Toilet bowl loss of water
- Thread starter Carol olson
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It's only about 5 bucks. Not much to lose. I don't know for sure that I have blockage, but it sounds likely.
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If you have lot's of grease in the line, then something like Bio-Clean works nice.
There are other products too, but this is my favorite.
If you have roots outside in your main line that is backing up your entire plumbing system, then you can use a cutting cable to clear them out.
If someone flushes a toilet in the next room, it can cause the bowl to lose water. This can happen when a surge of water goes up a closet arm, forcing water up in the bowl, and then when it drops down, some of the water goes down the drain. The end result is a loss of water in the bowl.
To determine whether the bowl is really losing water, it would need to be removed from the plumbing system, and then the bowl filled.
If it holds water, then you look to see why.
Is it a toilet being flushed in another room that is draining the bowl?
Is it a blockage?
If it is a blockage, is there a sign of it near the floor, of water coming out below the bowl? No?
Does water come up in the shower or tub?
There are other products too, but this is my favorite.
If you have roots outside in your main line that is backing up your entire plumbing system, then you can use a cutting cable to clear them out.
If someone flushes a toilet in the next room, it can cause the bowl to lose water. This can happen when a surge of water goes up a closet arm, forcing water up in the bowl, and then when it drops down, some of the water goes down the drain. The end result is a loss of water in the bowl.
To determine whether the bowl is really losing water, it would need to be removed from the plumbing system, and then the bowl filled.
If it holds water, then you look to see why.
Is it a toilet being flushed in another room that is draining the bowl?
Is it a blockage?
If it is a blockage, is there a sign of it near the floor, of water coming out below the bowl? No?
Does water come up in the shower or tub?
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Southern Man
DIY Hillbilly
Every house should have a decent closet auger, especially if you have the first generation 1.6 gallon toilets. I went through several cheap ones before I bit the bullet and bought a Rigid for about $20. The shape of the head makes it easy to go around bends by rotating the handle, and if you dry it off with a paper towel it doesn't drip on my way back to the basement to store it. After 5 years it hasn't rusted too badly either.
I am not sure. I did try the store product, RIT I believe. It didn't work. I will need to call a plumber, unless I could rent or pick up an auger at Home Depot. What do you suggest?
Mikey
Aspiring Old Fart, EE, computer & networking geek
If the level falls below the trap, then air flows freely from the DWV system into the bowl, without disturbing the water -- it can't be siphoning or vent problems, or other-toilet problems; look at the cross-section of the trap:
About all that's left is a crack in the bowl somewhere, at the final level of the water. You can see that it's possible to have such a leak draining into the outlet, so you won't get a wet floor. The best way to check is to pull the toilet, fill the bowl with water, and set it on a bucket in the yard. If the water level falls, and it goes into the bucket, you've got a leak.
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Mikey
Aspiring Old Fart, EE, computer & networking geek
Thanks for the thought, but no, I don't have a dehumidifier. The water level in the bowl is lower after just a few hours. Over night it is down considerably. I think think I might have a blockage down line. Would it make sense to buy an auger at Home Depot, if they sell one?
I don't have the old toilet, but no cracks were evident on it before I tossed it.
I don't have the old toilet, but no cracks were evident on it before I tossed it.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If someone flushes a toilet somewhere else in the house while you are watching the one in question, or say the washing machine is draining, does the water in that toilet move around a lot? What about on a windy day?
I'm not sure, I haven't tried flushing one toilet while looking at the one in question. I'll try it. If it does swish around, what might that indicate? I suspect your question about windy days has to do with the vent. I've ruled out any vent problems, since the other toilets work fine, and they likely all use the same vent. Also, wind or no wind makes no difference.
Gary Swart
In the Trades
To properly auger a drain, one needs to use a professional auger that will reach clear to the street with a large cutting head. These are not usually available as a rental for good reason. In the hands of a novice, they are extremely dangerous not only to the operator, but to the sewer line and the auger itself. In other words, you have reached the limit for a DIY job, and it's time to call in the pros. Just be sure the company you call does not have rooter or roto in their name.
I have back to back bathrooms upstairs.
When I flush either toilet, it lowers the water in the bowl next door.
While I was replacing one toilet, I looked down the closet flange while my son flushed the other bathroom. The water surged up the drain line, and then went down again. This was causing the water in the bowl to rise, and then when it went down again, to took some of the water with it, thus lowering the water level in the bowl.
So, maybe it would be a good idea, to have a neighbor come over and flush the second toilet while you watch the first one?
At least you could eliminate some possibilities.
Did your situation arise from "nowhere"? I've have 3 toilets in my townhouse condo - 2 upstairs and one on the main floor. The one one the main floor is the problematic one. I've lived there for over 10 years, with never a problem until just this past fall, when I began the water level lowering in the main floor toilet. My "flushing patterns" (if you will) have not changed. I'm still thinking there must be some sort of blockage way down stream, as the problem "just appeared" and I have essentially rules out cracked bowls, venting problems, etc. (see blogs above). Wouldn't that likely be the problem, or am I missing something...? Also, as of just lately, I have begun to notice some minor however evident odor problems in this bathroom - even though I'm making sure the water levels in the toilet tank and the bowl remain well above the trap level and the flushing opening in the tank. I think I just need to hire a plumber at this point, but I am still open to suggestions.... Thanks everyone who has contributed!!
That could happen with a bad wax seal, or a defective bowl.
Last week, Jamie installed two different Gerber toilets in the powder bath in a home and could not get either of them to work right. The Gerber we had installed upstairs earlier in the year still worked fine.
We went back with a TOTO Ultramax and that worked fine, in the same bathroom.
Now why did two "brand new" Gerber toilets not work right in the same bathroom?
That is very interesting! I had a "handyman" who does has extensive experience in the construction trades install my new toilet. Would you recommend I call him back and pull the new toilet? I could test the bowl for leaks, and we could rule out the wax ring if and when the toilet is re-installed. But I still don't understand what would be causing the water level to drop - the same problem I had with the old toilet.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
If you can detect the toilet moving, it was not set properly and DOES need to be reset. A toilet must be shimmed if it doesn't sit with no movement. Movement will break the wax seal. The best procedure is to set it first without the wax to see where you need to shim. Set the shims, then pull it and reinstall with the wax.
barbsharon
New Member
Just wanted to thank Southern Man for that point about windy days and water level in the bowl. I have been worrying about this all day as this has never happened before (that I can remember) and it affected both toilets, so I knew it couldn't be a crack in both bowls simultaneously. But it has been a very cold and windy day here and that's the answer.
Thanks again!
B.
Thanks again!
B.
