Is there a ghost in my home? This question would not let you stay in peace if you are home alone and the toilet is flushing on its own.
You might like to find the answer for different reasons. There is no need to call the ghostbusters or any other support to keep away the ghost.
This is a common problem with toilets. The periodic flushing in the bathroom is popular with the name Phantom Flushing.
This issue has several causes, and at the same time, it is essential to know that this problem would not give a hard time to the users.
If you are listening to such sounds in the toilet. You want to settle the problem, then this article would give you the peace of mind you are looking for.
This article has all the detail that can help you with the resolution of the problem.
Learning About Toilet Construction
To settle the periodic flushing problem, it is important to know the details related to the basic toilet anatomy. The common toilet includes:
The toilet has a bowl filled with water.
The tank is the second main component that is the hub of the rest of the activities.
As you flush the toilet with the chain’s help, the flapper goes up, making the hole in the bottom of the tank uncovered.
There is a siphon tube just under the bowl. After the siphon tube gets filled with water, it sucks the water out of the bowl.
The process continues until all the water is completely gone from the tube. A particular sound comes out in this process that is similar to the sucking sound.
After all, the water is gone from the tank and the bowl, the fill valve starts pouring the water back into the tank.
The water further flows from the tank to the bowl. There is a lever with the fill valve. A rubber balloon connects the two.
This balloon is there at the end of the fill valve. The balloon helps in refilling the tank. It floats on the surface of the water until it achieves a certain level in the tank.
After reaching a certain level, the flip valve will shut off. In this way, the flushing process comes to an end.
What Is Meant By The Phantom Flush?
The phantom flushing happens due to the faulty toilet tank. As the water starts leaking, the constant leaking causes artificial flushing.
As the leakage increases, the process of tank refilling would worsen as well. If you do not take care of the leakages, it might worsen after some time, making things worse for the flush.
According to the extent of the leakage, things can keep worsening for the user.
This indicates that the tank’s water level is too low, and the rubber balloon is trying to trigger the fill valve so that it opens again and again.
In the case the toilet is leaking heavily, the siphon will move up with the water. Thus, the full-on flush cycle comes into action.
How Can Phantom Flushing Impact The Toilet?
Do many people think that why this flushing problem can be something serious?
Although apparently, it is not a very big thing, in reality, it can turn out to be real havoc. It can cause wastage of several gallons of water in a day.
Thus, the water bills would increase as well. A usual flush consumes only 1.5 gallons of water. In the case of the phantom flushing every time the same amount of water is flushed out.
Thus, at the end of the day, you would experience the loss of the most essential treasure of your lives, water.
In the worst conditions, you may experience 200 gallons of water going to waste.
Fixing The Problem
Remove the lid and carefully look at the flapper. In case it is old or damaged, simply remove it.
Turn off the water and remove the water from the flush.
Remove the chain from the worn-out flapper. Don’t forget to unhook the two ears. Hook back the ears of the new flapper to the flush valve. Add the chain back too.
If the flapper is fine, check the chain. The chain should not be too small. If the chain is not slacking enough, adjust the chain levels so that the flapper can go down to the valve. Turn on the water supply and try flushing a few times.
Should I Replace My Toilet?
Suppose you cannot diagnose the right reason after checking the entire anatomy.
In that case, it is time to either call the plumber or replace the tank without complicating the future process.
Conclusion
Phantom flushing can make things scary. This can be a wasteful problem for the system. It is very important to keep looking for cracks or faulty parts.
Mending a problem in the early stages can’t be too difficult. It would take just a few minutes but would save you from a long-term loss.
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