When your toilet is malfunctioning, that might create a lot of issues and unpleasant situations for the whole household. Spraying water from the tank is a common failure of the toilet that needs to be dealt with immediately. However, before you take any action, first, you need to know what is causing your toilet to spray water from the tank.
The most common cause of a toilet spraying water from the tank is an overfull tank due to a faulty float. Another cause might be a broken flapper, which is responsible for controlling the water flow between the toilet tank and toilet bowl. Lastly, there might be a broken supply line that can cause water leaks around your toilet.
Instead of panicking when your toilet starts spraying water from the tank, you should learn what can be done and act in the same instance. In this article, you will discover the reasons why your toilet might start spraying water from the tank along with some simple fixes that you can do on your own. Therefore, keep reading, and improve your plumbing skills!
4 Reasons Why Your Toilet Is Spraying Water From The Tank
Whenever you notice a failure in your toilet, you might get overwhelmed and panicky because this creates a problem for the whole family. Water spraying from the toilet tank is one of the common malfunctions that can occur in the bathroom. However, you can usually deal with this kind of situation successfully if you are capable of determining what is causing the issue in the first place.
There are four most common reasons why your toilet might start spraying water from the tank. If this happens to you, make sure that you know where to look for the cause of the malfunctioning toilet tank.
1. Overfull Tank
The first thing you need to check when your toilet starts spraying water is whether the tank is overfull. Usually, a toilet tank becomes overfull due to a faulty float. The float plays a major role in the operation of the toilet, so when it does not work properly, you are faced with an overfull tank that sprays water all over your bathroom.
The main responsibility of the float is to monitor and manage the water level inside the tank. That means that the float is designed to stop the water flow once it reaches the required level in the toilet tank. When the float is not capable of stopping the water as it is necessary, that means that the float is faulty.
This leads to the water passing its limit in the toilet tank, resulting in water spraying from the overfull tank. To deal with this situation, you might need to get a professional plumber.
2. Broken Or Jammed Flapper
A broken or jammed flapper is another common reason that causes the toilet to spray water from the tank. The flapper is intended to control the water flow between the toilet tank and the toilet bowl. If your toilet tank cannot hold the water inside itself until you flush the toilet, that means that the flapper is broken.
Usually, when it comes to a broken flapper, a replacement is the only solution. However, you should always check twice before you determine that the flapper is truly broken. In other words, your flapper might be in great condition but still not work properly.
Often, when the flapper is not performing its function, even though it looks good and in excellent shape, you should consider the possibility of it being jammed. Namely, if your flapper gets stuck in its operation, that means that it will not perform its main responsibility.
3. Broken Supply Line
A broken supply line means that the water you use in the toilet bowl is not passing correctly through the cold-water supply line. A cold-water supply line is a closed system, which when working properly, does not allow the air to suck in and out the water.
However, when this cold-water supply line is broken, it usually causes leaks around the toilet. Namely, water starts dripping on the bathroom floor. This kind of issue is usually difficult to fix, and you may need a professional problem to handle it.
4. Broken Tank
If everything is okay with the flapper, float, and supply line, then you need to consider that your tank is the problem. That is, if you notice that your toilet tank cannot hold the water before you flush the toilet, that means that it is damaged and needs a replacement. Usually, there is no other fix around this issue, so you will probably need to buy a new toilet tank, so your toilet can regain its full functionality.
How To Repair A Toilet That Sprays Water From The Tank?
When you notice that your toilet is spraying water from the tank, you will first think of calling a plumber. However, professional plumbers sometimes take days to come to fix the issue, and a damaged toilet is not something that can wait. Therefore, you might consider handling the repairs yourself.
Nonetheless, you need to bear in mind that some repairs are beyond your capabilities. Namely, there are issues that need to be handled by professionals, so you cannot do anything about them. But, before you leave the job in the hands of professionals, you can try the following things:
- Test your toilet flapper – You will need to stop the water flow, and then push the flapper with the stick. The water will start running, but if it stops, that means you need a new flapper.
- Replace your fill valve – This requires only turning off the water flow, unscrewing the old valve, and replacing it with a new one.
Replacing a flapper and a fill valve is usually easy, and you can do these repairs by yourself using only basic tools. However, if you need to repair a broken supply line, then you will definitely need a professional.
What Tools Are Necessary For Repairing A Toilet That Sprays Water From The Tank?
If you decide to do the replacement by yourself, first make sure that you have all the necessary tools for the repairs. You do not need any special tools, but still, you need something that will enable you to work. Therefore, you should have the following tools at your disposal:
- Wax bowl ring.
- Toilet tank bolts.
- Toilet tank bolt covers.
- Flange extension ring.
- Toilet flapper and tank lever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can A Constantly Running Water Flood Your Bathroom?
It is quite possible that your bathroom will get flooded if water keeps running and leaking from the toilet. That is why it is necessary to react immediately when you notice leaks and damage to the toilet tank.
Can A Running Toilet Affect The Water Bill?
A running toilet will definitely increase your water bill if it keeps leaking for a long time. Since the toilet is attached to the water supply, it affects the water bill, and when it is damaged the water leaks even more than usual.
Why Do You Need To Repair Toilet Issues Immediately?
First, you need to repair toilet issues immediately in order to prevent causing greater damage. In addition, you need to think about the water bill since it will increase greatly if the water keeps running.
Final Thoughts
If you ever notice that your toilet tank starts spraying water, make sure that you address the issue immediately. Now you know how to detect the type of damage to your toilet, so you can react accordingly. Hopefully, you will even attempt fixing some of the issues by yourself, since some of them do not need high plumbing skills.
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.