Water level slowly rises in bowl

[BleuBerlin]

Hi everyone, I've had a problem with my toilet for a few months. After I flush it all is good. But then hours later I notice the water level has risen in the bowl. I thought it was the fill valve because I could see it had a slow drip. So last weekend I put in a new fill valve and while I was at it I also replaced the flush valve kit. All seemed to be working fine but when I got up the next morning I noticed the water level had risen again. Not as much as before replacing the parts, but it was still up about 2 inches or so higher. Any idea what the cause of this is?
Thank you!
Bleu

 

[Reach4]

I think you have at least two problems.

For the non-fill-valve problem up in the tank, turn off the stop valve at the wall for troubleshooting. I expect the water level to fall. Note what level the water stops at.

The other problem is that your refill from the fill valve is low. It should have topped up the bowl. But that helped you pick up on the first problem.

Is this a good-flushing toilet? Does it go a person-year or more without needing a plunger? Otherwise, you might be better to put in a newer toilet, rather than investing effort in the old one.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[BleuBerlin]

I'm not clear what you mean turn off the stop valve at the wall. And then do what? If I flush it yes, the water level falls to just about even with the flapper.

I probably wasn't clear about what is happening. The fill valve does top off the bowl after flushing. It's just that hours after flushing the water level mysteriously rises a couple of inches in the bowl. This is a fair flushing toilet and yes, I can go a year or more without plunging.

 

[Reach4]

I'm not clear what you mean turn off the stop valve at the wall. And then do what? If I flush it yes, the water level falls to just about even with the flapper.

I was suggesting that you turn off the valve. Don't flush unless you need too. You are looking for the water in the tank to drop, and stop at some point. Midway? At the flapper seat? Lower still? That's the test.

The fill valve does top off the bowl after flushing. It's just that hours after flushing the water level mysteriously rises a couple of inches in the bowl.

If it were filled, it would have risen to its max. If a toilet is at max, and you add more slowly, such as slowly from a glass, the water will settle back down within a few minutes.

 

[BleuBerlin]

If I turn the water off at the valve nothing happens. It just sits there. If I pour water in the bowl from a glass the water stays where it is, it does not go back down. The water level in the bowl has always been very low. It is not at the max but it never has been.

I am wondering if it could be backing up and that is why it is rising. Is that a possibility? Thank you for your help!

 

[Jadnashua]

The toilet bowl is like a tea kettle that normally is filled to overflowing. If the water level goes up, first, something is leaking, or possibly, there's a back-t0-back toilet that got flushed, pushing some of its waste water into the opposite bowl. That would only be a big issue if the bowl was not already full as designed.

The balance between the tank being full and the bowl as well is determined by the fill valve. Sometimes, that needs to be calibrated if you don't buy a valve specific for your toilet (i.e., a generic one). Some of the valves come with a restrictor to throttle back the flow into the bowl. While overfilling the bowl won't create a problem (it just goes down the drain), it does waste water.

 

[BleuBerlin]

There is only one toilet in the house. I thought since the bowl water level slowly rises over a period of hours that there could be something else going on. I did put a generic valve in although this was happening before I replaced it. I will try to re calibrate the valve and see if that resolves it.
Thanks so much!

 

[Reach4]

If I turn the water off at the valve nothing happens. It just sits there.

Try that overnight. Maybe put a small pencil mark at the water level before you go to bed. If you get up and go to the bathroom, check the tank water level before flushing.

 

[Jadnashua]

If the bowl isn't full like it is designed for, and it slowly rises over time, it may be that the fill valve needs that extra height to shut it off.

You can have problems if the water pressure is excessive. Code says it should be reduced to a maximum of 80-psi. that can make some toilet valve weep slowly.

 

[BleuBerlin]

I turned the water supply off at the wall and let it sit overnight. I also made a note of the water level in the bowl. In the morning the water level in the tank had not fallen at all, it was exactly the same. However, the water level in the bowl had risen an inch or two. I guess that must mean the water in the bowl did not come from the tank so it must be backing up?

 

[Reach4]

I turned the water supply off at the wall and let it sit overnight. I also made a note of the water level in the bowl. In the morning the water level in the tank had not fallen at all, it was exactly the same. However, the water level in the bowl had risen an inch or two. I guess that must mean the water in the bowl did not come from the tank so it must be backing up?

I don't have a better explanation, but that is weird. Septic or sewer? Detached house, or apartment building, or what?

 

[BleuBerlin]

Sewer, detached 70 year old house. I don't have any backup in the tub. This has been going on for a few months. I thought for sure it would subside after changing out what appeared to be a faulty fill valve.

Tree roots maybe? I live in the desert so there aren't many trees on my property, but there is one not too far from where the sewer line runs to the street.