Do you have a whistling toilet in your home? Loud noises from the toilet can be surprising. You probably perk your ears when you hear your toilet making a whistling or hissing sound.
However, does a whistling sound from the toilet necessarily mean there’s a serious problem, or should you simply overlook it?
In this PlumbingNav guide, we will cover:
What causes a whistling toilet?
Is a whistling toilet dangerous?
How to stop a toilet from whistling
What's In This Guide?
What Causes A Whistling Toilet?
A whistling toilet most often occurs as a result of a faulty fill valve inside the toilet tank. The toilet fill valve in your toilet tank allows water to fill the tank when you flush, and it’s connected to the supply line. This process is initiated by the handle that raises the toilet flapper.
When you flush, water rushes from the tank into the toilet bowl. When this happens, a ball attached to the fill valve with a chain drops thanks to the lower water level in the tank, opening the fill valve. As the tank refills, the ball elevates, closing the valve.
Generally speaking, the water level rests about 3 inches above the overflow tube.
Watch the video below to learn more why toilet whistles:
The whistling noise develops as a result of water attempting to get through the valve but not being able to thanks to the obstruction. The toilet was originally designed to let a certain amount of water into the tank, but the dirty valve reduces the amount of water able to enter the tank.
The valve can become faulty due to sediment buildup, especially due to hard water, or old age. Sediment buildup occurs more often in appliances like water heaters, which can lead to popping noises, but it occurs in your toilet supply line, too.
Keep in mind that most toilets do not have a hot water supply, however, a few high-feature toilets do. If the problem lies with the hot water supply, you will notice it in other fixtures throughout your home having them as well.
In this article, we will focus on a faulty fill valve connected to the cold water supply as the main culprit behind a whistling toilet.
While not horribly problematic at first, you may start to notice difficulty flushing along with the whistle sound. Suddenly, you may need to flush more often to dispose of the waste.
Flushing more often means higher water bills and more strain on both your toilet and the connected pipes. This can lead to more repairs and premature replacement.
A whistling toilet is not dangerous. While not dangerous, a whistling toilet indicates a problem with the fill valve. If not tended to, the fill valve can stop working completely.
If the fill valve breaks down, water won’t be able to enter your toilet properly. Furthermore, the pressure that accumulates as a result of the broken valve may cause the seal to break and create a leak.
The situation may become an emergency plumbing situation if you allow the broken valve to develop into a leak.
If you do experience a leak in your toilet water supply line, turn off the water to the toilet using the shut-off valve, and clean up the water before it causes water damage to your bathroom floor.
You will need to resolve the leak before you can use the toilet again.
Find the fill valve connected to the water supply.
Remove the cap on the top of the valve. Once you remove the cap, you should see the gasket in the fill valve.
Remove the gasket or O ring and clean it using a high-pressure sprayer. You may also soak the gasket in white vinegar for about 10 – 15 minutes.
After you clean the gasket, replace it and restore water. Don’t put the cap on yet, though. Instead, place an inverted cup over the open fill valve and allow the water to flush the system out. After thorough flushing, put the cap back on the fill valve.
Flush the toilet to determine if the toilet still whistles.
If the toilet still whistles or you notice the seal around the fill valve seems to be damaged, you may need to replace the entire fill valve.
Method Two: Replace the Fill Valve
To replace the fill valve, start with the water off. Flush the toilet to remove water from the tank. Use a rag to absorb any remaining water in the tank.
Next, place a bucket underneath the supply line.
Disconnect the supply line, allowing any excess water to go into the bucket.
At this time, you will remove the fill valve mounting nut. With the nut removed, disconnect the fill valve clip from the overflow tube.
You can now remove the fill valve from the toilet tank.
Place and secure the new fill valve. Connect the supply line to the new fill valve.
Restore water to the toilet and flush to ensure the whistling stops.
Method Three: Get a New Toilet
If this is only another problem to add to the long list of issues developing with a particular old toilet, you may do better to replace the toilet completely instead of adding to your repair bills.
You can eliminate the problem in the future by considering a tankless toilet.
Furthermore, you can end up saving money every month by getting an energy-efficient toilet that uses less water per flush. If you worry about how well low flow toilets can clean, consider a dual flush toilet. This will give you the best of both worlds with two flush options: one low flow (for liquid waste) and one high flow (for solid waste).
A whistling toilet is not dangerous. While not dangerous, a whistling toilet indicates a problem with the fill valve. If not tended to, the fill valve can stop working completely.
Is a Hissing Toilet an Emergency?
A hissing toilet is not necessarily an emergency. It is, however, a sign that you need to clean or replace the fill valve in your toilet tank that allows water to enter your toilet. Without timely care, the valve can break and even cause the supply line to leak.
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About Plumbing Navigator
We write about "all things plumbing," helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
About Plumbing Navigator
We write about “all things plumbing,” helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
