Why is my Toilet so Noisy?

24 Apr

s your toilet noisy? Although it’s not the most important thing in the world, having a noisy toilet can be annoying, so here are a few of the reasons that your toilet might be noisy, together with answers on how to quieten it down.

All toilets are somewhat noisy when the flush is actually taking place. But it’s what happens afterwards – when the cistern is refilling, that can annoy some people.

Typical problems of noisy flush toilets

In some instances, the noise when the toilets cistern refills, is purely down to the flow of the water itself. If the water pressure in the pipe that supplies the cistern is too high, as it tops up the cistern it can cause the ball-cock to bounce around as the water flows in, and this can result in noises (known as “hammering”) that reverberates through the pipes.

Another problem is that the loo sounds like a water feature if you’ve got an old-style ball valve filling from the top of the cistern. This results in the water running down and splashing into the cistern as it fills.

Fixing a Noisy Toilet

Here are a number of fixes that you can try:

Take a look at your existing valve and clean away any dirt of debris that may have gathered.
Check to establish whether or not the valve diaphragm has perished and split,
Install a pressure reducing valve on the water supply pipe to lower the water pressure of the water filling the cistern.
Check that the valve you have fitted is the type that works with both high and low pressure.
Try tweaking the isolation valve by giving it a quarter turn.
Remove your old Pressure Ball Valve and replace with a new style Fill Valve.

Loud foghorn types noise coming from your toilet

Loud foghorn type noises coming from your toilet are usually caused by a dirty ball-cock (also known as a valve). Cleaning the ball-cock is relatively simple. All you have to do is to turn the water supply off and clean away any dirt or debris that might have accumulated on the ball-clock. This will normally do the trick, but if it doesn’t, you may have to buy a new ball-cock and fill valve, and replace the old ones.

But before you buy a new ball-cock and fill valve, if the foghorn noise still persists, it’s worth checking to see if here is a loose connection somewhere. If you feel brave enough to try, turn the water supply off and unscrew all of the parts including the valve. Remove the washer, turn it around and put it back in position. Then re-screw all of the parts nice and tight. Turn the water supply back on and do a test flush. It the problem is fixed, all well and good, but if it’s still there, it’s time to replace the ball-cock and fill valve.

The humming toilet

If you toilet is humming (in the noise sense, not the smell sense), you may simply need to replace the washer inside the ball-cock. To access this washer, simply carefully split the all-cock in two. Be sure to turn the water off before tampering with the ball-cock.

Calling in the professionals – CW Services Plumbing and Heating

Plumbing repairs aren’t for everyone, and if you live in South London and you would rather call in the professionals, call us here at CW Services Plumbing and Heating on 020 7733 6812 or 07949 095 184.