How to Prevent Toilet Ghost Flushing

Have you heard your toilet flush all by itself?

Phantom flushing might take place when your toilet flushes without the handle being pushed down. It could also materialize when water drains from the tank of your toilet without flushing. Ghost flushing shows either that the toilet’s fill tube has been inadequately installed, or that the flapper inside the toilet tank is leaking and should be replaced. Check out and Inspect the fill tube first, and fix it or replace it if necessary. If this doesn’t work out the problem, replace the flapper next. Visit us at Crafty Beaver in Chicago and Skokie and tell us about the trouble you are having so plumbing supply pros can aid you in getting your bathroom project done.

The root cause of ghost, or phantom flushing should be simple to grasp, and prevention is a straightforward maintenance issue. Water is casually draining from the tank, normally through a degenerating flapper, and from lowering the float. When the float extends to its vital height, it switches on the water. To prevent this from happening, you will need to make sure all the tank seals are unharmed. To check the toilet flapper you can do a Food Dye Test.

Get these 3 items:

• Food Dye
• Toilet flapper
• Screwdriver

Put some drops of food dye in the back tank of the toilet and obstain from flushing for about 30 minutes. If the bowl water turns the same color as the dye, it might mean the flapper is leaking. Before replacing any parts, check the length of the flapper to the flush handle. It might be that you just need to lengthen the chain by one or two links. Repeat the dye test after you lengthen the chain. If the chain is too short, it prevents the flapper from seating in the siphon hole and could cause the type of leak that produces phantom flushing.

Replacing the Flapper (if needed)

If the dye still comes out in the bowl turn off the water supply and hold down the flush handle to empty the tank. Remove the flapper from the chain that connects it to the flush handle and unhook its two ears from the overflow tube. Take it to Crafty Beaver and ask us questions. You should be able to purchase an identical flapper replacement. There are many types of flappers, and they all will not fit your toilet.

Once you have purchased the new flapper, hook the ears to the overflow tube and connect the flush handle chain. Be sure to allow plenty of for the flapper to seat fully. Turn on the water, fill the tank and try a few test flushes. When you are happy the flapper is working properly, repeat the dye test again.

Look at that! You’re done you mended your toilet!

Still see food dye?

Search for other signs of leakage from the tank if the bowl of water is still discolored. observe the floor for small fragments of water and touch the bottom of the tank with your fingers, especially at the points where the bolts attach the tank to the bowl. Tighten the tank bolts with a screwdriver if you notice water around them or on the floor.

Inside Tip – If you have an older toilet, the flexible tube connecting the fill valve to the overflow tune could need water siphoned out of the tank because it is spanning too far down the overflow tube. Cut the tube and clip it to the top of the overflow tube that is extending no more than an inch inside it.

Water pooling under the tank could be a sign of a small crack in the tank. You could notice the water beading around it on the outside of the tank. If there is one, it is sometimes easier to buy a new toilet then to try and repair it. Visit us at Crafty Beaver in Chicago and Skokie so our kind associates can help you with some of your plumbing inquiries.