Toilet trickling water from jets, but not a leak! HELP

Submitted by Aqueousfun t3_zzw172 in DIY

My toilet has water VERY slowly dribbling/trickling from a few of the toilet bowl jets and I cannot figure out why. I replaced the flapper and flush valve. I have dyed the water in the tank and let it sit for 24 hours and no blue showed in the bowl but the trickle continues. The trickle is slow enough to not make the water visibly move. If I dry the side of the bowl with a paper towel and wait, about 15 seconds later a few small beads of water start to slide down. I have listened for hours and the tank fill doesn’t kick on so it isn’t running. Where is the water trickling into the bowl coming from?!?!?!? Could it be remaining water from a previous flush slowly draining out of the rim? If so how long doesn’t that take as I would think that process would stop at some point.

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FredPolk t1_j2e25th wrote

The jets would be the hose going into the stand pipe, not through the valve. The dye you put in the water bowl goes through the flush valve and into the bottom. The rim jets are fed from the hose coming off your valve. Check to see if that hose is leaking.

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FredPolk t1_j2e2mw0 wrote

…also make sure the tank level is adjusted correctly. If it is set too high, it will go down that same overflow pipe and come out the rim jets. After flushing and stopping the fill, it should be at least a 1/4” below that stand pipe.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2e8w3m wrote

Nonissue there, water level is about a half inch below lip of overflow pipe.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2e8sqs wrote

Last night I actually pulled the hose out of my he stand pipe to make sure that wasn’t the issue. Water still dribbles from the jets unfortunately

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Rcarlyle t1_j2fne88 wrote

If the refill hose is stuck down the overflow tube too far, it will continuously siphon a trickle of water into the bowl.

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ballpointpin t1_j2e031c wrote

Is there a shutoff for the water supply? What if you shut it? Either the tank will eventually drain (flapper leak), or the tank will remain full (problem like over-fill). Check the max water level is usually imprinted on the tank, or the styrofoam insulation.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2e0u23 wrote

Shut off the water for about eight hours. No change in tank water level, I dyed it blue to make sure it wasn’t somehow leaking into the bowl. The dye also helped me figure out water wasn’t getting into the overflow

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Guygan t1_j2e0z84 wrote

Then it sounds like there isn’t a leak and you’re seeing something that isn’t there.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2e1a4l wrote

Well, it’s definitely there as I can wipe the side of the bowl with a towel dry, and a moment later there are downward trails of water albeit very slow trails.

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Guygan t1_j2e2k6i wrote

Then you have some sort of magic water or something paranormal happening. Call an exorcist, or Dumbledore.

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coolhandluke45 t1_j2e90hy wrote

Might just be residual water slowly draining down.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2ecemq wrote

I’m hoping that’s the issue, it’s just crazy it’s taking this long to drain out after a flush from 18+ hours ago.

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Carorack t1_j2ejqx3 wrote

Stop over thinking it. If water isn't leaking from the refill tube and the bowl water isnt turning blue; job done.

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mrpickles t1_j2eewcq wrote

This is with the supply shut off?

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2eirpf wrote

At one point yes, I’ll shut the water off again and see if it eventually stops

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Classic-Carpenter810 t1_j2ekfs9 wrote

Also flush the toilet so that the tank does not contain water while doing this experiment. If there is no leak now then it means the flapper is leaking water. Also in such kinds of leaks you will never hear the tank getting refilled because it is continuously getting refilled as it is leaking.

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Refreshingpudding t1_j2fq7jp wrote

You have a small trickle from the two gaskets that hold the tank to the rest of the toilet

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NagromYargTrebloc t1_j2eqhmw wrote

This was happening with one of our toilets. After replacing everything with all new parts, I came across one YT where the guy described a "siphoning effect" when the refill tube is too long or is positioned too far down to overflow. Sure enough, mine was both too long and too far down the overflow. I shortened it up to where there was only a little droop and only about 1/2" of refill tube going down the overflow. Worked instantly, and that was 3 years ago.

I'm not completely sure of the physics involved, but the refill tube was drawing water from the tank... to the point where the fill valve would open up to replenish the vacated water (ghost flushing).

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outofmemory01 t1_j2eelij wrote

based on what you've said here I'd check to confirm the overflow tube isn't cracked. As you've removed the rim holes (bowl wash) hose AND water still is continually draining then logic dictates the pipe that separates the tank from the rim holes is cracked.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2ees3t wrote

If it was cracked, wouldn’t the dyed water currently in the tank be visible in the clear water of the bowl?

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Free_Leonard_Peltier t1_j2fn1un wrote

Does it stop eventually? Sounds like you’ve ruled out the obvious, the flapper, and the bypass tube. I’ve seen some buildup in the void above the jets before and wonder if they’re almost clogged but allowing a dribble through. This may give you the impression that there’s a leak, but it is actually a blockage.

If it does stop eventually, I’d suspect it’s a partial blockage. Aside from taking the toilet outside and going pressure washer crazy, or adding draino while the bowl is upside down to soak, I’m not sure what the best way to clear that would be. Hope that helps!

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brock_lee t1_j2dx803 wrote

Do you notice any difference between any of the holes during a flush? Like, some don't "work", maybe indicating some kind of blockage?

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2dynwu wrote

All holes appear to have water coming from them during a flush.

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usedTP t1_j2dyrak wrote

If it flushes and you don't change anything, does the fill valve actuate again? As in overnight, does the tank refill?

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2dzpv3 wrote

After a flush the tank fills as per normal, shuts off and then won’t activate again unless flushed. It’s as if somehow the water is being circulated from inside the bowl through the rim jets continuously. It’s most assuredly not water from the tank moving down by gravity as it’s dyed blue and the water in the bowl and trickling down the side of the bowl is Crystal clear.

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usedTP t1_j2e0maq wrote

It could be condensation from a temperature differential. As long as the fill valve doesn't actuate, it's not costing you any money. Unless it bothers you that the inside of your toilet bowl is wet. Then you should see someone about your OCD.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2e14tq wrote

Haha definitely OCD. I never hear the full valve kick on, so I guess I will just have to live it it.

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usedTP t1_j2e1p18 wrote

Congratulations on realizing that you have the same problem that I do. Drywall repairs drive me crazy.

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amboogalard t1_j2eneco wrote

I am drywalling the entire downstairs right now and fixing cracks in the plaster all over the upstairs (2200sqft house). Please send an exorcist, at this rate I’ll be done in 2024.

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usedTP t1_j2eoaai wrote

I hired a guy by the hour to do my drywall finishing and then I hung out and "helped" him. I learned that I had used my mud while it was too thick, I could add a little dish soap to the mud and it goes on smoother, and the neatest thing I saw was on the last round of mudding and it's just spots, add a little chalk line dust to make it a little more noticeable for final sanding.

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rpapafox t1_j2e2jgq wrote

Water into the bowl jet is supplied through the overflow tube that extends above the flapper. A tube from the top of the fill valve supplies water into the overflow tube when it is filling the tank after the flush.

Either your float valve is set too high and water is trickling from the tank into the overflow valve (the water should stop about 1/4 to 1/2 inch before it reaches the top of the overflow valve), or you have a slow leak at the flapper that is causing a momentary drop in the float valve which results in water from the valve to be delivered to the overflow tube.

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Eastern_Ad976 t1_j2e9fpo wrote

Change the toilet fill valve. Water is getting by and traveling through the trap seal tube that is inserted into the flush valve overflow.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2ecat4 wrote

Thanks, checked and no luck. Pulled the trap seal tube out of the overflow tube just to be safe. No water is leaking from the tube and yet water continues to slowly flow out of the two of the jets in the bowl. It’s maddening!!

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windy496 t1_j2eeye0 wrote

Are all of the rim jets working? We had some of ours partially plugged with calcium build up and would drip after the toilet was filled.

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2eiu34 wrote

I think I cleared them all, but I’ll take another look

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windy496 t1_j2ejsox wrote

Good luck with that. A strange problem to be sure.

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speedball811 t1_j2dvk6t wrote

If there is no leak and your water meter is not running then I'd just forget it. Maybe check on it occasionally, but it doesnt sound like a problem to me.

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rextoba t1_j2e7dzb wrote

I had a similar issue with our top button flush toilet until a couple days ago. I finally put a few tablespoons of citric acid into the toilet tank and left it to sit overnight in hopes off cleaning all the grime, etc. inside. When I flushed it in the morning and looked into the tank, it and all the moving parts inside were spotless. The leaking/dripping sounds completely disappeared. I mixed a little more citric acid into a spray bottle with water and sprayed it onto everything above the water line in the tank and the whole tank and all the parts look brand new. What a difference it made.

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azcherid t1_j2ed6z3 wrote

How about from the bolts that hold the tank to the seat? I live in a place that has hard water and those end up being the leaks after a couple of years

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Aqueousfun OP t1_j2edz3g wrote

Nope, have recently replaced both bolts and neither has any evidence of water. It’s almost if somehow water from source is bypassing the tank and going straight to the bowl jets.

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jexmex t1_j2es5bk wrote

Your overflow tube does not have any cracks does it? If you know 100% for sure that your flapper is not leaking and the water is not turning on in between then the only thing I could think that would cause it is a crack in the overflow tube that is just enough to do what you say is happening or it is turning on and you are not noticing it.

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sentrixz t1_j2fb3aq wrote

I had the same issue, bought the Fluidmaster 555CRP8 Universal PerforMAX 5 Minute Toilet Flush Valve Repair Kit 2 In. From Amazon and it fixed it

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bamamed67 t1_j2foswt wrote

Service/ grease or replace the flush valve assembly. The ballcock or float isn’t turning the valve off completely. EasyYouTube fix good luck

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thephantom1492 t1_j2fqyas wrote

Since you died the tank water, the only place clean water can come from is from the filling tube going inside the overflow. If you lift it you may not see any water comming out from it.

There is only a single valve (the float), after that valve the water split into two path: tank and filling tube. It may siphon all of the water into the filling tube, causing no raise in the tank.

You can do something: put the filling tube in the tank, see if the water raise now. If it do then you have a proof that it is that.

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An_ConCon t1_j2e4qiy wrote

It's just water dribbling my guy. If it's not coming from the tank, then there's no leak. The water can't magically appear in the bowl. You'll drive yourself mad. You're like a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't even there!

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cloistered_around t1_j2fnnma wrote

A toilet should not have constantly dripping water. It isn't normal, and while we don't want OP to go "mad" over it it will definitely help out his water bill to find the problem.

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