If you are an average American, you are not the only one facing the ghost flush problem. It is estimated that phantom flush or ghost flush wastes about 200 gallons of water annually.
So, Why is My Toilet Tank Losing Water, and How do I fix it? The auto flushing happens when the water leaks continuously from the tank. However, the way these leaks happen may vary from one toilet to the other.
For a regular American toilet, it is really easy any ghost leaks. If you have the proper instrument, you can easily seal any leaks, which causes pain. Unless your tank is literally cracked, fixing it is somewhat easy and inexpensive. So, let us see the causes and prevention of any ghost leaks.
Contents
Is it Ghost Flush?
A ghost flush is the leaking of water from the tank in a continuous manner. The condition will lead to auto-refill, and you did not even turn the Flush on. Similar to a phantom in horror movies, the ghost flush is creepy and wastes a lot of water.
In severe cases, a ghost flush continues for hours, making the toilet wet and soggy. If you face such a situation, there is no immediate solution. Though the solution is easy, you need to open the whole tank, maybe even replace some parts.
Some cases may also make a leaking sound, which is quite irritating. No matter the cause, a ghost leak is a pain in the ass. So, let us see the most common causes of phantom flushing or ghost flushing below.
Finding toilet tank leaks (Tradition toilets)
When you encounter ghost leaks, the problem may be an internal or an external one. Anyhow, identifying the cause of the leak should be in focus. Sometimes the internal mechanism may get damaged from constant use. Then again, external pipe leaks can also cause frequent phantom water leaks. So, now let us see these causes in their most detailed form.
External leaks
Pipe leaks are the 1st thing you need to look for before solving the ghost flush problem. The symptoms of external pipe leaks are leaky and wet toilets. Now coming to the causes, it may be due to the loose supply tube. A cracked tank or sweaty bowl can also contribute to external toilet leaks. If any of these problems don’t seem visible, just take a look at the shutoff valve. A defective shutoff valve is one of the most common reasons for visible leaks.
Internal Toilet tank leaks
When there is no issue of water leaking to the floor or an always wet toilet, the reason is indeed internal. The internal cause of the Ghost Flush is the problems in
- Toilet Flappers
- Refill tube
- Entire Flush Valve
90% of the time, your problems will be resolved simply by replacing these internal parts. However, see below if your Toilet didn’t turn out the way it used to.
What if your Toilet is wet due to under tank leaks?
Your constant soggy toilet may also be a cause of under tank leaks. While checking for external pipe leaks, you may counter a wet toilet even if there are no external pipe problems. Turns out, identifying these problems are really simple and easy to maneuver. The steps are
- First, shut off all water supplies and hold the lever, draining the tank. You can also use a bucket to catch any water leaking underneath the toilet.
- Now, after removing all hardware like old nuts, bolts, washers, etc. clean them.
- Gradually, lift the tank carefully and don’t rush to the job. After that, the tank-to-bowl sponge gasket is to be removed.
- Once you remove the old sponge, you can attach a new sponge and carefully mount the nut threads.
- Finally, fix everything together in your toilet, and you are good to go. If you face any resolving issues, you may consider having a professional to do your job. Not everyone can do a plumbers job.
Toilet tank losing water but no leak
Sometimes, the water level drops from the tank, but you hardly see any leaks. Don’t worry. No ghost is taking away your water. This ghost flush happens due to the wearing down of the flush valve system. You can also face it if your fill valve isn’t attached correctly.
A leaky flush valve lowers the water level from the top of the tube. Generally speaking, water will leak out of the tank every time the tank gets filled.
To fix it, you need to open the flush system and replace the flappers or flush valve. Try seeking professional help, as open a tank isn’t easy for newbies.
Difference Toilets Vary In Solutions
There is a misconception regarding ghost leaks varying in solutions, which is dependent on their types. But the basic reason for ghost leaks is either internal or external. Additionally, the mechanism involved in modern toilets is pretty similar. Internally speaking, changing the toilet flappers, refill tube, or the entire flush valve is sure to resolve your phantom flush problems.
Ending Note
Fixing ghost leaks in your toilet is somewhat easy and doesn’t require any additional knowledge. However, when you are a complete newbie, you might have issues resolving the problems. A newbie can also face nuts tightening or parts unmatching issues, which can increase the ghost leaks. So, it is better to search for a professional plumber to do the hard work for you.