Hi. I live in a home that was built only two and a half years ago. I had no problems with the master bath toilet until a couple of weeks ago when I noticed this dripping sound. I checked to make sure there wasn't water dripping on the floor anywhere, then lifted the tank to try and figure out where it was coming from.

I'm no plumber, but I've seen the inside of a toilet tank a few times. Mine doesn't look quite like the older setups that my mom's house has. There's still a big black rubber ball (the float ball?) that goes up and down with the level of the water when you flush. But I'm used to seeing some sort of flexible straw-like tube (overflow tube?) that fits down inside the other PVC tube (bowl refill tube?) in the toilet. I don't know what it does, but I don't have one.

In any case, the thing that's dripping inside the tank is on the left hand side, and it's blue. It sits above the water level and drips water into the tank, creating the sound. When you flush, the drips go away for a little while, then come back. This blue thing sits atop of a black pole, and the floatball comes off it. If you push the floatball down, the tank starts to fill up (and excess water flows down the bowl refill tube, luckily).

I have other toilets in the house with the same setup, so I can compare. This one that's causing problems sounds like water is draining very slowly out of it somewhere. Maybe this is causing the drips in an attempt to fill up the bowl?(!) Also, in another toilet, there is a wax ring around the bottom of the black tube -- the problem toilet doesn't seem to have such a ring.

However, none of them have the flexible straw-tube that goes down the other PVC tube in them. Are these just newer toilets that don't employ those anymore?

I apologize if this is way confusing -- these drips are just driving me crazy at night and I want to make sure I'm not wasting water. Thanks for any help you can provide!

Hello abbyqueue,

It sounds like you have problem with your flapper velve, or your fill valve, also the way you explain your refill tube is missing, see the image below and tell me if this what you see in your toilet tank, if so I will tell you how to fix your problem, Thanks.

John

Here are the images, Thanks.

Hi John. My setup looks like the second picture (inside parts 3). You are correct -- I don't have refill tubes in any of my toilets. When the tank fills up after a flush, the water level comes up to almost the top of the overflow tube. If I push the float down more, the tank fills more and the excess just flows right down the overflow tube. Why would I need refill tubes in addition to that?

The blue thing I was referring to was the fill valve -- that's the thing that's dripping into the tank. If you flush, the tank fills completely. Then if you go back and check after a while, the water line in the tank is down at least an inch and the fill valve is dripping.

Thanks for your help!

Quote:

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none of them have the flexible straw-tube that goes down the other PVC tube in them. Are these just newer toilets that don't employ those anymore? Why would I need refill tubes in addition to that?

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Because the refill tube directs water into the bowl to fill it as the tank fills. If your tank parts are different the image I've put up then give me a brand name of the toilet or a picture of the ballcock. Regards, Tom

Hi Tom. My toilet looks just like that picture except the fill valve is blue instead of black. There is no refill tube. There is a little spigot-like tip on the fill valve that looks like a good place to connect one of those tubes, but no tube.

I don't have the brand name on me -- I'm in class all day.

Hi Abbyqueeue,

Tom's Image and mine are similar, as he says the fill tube are needed because it directs water into the bowl to fill it as the tank fills.
The first thing to fix is to install the fill tubes on all your toilets, and I am sure that your dripping sound will disappear, if the problem is still there let us know, we will tell you more, good luck.

John

Make sure you install the tubes as it looks in my picture or Tom's picture, and please let us know how it worked, Thanks.

John

Great. I'm so proud of myself -- that was the first thing I noticed when I busted open the tanks, the missing fill tubes (even though I didn't know what they were called).

I know it's a quick fix, but now I have to yell at my homebuilder. This is typical of them -- to leave something small yet important out of the process. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!

Good let me know if you still have any other problem with it, How old are your toilets? Thanks.

John

Two and a half years.

Ok I hope your problem will be fixed with installing the fill tubes no other adjusment needed, good luck.

John

Hi again. I called my homebuilder's service department today and they said that this is a newer design in which the fill tubes are built within the system so you can't see them. They said that if I didn't have fill tubes, my tank/toilet would not fill up, so they're in there, it's just different from the usual system.

FYI, the brand of toilet is Sterling. Does this make sense?

Toto toilets don't have the hose coming off them. There is a port that looks like it should have a hose connected but the end is not drilled out. If you have a toto toilet let me know and I will let you know what to do. I think some sterlings have the same setup.

I have no idea what a "toto toilet" is... all I know is the brand, which I've already reported. There is a port on the fill valve that does look like it should have a fill tube attached to it, and it does look "drilled out." There's a space inside it. Does that help?

Please flush the toilet and lift the lid of the tank see where is the water coming from, if it is coming from the port that you mentioned above then that is the fill port and it does need the fill tube, the tank will fill regardless of the fill tube if it is installed or not but the tube is installed because it directs water into the refill tube and to the bowl to fill it as the tank fills, if you install the tubes I am sure your dripping sound will disappear, if possible can you take a picture of the interior of the tank and post for us, Thanks.

John

I can answer the first question now -- the water does not come pouring forth from the little "fill port" after you flush. I'll need to figure out exactly where it comes from when I get home.

Hello Abbyqueue,

As mygirldad say some new toilets doesn't have the fill tubes installed and the port you talk about it is sealed off, I am not sure what is the model Number of your toilet, please click on the link below and open the PDA file it may give some clue about your toilet, Thanks.

Regards,

John


http://www.sterlingplumbing.com/onli...f/ci402502.pdf

Yes, I guess it's like the one in the PDF file. However, the tube port doesn't appear to be sealed off. I can clearly see a hole in it, but it may be sealed off further inside it. There is no water that comes out of it.

I'm guessing it's one of those problems mentioned in that PDF file, as water continuously runs into the bowl -- either it's the flapper or float valve.

It is very easy to check if it is the flapper or the float valve.

Close the angle stop under the toilet tank remove the lid mark the water level leaave it for a fww hours check if the water level is belo the mark then the flapper is leaking, in your case it will good if you put some food color inside the tank, after a while check the bowl if the color shows your flapper is bad time to change it, if both tests are OK then you have to work on the float velve, let me know what you come up with, good luck.

John