With a simple adjustment of your toilet flapper, this is quickly resolved. If your toilet is flushing twice, it is most likely due to the fact that it is staying open too long and flushing too much water. If you have an adjustable flapper, this can be corrected by adjusting your toilet flapper to close quicker.
This problem is caused by too much slack in the lifting chain that connects the flush lever to the flapper. If the chain cannot lift the flapper high enough to allow the full amount of water to flow through the flush valve, then the flapper closes prematurely, thereby stopping the flush.
Some drop-in bowl cleaners are also hard on the rubber component of a flapper. As the flapper deteriorates it allows leakage. Although it is not something many of us think of as needing replacement on a routine basis, in general, a toilet flapper should be replaced every three to five years.
There's a Partial Clog
You might have to flush your toilet twice because there's a partial clog somewhere in the pipes. This type of clog can restrict the amount of water that makes it down the drain, meaning you have to try several times to get rid of it all.
Over time, flappers wear out, which allows water to continually drain from the tank. The result is not enough pressure released at flush to completely empty the contents of your toilet bowl. You can fix this problem by replacing the flapper. It is easy to do with any standard flapper purchased from a hardware store.
Too much water in the tank
By far, one of the most common causes of twice-flushing toilets is that the water tank holds too much water. Excess water in the tank creates an overflow, and when flushed, it refills quickly while continuing to discharge water into the bowl.
With a simple adjustment of your toilet flapper, this is quickly resolved. If your toilet is flushing twice, it is most likely due to the fact that it is staying open too long and flushing too much water. If you have an adjustable flapper, this can be corrected by adjusting your toilet flapper to close quicker.
Over time, toilet flappers harden or warp, which prevents them from creating a seal and stopping water from entering the bowl after a flush. A constantly running toilet is one sign of a worn-out flapper. To test your flapper's performance, put a few drops of food coloring into the tank water. Don't flush the toilet.
Wipe up any water left inside the tank with a sponge. Lift the flapper and prop it against the overflow tube. Apply a light coat of Vaseline around the rim of the flush valve opening. Lower the flapper and restore the water supply by opening the supply valve.
To check for a leaky flapper, take the lid off your toilet tank and flush the toilet. Watch the toilet flapper while the toilet flushes. A leaky flapper doesn't reseal properly after the toilet has been flushed. If your flapper is worn, broken or damaged, replacing the unit should help your toilet function normally.
If you've tried replacing the toilet flapper but the toilet still runs, the flush valve seat is probably rough or pitted. You can replace the entire flush toilet flapper valve, but it's a big job.
Here are the average prices of the parts that you may need to fix your toilet: Flappers: $10 – $30. Fill valves: $12 – $60. Wax ring: $3 – $25.
There are a several possible reasons for a low water level in a toilet bowl. The toilet tank fill tube may be damaged or incorrectly positioned, preventing the water level from reaching its proper level. Position the fill tube so water is flowing into the overflow tube (the open pipe near the center of the tank).
New technology and design advancements, such as pressure-assisted flushers and modifications to bowl contours allow high-efficiency toilets to flush better than first-generation low-flow toilets.
"Urine is normally sterile as a body fluid. Even if you have a urinary tract infection with bacteria in your urine it would be inactivated with the chlorine levels in the public water supply," he said. "So there's really no known disease transmission with urine left un-flushed in the toilet."
The average household has about 5 flushes a day. An older toilet uses 7 gallons per flush, a newer one could be as low as 1.6 gallons per flush. If it is 7 gallons that is 12,775 gallons per year on flushes. At 67% that would eliminate 8,559 gallons of water usage per year in your household.
If you have a toilet that doesn't fully flush, common causes include a clog in the trap, a worn-out flapper, blocked rim jets, a faulty float, or an issue with the handle and chain.