Why is my toilet flushing twice?
It can be alarming to notice your toilet flushing twice in a row. Don’t ignore this sign! It could be due to a problem that needs addressing quickly.
More often than not, a toilet is flushing twice due to too much water escaping from the tank into the toilet bowl, forcing the toilet to flush twice to reduce the water present.
To further explain, we’ll review how your toilet works and the two key reasons why this issue occurs:
We’ll also provide some tips for fixing the problem and help you avoid this from happening in the future.
Need a Trustworthy Plumber For Toilet Repairs in Tampa? Call Red Cap Plumbing & Air! The pros at Red Cap will complete your toilet repair efficiently and safely. Call or schedule with us online.
How do toilets work?
Let’s do a quick review of how your toilet works. It connects to a water supply line and a drain pipe. Understanding how its valves work to allow water to stay or flow is essential for diagnosing the double-flushing issue.
Water in a toilet tank or the back portion of the toilet runs into the bowl. When the toilet flushes, the wastewater goes down the drain and into the home’s main sewer line. The tank then fills back up with water to start the process over. There’s a fill valve in the tank that senses the water level. When the tank water reaches a certain level, the toilet is ready for the next flush.
When you push down the handle to flush the toilet, a chain inside the tank moves a part called the flapper. This flapper lifts to open up a flush valve that allows water to drain into the toilet bowl. It shuts again to allow the water to refill in the tank again.
We’ll explain why problems with a toilet flapper can cause problems below.
One of the main reasons for a toilet flushing twice is that the flapper is lightweight.
A rubber or plastic flapper lies flat on the valve or has a dome shape. When the flapper is closed, it creates an important seal that keeps water inside the tank. If this seal is not tight enough, water leaks and continuously flows into the toilet bowl, increasing your water costs significantly. Another reason is that the flapper is not heavy enough to close properly, so it does not close fast enough when pressing the handle to flush. This allows water from the tank to continually run into the bowl even after the waste material and water have drained away. When the toilet senses enough water in the bowl, it flushes again.
To fix this problem, adjust the flapper to ensure a tight seal. A second option is to replace the flapper with a newer model that is heavier in weight.
Too much water in the toilet’s tank forces it to flush more.
The second common cause of a toilet flushing twice is too much water in the toilet’s tank, forcing it to flush to remove the extra water. Too much water in the toilet tank can happen when the toilet fill valve is not properly set. A level fill valve controls how much water goes down the opening and into the toilet bowl. It also sets how much water stays in the tank. An improperly set valve forces water levels to increase beyond the recommended level. When the valve opens up with the push of the handle, too much water enters the toilet bowl, and the toilet must flush twice.
Too much water in the toilet’s tank forces it to flush more.
First, locate the float arm. It lifts the float that indicates the present water level to the top of the water. Once it reaches a specific level, water stops coming into the tank.
After finding the float arm, use a screwdriver to adjust the screw located at the top of the fill valve. This allows the float arm to drop just a bit, and then water fills to a lower level. In some cases, the toilet fill valve will have a float cup. In this situation, there should be a small clip that you can slide down to lower the water level within the tank.
Contact Red Cap Plumbing, Air & Electric for a reliable toilet repair in Tampa.
Tampa homeowners can count on the expert plumbers from Red Cap for quick and efficient toilet repairs, no matter the toilet type, age, or condition. We also offer fast and convenient scheduling throughout the area, honest prices, and guaranteed on-time arrival. If we don’t show up when we promised, we’ll provide you credits towards any current or future service.
Call us today. Or click below to schedule a repair through our website.