Ever wonder why your toilet makes a noise when you sit on it? There are several potential reasons for this phenomenon: from something being caught in the pipes to defective parts within the plumbing. In this guide, we’ll discuss some reasons that might explain the cause of your noisy toilet and some unique fixes you could apply before calling in a plumber to install new parts.
Why Your Toilet Makes Noise When You Sit On It
Toilets make noise when you sit on them because of how they are designed. It can be pretty embarrassing when other people hear it because it makes it seem like you’re taking a massive dump. And if you’re worried about the noise your toilet is making, here’s why it happens and how to stop it.
Poor Flange
If you’ve ever flushed your toilet and heard a loud, grinding noise, it could be due to a poor flange. A flange is the metal piece that connects your toilet to the sewer line. If this piece isn’t installed correctly or damaged in any way, water can leak around it when you flush your toilet.
The most common reason for this problem is that the flange was not adequately secured to the floor when installed by a plumber or contractor. This can cause it to vibrate and rattle whenever someone uses the bathroom, which can make a loud noise every time they use their toilet bowl.
Loose Toilet Base
The first thing to check is the toilet base. If it isn’t adequately secured to the floor, it can rock back and forth as you use it. This rocking motion can cause small amounts of water to splash out from underneath the tank when you flush — which may sound like a loud clanking sound.
This could happen if you overtighten the bolts holding it together during installation or over time if an earthquake or other event shook things.
Toilet Wax Ring is Bad
First, let’s talk about what the wax ring is. The wax ring is what seals your toilet to the floor. It’s made of rubber and was initially made out of wax, hence its name.
Toilets are heavy and need to be firmly set into place, so they don’t leak. The wax ring helps with this by creating a seal between the floor and the bottom of your toilet tank. This seal prevents water from coming out between the two surfaces and running down into your basement or crawl space if there is any moisture.
The problem arises when people try using plumbers’ putty instead of a new wax ring or using just one side of their old wax ring instead of both sides (this puts uneven pressure on one side). Using too much plumbers’ putty can also cause problems because it creates too much pressure on one side of your toilet tank and pushes it up off its seat slightly as well as causing stress cracks in your porcelain where it meets up with the bowl.
Loose tank bolts
The most common reason this occurs is that the tank bolts are loose or missing altogether. The bolts that hold the tank to the bowl are usually zinc-plated steel and are about two inches long. If these bolts become loose or fall out, the toilet will rock side-to-side when you sit on it, causing noise and damage to your flooring and walls.
If your toilet makes noise when you sit down on it, check all the bolts holding the tank in place. Tighten them if necessary using an adjustable wrench or pliers (it may be better if you have someone else help). If any bolts have fallen out completely, replace them with new ones before reattaching the toilet tank to its base.
Blocked Air Vent Pipe
If you have a noisy toilet, it’s probably because the air vent pipe is clogged. The air vent pipe is located on the back of the toilet tank and extends upward to the roof. It’s used to provide a vacuum that sucks water from the tank through a hole in the bowl into the flush system.
Toilet flushing uses a lot of water, so it’s necessary to create a vacuum that prevents water from splashing out of the tank during flushing. If there’s debris in this pipe, it can cause turbulence when you flush, creating noise and possibly causing damage to your toilet flapper valve or gaskets.
How to Fix a Noisy Toilet
A noisy toilet is one of the most irritating problems in a household. The noise can be heard even from outside the bathroom. The sound can be caused by loose or worn parts inside the toilet, which need to be fixed. If it’s not broken, do not try to fix it yourself. Taking apart the toilet tank and other toilet parts can be very difficult and dangerous. Instead, contact a professional plumber for assistance with your noisy toilet.
The following tips will help you fix a noisy toilet as well as prevent future issues:
- Check For Clogs
If you have a clog in your toilet, this can cause issues, including noisy flushing. A clog can also cause other problems, such as slow or weak flushing and overflowing toilets.
To fix a clog, you need to remove it by using a plunger or another type of plumbing device designed for this purpose. It would be best if you also considered using a chemical treatment product that will dissolve the clog, so you don’t have to deal with it anymore.
- Check For Leaks
If your toilet is leaking from somewhere within its inner workings (such as from around its base), that could also cause noises during flushing. You may hear loud banging sounds when flushing and water splashing on the floor after you flush your toilet.
This could indicate an issue with your sealant, which is what keeps water inside of your toilet bowl instead of allowing it to leak out onto your floor when you flush the toilet. You’ll want to repair this problem immediately because leaking toilets can be costly and can even damage other parts of your home if left unchecked for too long (due to mold growth).
- Replace The Flapper Valve
If your toilet keeps running or makes a noise when you flush it, there may be something wrong with your valve flapper assembly. This part acts as a switch between filling and dumping modes, so if it’s faulty, it may not allow water to enter or leave the tank properly. You can replace this part yourself by unscrewing it from its mounting plate and sliding on a new one — make sure you buy one that matches your brand of the toilet!
- Replace the fill valve
The fill valve is usually located on the wall behind the tank. The fill valve regulates how much water goes into the tank each time you flush. If the fill valve leaks or sticks, it may cause noises when flushing. To fix this problem, replace the old fill valve with a new one by turning off the power to your toilet and removing all of its parts. Once all of its features are removed, buy a new fill valve and install it according to instructions on the packaging.
- Refill tank water level manually if it’s too low
If your toilet has been leaking or running more than usual recently, then there may be too little water in your tank at any given time. This can result in extra noise when flushing because there isn’t enough water to push all of the waste down into sewage pipes when flushing occurs. To fix this problem, manually refill your tank by pouring water into its bowl until it’s full again
- Adjust float ball setting (or replace ball altogether)
The float ball is a small plastic or metal ball that sits at the bottom of your toilet tank. When the water level is high enough, the float ball rises and shuts off the water flow to your toilet. If your bathroom is noisy when flushed, you may need to adjust how high or low the float ball is set.
If you’re replacing an old flapper with a new one, make sure that it fits properly over the flush valve before installing it in your tank. Some older toilets use an old-style flapper that doesn’t seal well against the overflow tube in newer toilets and may cause them to run until someone fixes it by adjusting the float setting or replacing parts inside the tank.
Conclusion
Understanding the cause of the issue can help you better solve the problem. If you can hear an unpleasant sound when you sit down on the toilet, it doesn’t matter whether that noise is caused by loose-fitting or some other problem. Either way, you’ll have to solve the problem if you want to get back to enjoying your trips to the bathroom.
Amos Christen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Drexel University — Philadelphia, PA. Since 2003, Amos has worked with top interior design professionals in this area, including architects and interior/graphic/lighting designers. As a skilled interior designer, Amos Christen is highly versed in fine arts and crafts and uses that to supplement his main area of expertise. He often publishes articles related to home décor on several websites, including Sprucetoilets.com, Sprucebathroom.com, and Mybesuitedhome.com. He also contributes to leading interior design magazines.