There are few fixtures in your home that are used as often and for as varied a purpose as the toilet. This mainstay piece in your bathroom is used several times per day by each member of your household for a wide variety of things. Aside from the obvious, the toilet can be used for ridding things like a squashed bug, a make-up removing towelette, and even the occasional small toy. While not all of these things should be flushed down the toilet – the fact is they are. And, because there are so many ways that the toilet is used, there are many reasons that it could be making a strange noise.

Noises can be classified into different types of sound and each gives a clue as to what might be causing the problem:

Short bursts of air. The fill valve is turning off and on. This typically happens because the seal around the flapper inside of the toilet tank is cracked or bad and is no longer creating a tight seal. This causes the water to either leak into the bowl or out of the tank and onto the floor. This is a very common problem as flapper gaskets are subject to wear and tear and over time will need to be replaced. You can prevent this by setting a regular frequency for proactively changing the flapper gasket.

Continuous hiss. The fill valve is not registering that the tank is full so it is not turning off. The hiss noise occurs when the water runs through the fill valve and into the tank. The first step is to test to see if the tank has a leak. To do this take the lid off of your toilet and make a mark where the water level is inside. Then, turn the water to the toilet off and come back to check the tank water level in about an hour. If the water level is lower, then your tank has a leak and is causing the hissing noise.

Thumping or banging. This noise is also called ‘water hammer’ and is caused when the fill valve suddenly shuts off causing the water to have to switch directions rapidly. Or, it can be caused by a build-up of trapped air in the line. An easy fix to try is to turn off the main water supply to the house and then open all of the faucets in the house and flush all of the toilets. This will push any air out of the lines. If the noise does not go away then the problem is with the fill valve and should be checked by a professional.