Why Is There A Loud Vibration Noise When My Toilet Is Flushed?

Author: Stuart Hunt - Published: 02.09.20
A Loud Vibration Noise When My Toilet Is Flushed

When hearing a loud vibration noise when my toilet is flushed which can sound like an aeroplane taking off in your front room, it can be very concerning and unsettling; here I will explain what causes the loud vibration noise when a toilet is flushed and how to fix it.

What Causes A Loud Vibration Noise When A Toilet Is Flushed

Loud vibration noise when a toilet is flushed comes from the toilet fill valve, inside the toilet cistern, also known as a ball valve or a float valve.

The noise is where the fill valve is not shutting off properly, which means the water is still running trying to pass between the diaphragm washer inside the fill valve body this causes a vibration or clapping sound.

The best way to resolve this problem is to replace the fill valve.

Is Water Continuously Running Into The Toilet Pan?

If water continues to run into the toilet pan, this is because the push-button flush valve washer has started to perish; therefore water will leak into the toilet pan which will cause the fill valve to keep re-filling. The best way to resolve this problem is to replace the flush valve.

Many people worry about this as the noise can be so loud your neighbours can hear the noise whenever you flush your toilet also you can worry that it will cause damage to your home, In most cases, this is not true with that said you should not leave it for too long.

Should I Call An Emergency Plumber? Have I Got A Leak?

In most cases the simple answer is you don’t need an emergency plumber, if you have another toilet use that one for now until your local plumber can come to fix the problem, or you can fix it yourself, it is a simple little job with the right tools. You can replace a faulty toilet fill valve yourself.

How Do You Know The Loud Vibration Noise Is Coming From When The Toilet Is Flushed?

In order to fix the problem, it’s essential to find out exactly when the noise occurs, for instance, is the noise only coming from when you flush the toilet, or can you hear the noise when you run a tap?

You can check this for yourself by removing the cistern lid and gently pushing the fill valve float arm down slowly if you hear the noise you have the source of the problem. Now you just need to replace the fill valve.

Easy right?

Don’t worry here is a link to how to change a toilet fill valve

You could be asking yourself, why would my toilet be making that sound?

Why Are My Pipes Knocking When The Toilet Is Flushed?

The cause of knocking pipework is because when a toilet is flushed and the water is trying to pass through the fill valve. The washer is obstructing the water flow which is causing the washer to vibrate or clap,

Which would then make a loud noise, that noise then travels back through your pipework echoing the noise louder and louder.

Here’s How The Fill Valve Works:

  1. Water comes into the fill valve from the bottom and out through the plastic tube.
  2. Water in the tank gradually rises, lifting up the fill valve float arm on the fill valve.
  3. The raised float shuts off the flow of water by pushing down on a small diaphragm washer inside of the fill valve. 

The diaphragm is a rubber washer which sits between the fill valve body and the front cap, when pushed down acts as a great seal.

But, over time, that diaphragm can harden and become stiff. So instead of forming a tight seal, the incoming water bounces the hardened diaphragm around inside the fill valve, creating the vibrations you hear.

Can You Change A Fill Valve Washer?

You can change a fill valve washer yourself; however, there are so many different types of fill valves on the market that if you do not get the right diaphragm washer that fits that particular brand of fill valve you will not get the correct seal.

Why Is My Toilet Making A Loud Noise When It’s Not Used?

This is entirely different from loud vibrating noise when flushing the toilet; this is because of the syphon or flush valve inside your toilet cistern.

When your toilet is not in use, the water is escaping into the toilet bowl, this is because the washer at the bottom of the flush valve is faulty and is not sealing off the water, in turn, this tells the fill valve that water is required then the fill valve tries to open to refill the toilet cistern.

If the fill valve is not fully open, this can cause the washer to stick against the valve body, causing the loud vibration noise you are hearing.

Here’s How A Push-Button Flush Valve Works:

  1. When the toilet button is pushed the mechanism inside the cistern called the flush valve lifts, allowing the water to run between the flush valve housing and the flush valve washer.
  2. Once all the water has been dispersed, the mechanism falls down resealing the flush valve washer to the flush housing.
  3. As the water re-fills, the toilet cistern the weight of the water pushing down onto the flush washer reseals the water.

The flush valve washer is a rubber washer which sits between the flush housing and the toilet cistern when pushed down acts as a great seal.

But, over time, that diaphragm can harden and become stiff. So instead of forming a tight seal, it allows water to escape.

Can You Change A Flush Valve Washer?

Just like the fill valve, the simple answer is yes; however, there are so many different types of flush valves on the market that if you don’t have the right diaphragm washer for that particular brand you will not get the correct seal.

How Can I Tell If It’s The Fill Valve Or The flush Valve?

The easiest way to find out whether it’s the flush valve is to look inside the toilet bowl and see if there is water running down the back of the bowl when the toilet is not flushed.

The other way is to take a small bit of tissue paper and place it at the back edge of the toilet bowl where the water comes from when the toilet is flushed if it gets soaked as soon as you place it there.

Once you have found out the problem is with your flush valve, all you need to do is replace the flush valve.

I have a full tutorial on how to change the flush valve

AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to this site. The logo for this website was made by DesignEvo logo maker.
COPYRIGHT © 20220 HOMEOWNERS GUIDE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram