A home’s plumbing system plays an integral part in our everyday lives. However, a whistling toilet in the middle of the night can wreak havoc on your sanity. Most plumbing systems make noise, which is to be expected. The sounds of water dripping or traveling through plumbing pipes are a normal occurrence. However, the shrieking sounds of a whistling toilet can be quite annoying. What’s more, it is also a sign of a problem with your toilet tank fill valve.
How a Toilet Tank Fill Valve Works
A toilet tank is the vessel on the back of your toilet that holds water used for flushing. It is fitted with a device called a fill valve. The fill valve regulates the amount of water that enters the tank after flushing. It is fitted with a float that rises and falls with the water level inside the tank. When the float falls, it opens the valve allowing the tank to fill. Once it reaches a preset level, the valve closes and shuts off the water entering the tank.
What Causes a Whistling Toilet?
A toilet whistling after you flush it or randomly during the night is usually associated with a faulty fill valve. As a fill valve ages, its internal parts can deteriorate which result in the whistling, hissing sounds most folks encounter with this problem. A faulty fill valve can also cause the entire device to vibrate, leading to all sorts of strange noises emanating from your porcelain god or goddess.
What Can Be Done to Eliminate Toilet Whistle?
A whistling fill valve is screaming for your attention. It represents a sign of imminent failure and should be replaced. Although a simple adjustment can sometimes eliminate the noise, once it starts screaming, it is only a matter of time before the fill valve fails completely.
What if the Problem is Ignored?
Aside from the annoying noise from a faulty fill valve, you could be subjected to increased water usage if you ignore the problem. Increased water usage means higher utility bills for most folks. A shrieking, or failing, fill valve can run intermittently or continuously, wasting hundreds or thousands of gallons of precious water a year.
Although fill valve replacement seems like a simple repair, keep in mind when not installed properly it could cost you thousands of dollars in home repairs due to water damage from an overflowing or leaking toilet. For answers to your questions, or for help with a whistling toilet, contact the Pink Plumber today.
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