Happy holiday humming is one thing, but a humming toilet is not a happy sign. If your toilet is humming find out the reason and get it fixed before it becomes an even bigger problem and spoils your holiday season!
Do you hear that? Is it someone humming a holiday song? Oh, wait, no, that’s just your toilet. A humming toilet is not uncommon but can be challenging to diagnose and even more unpleasant to live with. That humming noise coming from your toilet after you flush the toilet is a sign of trouble. Ignoring it could result in bigger problems down the road. Below are some of the reasons your toilet might be humming.
First, a humming noise may be the result of increasing or inconsistent water pressure. You can check your water pressure with the use of a water pressure test gauge. Run the water at one of your faucets and hold the gauge under the running water. If your water pressure is more than 60 psi, you’ll want to take measures to lower it. Your goal should be a reading of 40 to 45 psi. Adjusting water pressure can be done using the pressure reducer valve located near your water meter. If you are unfamiliar, it’s best to call a plumber to make these adjustments.
If the sound is more like a foghorn, the problem is probably coming from a loose washer or the ballcock assembly. This is especially common in older toilets with metal ballcock-style fill valves. You can determine which is causing the problem by opening up the tank, lifting the float ball, and flushing the toilet. If the noise stops then you know it’s a problem with the washer.
Pipe vibrations in your water supply pipes can create a sound in your home’s plumbing which can be heard through the toilet as it refills the tank with water. Although annoying, pipe vibrations are more concerning as they can lead to pipe damage when the vibrations create split weld joints. Your plumber will be able to determine which pipes are vibrating and the steps needed to fix the problem, whether it’s replacing the water supply valve or the installation of pipe straps.
Another cause of this unpleasant humming is what’s called, water hammer. This phenomenon is caused when there is a sudden change in direction of the moving liquids or trapped air that gets compressed in the pipeline. The water flow in the toilet gets cut off, sending shock waves through the water to the supply pipe causing vibration sounds we hear as humming. Water hammer can weaken pipe connections or in some cases rupture the pipe. Having a professional plumber investigate the problem is your best bet as it’s a job that will require a plumber’s expertise. No matter what your toilet humming issue is, get it checked out to ensure you don’t end up with a bigger problem, and instead of humming holiday tunes, you’ll be humming the blues! At Michael’s Plumbing, we can help with all of your plumbing issues. As your local Orlando plumbing expert, we are just a call or click away! Call us at (407) 219-9772 or contact us online.