Could there be a leak somewhere or other problem?
 

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Still happening, no changes. Surface tension apparently has nothing to do with it. Could there be a leak somewhere or other problem?
Thanks for trying.

If the problem were a leak, the sound would not go away after several seconds.
 

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I'm stumped. Hate when I can't figure something out.
 

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I'm stumped. Hate when I can't figure something out.
Suppose a place had formed in the inside rim area due to deposits. Water accumulates due to the fill water. The rim leaks some, and it takes a couple minutes for the water to drain out of this place, and down into the bowl. Just an idea.

Or maybe even the rim holes are largely blocked. That could give us some delayed water entering the bowl.
 

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Several months ago, the toilet wasn't flushing well. I cleaned out the rim holes with a small allen wrench, and I chipped out a lot of calcium buildup in the hole in the front of the bowl, it was almost completely blocked. Flush improved dramatically. When this recently started, I checked and double checked that there wasn't a delay after flushing of water entering the bowl or the tank. Plus that wouldn't account for the delay in water running down the drain after a pee.

It is like any displaced water gets trapped for about 20 seconds or so before it is released down the drain.
 

Jadnashua

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After flushing, say the last time in the evening, shut the water off and look in the morning to see what the tank level is.

A windy day can cause the water in the bowl to rock back and forth a little, and that can cause some to slosh over the weir and down the drain.

If the tank is still at the normal level overnight, IMHO, it's nothing to worry about.

The more common complaint comes from people with a plastic adapter in the toilet drain, and you can sometimes hear the water doing that. Never versions added some sound isolation material to lessen the effect. You might hear it with plastic drain pipes which is one reason why cast iron is still a premium upgrade; they're much quieter.
 

DinoM

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I did shut the water off last night, had it off about 9 hours. Tank level was unchanged, bowl as well. I did get up during the night to pee, and after I didn't hear anything run down the drain. Turned water on this morning, had a pee and heard it running. Maybe I didn't produce enough during the night to cause any displacement.

The drain pipes are PVC and you can hear it a lot more than cast iron. I had cast iron, but had it replaced with PVC nearly 20 years ago due to problems with slow and blocked drains. But what I am hearing now just started in the past couple of weeks, which is why I am wondering if something is wrong somewhere.
 

Jadnashua

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Try it again. It could be a worn flapper valve. They tend to get softer when they age, how fast, depends on your water quality and whatever the utility puts in it (and levels). They don't always seat exactly the same way, so a one-time test may not isolate it. Or, there could be some debris or a rough spot on the seat where it falls to make the seal. You could shut the water off, flush the toilet, lift the flapper up and feel underneath to see if it is smooth and clean. WIth the flappers I have, as they age and soften, the water pressure causes the flat rim to start to curve (the top pushes down more). At some point, there's very little surface to make the seal as most of it is sinking into the hole. Then, it's sometimes chance if it seals well. With my water, they tend to last 3-5 years. People with a well might have them last a decade or longer since there's likely no chemicals in their water.

While it's normal for some liquids to leave the bowl when you add something, how loud it is depends on your piping and the toilet you have.
 

DinoM

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I do not think it is the flapper or valve, as the water level in the tank did not change at all with the water shut-off. Liquid runs down into the drain whenever water (pee) is added. After about 10-20 seconds of finishing a pee, I start to hear liquid running down into the drain, and it usually lasts about 10-20 seconds. The same thing happens after flushing, about 10-20 seconds after the water shuts off for the tank refill.

I have checked and rechecked (while hearing it) to make sure no water was visible running into the bowl from under the rim (there is not) and that no water was running into the tank (there is not). There is no water coming or dripping out of the refill tube into the overflow tube and the top of the overflow tube is at least an inch above the water line and water is not being sloshed over the top and into it.

I know it's normal for liquid to leave the bowl when liquid is added, and I have heard that before, but not to the extent that I'm hearing it now. The drain pipe is PVC and it is definitely more audible than cast iron. The delay in hearing it start going down the drain is what is throwing me. Like I said earlier, it is almost like something is catching any excess liquid for those 10-20 seconds before it starts going down the drain. None of the drains are slow and the toilet flushes fine. I replaced the flapper last year, the one that was in there would once in a while not fully seat. Changed it and have had no problems.

Can't figure out why it started happening all of the sudden.
 

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If it flushes fine, I think you should find something else to worry about. However if you get/have a fill valve with an adjustable refill, you could turn down the refill, so that the delayed water is just right to barely top up the bowl.

This refill hose comes with an adjustable pinch clamp.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Fluidma...ip-with-Adjustable-Roller-Clamp-215/202510400
fluidmaster-toilet-fill-valve-parts-215-64_145.jpg
 

DinoM

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Yeah, I tend to get hyper-focused on things. It bothers me not to be able to figure something out.

I have tried that exact adjustable fill before, it just never did work quite right for me. I tried all of the settings and never found any improvement. The toilet is 70 years old, so that may have something to do with it.

I have the refill tube clipped onto the overflow tube and it is aimed into the overflow tube. Water continues to enter the bowl from the rim, from a couple of the holes in the back, even after the flapper closes. Always has, and have replaced the flush valve twice that I can remember. I tried the product you recommended and I even tried aiming the refill tube into the tank rather than into the overflow tube to try to limit any excess water entering the bowl but it still happens. Seems like a waste of water, but at least being on a well it's not $$$ going down the drain on a water bill.
 
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