Hi all,

First problem:

For the last 3 weeks my master bath toilet has been making a weird noise in the water tank. The noise frequency varies from every 30 seconds to every couple of minutes all day long. I took a video of it and posted it on youtube in the hopes that someone here knows why it's happening because it's driving me crazy!

[youtu.be]


Second problem:

Around the same time, but I could be wrong about that, the master bath toilet stopped flushing "#2". "#1" and associated toilet paper(TP) flush with no problem. "#2" and it's associated TP don't go down and I end up having to use a plunger to fix it. I thought there might be a clog so I borrowed my father-in-law's 6 foot snake, but that has not fixed the issue. I have a raised ranch and I assume the floor plans are all pretty much the same. My hallway bathroom and master bathroom showers share a portion of the same wall. Would I be wrong to assume that the waste pipes for both bathrooms meet up close by and therefore, if there was a deeper clog it would create the same problem in the hallway toilet?

I replaced the master bath toilet 2 years ago as my wife didn't like the style of the one we had. I did the work myself as it seemed like an easy DIY project. I never had a flushing problem or the noise problem with that toilet. If I'm honest though, I "cheaped" out on the toilet and bought a inexpensive American Standard toilet that was on sale at HD for about $115. This is my first house and I have quickly learned that you get what you pay for and this might one for those things.

Anyhow, any help is appreciated.

I would start by filling a 5 gallon bucket with water and dump it into the bowl to see if the volume of water will break what ever is in the bowl up to allow it to drain. Sometimes a blockage could be a small plastic bottle that will go down but get stuck in the middle of the internal trap. Sometimes the blockage allows the snake head to penetrate then closes up. The last thing to try is to remove the bowl and turn it upside down so you can run a snake in from the bottom. That can allow the small blockage to be pushed into the bowl so you can remove it.

Some toilets pass the final flush test at the factory but still have a pathway that is compromised and will cause stoppages so you may have to replace the bowl. Consider replacement of the bowl. Good luck.

1 st problem is a leaking flapper, replace it and the ghost flushing will USUALLY stop. Most likely sonething stuck in the trap of the toilet, Time for an Augering

PlumbCat TM 2003


Plumbermandan

Summarizing the two prior answers and adding a bit:

Problem 1 is water leaking slowly out of the tank. This is usually caused by gunk on the flapper seat or a failed flapper.

Your assumption about Problem 2 is correct, the clog is likely in or near this toilet. Listening really closely to your video, I think I heard a small child in the background. That species is famous for putting things in the toilet that don't belong, like watches, toys, balls, socks, etc. Follow srloren's advice about clearing the clog.

And if you decide to replace the toilet, the plumbers here recommended I buy a Toto 5 years ago. It is the best toilet our family has ever seen, truly a marvel of engineering. Never needs to be flushed twice.

srloren, PlumberManDan, and DaveMill:

Thanks for the advice! @Dave Mill- Your ears did not deceive you, that was a small 5 yr old child that can be mischievous at times.

Also, I decided to shut off the water valve feeding that toilet to see if the water level would drop. Sure enough, I went back ten minutes later and the tank was empty. I'll leave the valve closed and go out after work today to purchase a new flapper. This weekend I'll pull the toilet and auger from the other end and maybe into the drain pipe too.

Again, thanks to all for the friendly advice.



Edited 1 times.

One last thing. Take the old flapper with you. You cannot imagine the different types of flappers, even for the same toilet manufacturer. The so called Universal flapper does not always work. Been there, done that.....



Edited 1 times.