According to reports, the average household wastes nearly 10,000 gallons of water yearly. As dreading as that sounds, it’s more dreading that the leading sources of leaks are toilet leaks. So, it’s normal to ask, ‘why is my toilet spraying water?’
Most toilets spray water because of a faulty or damaged flapper, fill valve, toilet tank, float, wax ring, or supply line. For others, it’s a case of a loose connection, especially between the tank and toilet bowl or on the fill hose.
We’ll look at all these issues and their fixes to help you address the source of your toilet leak accordingly. That’ll not just save you water and money, but it’ll also ensure the leakage will not interfere with your building’s structural integrity or safety.
Let’s get into it!
Why Is My Toilet Spraying Water and How Can I Fix It?
Generally, it’s essential to be on the lookout when you notice your toilet leaking water. Here are some common causes or possible reasons which you should be aware of:
No. 1 – Faulty Flapper
Ideally, a flapper allows water to flow from the toilet tank to the toilet bowl seamlessly and continuously. If it’s jammed, it becomes less responsive, which means water is likely to spray out of the tank.
Likewise, a damaged flapper cannot regulate water flow from the toilet tank to the toilet bowl.
Fix
Consider replacing the flapper if it’s damaged. You can, however, try unjamming it if it’s jammed. But if you can’t, talk to a plumbing expert.
No. 2 – Faulty Fill Valve
Another possible reason your toilet water is spraying out of the tank is a damaged fill valve.
Under perfect conditions, water flows down to the toilet standpipes and refills the toilet bowl. That, however, may not be the case if the fill valve is faulty.
A faulty fill valve will result in water spraying from top of toilet fill valve.
Fix
If the fill valve is faulty, consider replacing it, something you can do with a universal option like Fluidmaster 400AH Performax Toilet Fill Valve.
This fill valve enjoys a universal design for easy DIY installation onto any toilet system. The highlight is that it comes with a self-adjusting roller clamp to save on water waste.
No. 3 – Damaged Toilet Tank
It’s advisable to observe the toilet tank keenly as it could be the source of the leaking. If the toilet tank has cracks or holes, you cannot expect it to hold water well. Water will likely leak.
Fix
Consider sealing the source of leaks on the toilet tank as that will briefly stop the spraying. But if you want a permanent fix, consider replacing the toilet tank.
No. 4 – Faulty Wax Ring
A faulty waxy ring could be the reason why your toilet sprays water from bowl when flushed. Usually, the wax ring seals the toilet base and the under-toilet drain pipe. So, if it has a problem, water is likely to leak around the toilet base when you flush.
Fix
Consider replacing the wax ring if it’s leaky. That’s more permanent as opposed to trying to reseal it.
No. 5 – Faulty Float (an Overfull Tank)
The toilet tank system is designed to stop holding more water when water gets to a certain level. That usually happens when the float is working well.
If it’s not, water will surpass the appropriate level in the tank, resulting in an overflow.
Fix
Consider replacing the float if it’s faulty. Though the job can be too technical if you have no prior plumbing knowledge, you can do it more seamlessly with a universal float ball like Keeeny PP9906-1.
It not only comes with a universal design but also allows you to fit it tool-free.
No. 6 – Leaky Seals
Standard toilets typically come with six seals. The most important one is the larger seal. If it breaks, your toilet will leak, resulting in water spraying up the bowl each time you flush.
Fix
If the seals are broken, especially the larger ones, replace them.
But first, you must drain the water tank, remove it, and flip it upside down to access the seals.
No. 7 – Loose Fill Hose
Inside the toilet tank is a fill hose that delivers water to its overflow. If this hose is improperly fitted or just loose, water will flow upwards and spray out.
Fix
Check the tank for a loose fill hose. If it is, retighten it to stop the leakage. In case the fill hose is worn out and faulty, consider replacing it.
No. 8 – Loose Toilet Bowl or Tank
Water will leak if the toilet bowl or toilet tank is loose, especially around the base. To check for that, you need to examine the bolts or O-ring gasket, which connect the two.
If something is loose, then act on it immediately. Also, check for rust as rust cause the nuts to loosen up.
Fix
Replace the nuts if they are rusty and tighten them if they are just loose. Replace the O-ring gasket, however, if it’s faulty.
No. 9 – Broken Water Supply Line
Usually, the water that feeds your toilet goes through a cold supply line that works smoothly. If the system breaks for any reason, water will leak whenever you flush.
Fix
More often, the fix is to replace the toilet tank. That allows you to restore the whole water supply line.
But if you don’t have the budget for a new tank, consider sealing the source of the leak with an effective water-resistant sealant to stop the leakage temporarily.
How to Recognize and Respond to a Leaking Toilet
Generally, here are the critical steps for detecting a leaky toilet and fixing it:
Detection
- Remove the toilet tank’s lid and add a few drops of food coloring
- Wait for about 10 minutes before rechecking the tank to see if there are signs of the food coloring
- If yes, then your toilet is leaking, and you should therefore fix it.
Fix
- Start by shutting off water delivery into the toilet tank
- Use a pencil or water marker to mark the tank’s water level
- Check back in 10 minutes to determine if the leak is below the mark
- If it is, then the problem could be the flush valve, which you should replace
- If it is not, then you should explore other possible reasons, such as a faulty fill valve, float, or flapper
Overall, if you cannot fix the leak, consider calling a plumbing expert. Also, contact the expert when you are not sure about something. That’ll save you time.
People Also Ask
1. Why Is My Toilet Spraying Water from Tank?
There are different possible reasons why your toilet is spraying water from the tank. It could be a broken water supply line, flapper, or toilet tank.
It could also be because of a faulty float or a loose connection to the tank. Overall, you have to look around the toilet tank to detect the source of the water leakage.
2. How Do I Stop My Toilet Spraying Water?
The solution to stopping the toilet spraying water is first diagnosing the problem. You must determine the source, which means looking for signs of damage on the tank and around it and any loose connections.
Areas to inspect include the fill valve, flapper, float, fill hose, and toilet seals.
3. Why Is My Toilet Spraying Water from Bottom?
If your toilet is spraying water from the bottom, the chances are that the wax ring has a problem. Usually, the wax ring seals the under-toilet to the toilet base. So, if it’s faulty, water will leak from the toilet wax ring.
Water can also leak around the base if there are loose bolts or the seals are faulty. Additionally, it could happen if there is some loose connection between the bowl and toilet tank.
4. How Do You Fix a Splashing Toilet?
If your toilet is splashing up the bowl, the chances are that the fill valve is damaged. If so, you should replace it. In some cases, however, the issue could be misaligned or broken standpipes, which you should try to realign or replace.
But if the water leak is at the base, check for loose connections and fix them accordingly or rusty nuts and replace them.
5. Why Is My Toilet Leaking Water When I Flush?
When you flush, your toilet leaks water because of a possible loose connection between the bowl and the toilet tank. So, inspect that and tighten everything up before flushing.
6. Why Is My Toilet Leaking Water On the Floor?
There are different possible reasons why your toilet water is leaking on the floor. For one, it could be due to a loose connection between the bowl and the toilet tank.
Secondly, it could be that the seals, toilet tank, float, fill hose, or flapper is faulty. So, you also have to check for that too.
7. Why Is My Toilet Water Valve Leaking?
If the toilet water valve is leaky, the chances are that it’s loose or just damaged. If it’s the former, try retightening it with a wrench. But if it’s the latter, consider replacing the water valve. That should stop the leakage.
8. So, How Do You Stop a Toilet from Flushing Twice?
If the toilet is flushing twice, it’s likelier that the flapper tends to stay up for a while when you flush first and that leaves the flush valve open for a long time, allowing water to seep into the toilet bowl.
Why Is My Toilet Spraying Water? Closing Thought:
Now you know what could be causing your toilet leakage. More often than not, it’s a case of a damaged or faulty tank, seal, float, flapper, wax ring, or hose.
However, don’t forget to check for loose connections around the toilet tank as that could also be the problem. But overall, if you cannot detect the issue or fix it, call an expert plumber right away!
Relevant:
- Where Does the Waste Go When You Flush The Toilet?
- Can Toilet and Shower Share A Drain?
- Why Are Toilets Always White?
- Why Shower Faucet is Loose from the Wall?
- How to Fix a Loose Shower Head Holder
- Why Does My Toto Toilet Keep Running
- Why Your Toilet Handle is Hard to Push Down?
- Why is My Toto Toilet Making Noise?
