Have you ever flushed your toilet and the water level rose above where it should be? Well, that’s a sign that something is wrong with your toilet. There are a few common reasons why toilet water in your toilet rises too high when flushed, and thankfully, they are often relatively easy to fix.
4 Possible Reasons Why Toilet Water Rises Too High When Flushed
Here are the most likely causes for your toilet water to rise after you flush it:
1. Blocked Air Vent
One potential problem may be that your vent pipe is blocked in your plumbing system. If you have water pipes in your home, you need air to permit water to flow. If you are holding a drinking straw tightly and filling it with water, getting the water out of the pipe will be complicated unless you remove your finger from the end.
The pipes that connect your toilet to the rest of the system basically work the same way. So if there is no air in the system, the water trapped in the pipes will stay in place. If you have blocked air vents in your plumbing system, the water in your pipes will not flow properly, which could cause toilet clogs or even water to back up through your pipes.
If a problem like this occurs, it will affect the plumbing system in general. However, if you notice that only one toilet is having problems, this is not likely to be the source of your problem. If you think the whole plumbing system is blocked, one of your air vents is very likely to be clogged.
2. Your Toilet Is Clogged
When you flush your toilet and the water rises a lot too high, there could be a blockage in one of the pipes that allow water to flow down the toilet. Toilets can easily handle regular toilet paper, but if you put things into the toilet bowl that aren’t designed to be flushed down the drain, they will become clogged. Once a clog gets formed, even standard toilet paper can become entangled, which can cause more damage to the pipes.
If this happens, you might notice that the water in your toilet bowl rises higher than it usually does and that it takes a while to get back to normal. Eventually, the water will fill the toilet bowl and not drain away properly. If you continue to flush your toilet, you risk the water in the toilet bowl bursting up and spilling onto your bathroom floor.
3. A Problem with Your Cistern Components
Sometimes you might find sites saying that if your toilet rises too high in your bowl, it might be due to an issue with your toilet tank. You may think it’s because of a faulty toilet seal, a faulty toilet flapper, or a faulty flapper chain. It is possible that some of the components in your toilet may become defective or even fail, but there is absolutely no way that they could cause the water in the toilet bowl to rise very high.
Some websites claim that faulty toilet flappers or toilet seals might cause toilet water to rise too high when flushed. Also, they might argue that these defective tank components can cause persistent water flow into your bowl, causing the water to rise too high. However, a toilet typically has an S-trap designed to keep the water level in your bowl at a constant level, so if you pour water into your toilet too much, the water will still disappear down the drain.
This implies that when your toilet cistern starts to act improperly, it can cause water to quickly become too high. Water rising too high from your toilet bowl is caused by something happening “below” the toilet, not “above” it.
4. Inspect Your Toilet Cistern
If there is a problem in your cistern and there is not enough water going to the bowl to allow a proper flush, or if your toilet is running slow, it could cause the blockage to occur in the first place.
It is vital to make sure that when you clear the toilet and remove the blockage, the water tank is also functioning correctly – and adjust the level of water in the tank if you have to – or else you will risk another blockage happening later.
How to Fix Toilet Water Rising Too High When Flushed
So now that we know what causes toilet water to rise too high, we can start looking at the several ways you can prevent that from happening.
Option 1 – Use a Plunger
If the toilet is not draining normally, something is blocking the waste pipe, so it is best if you get a plunger as soon as possible and try to push it down and up.
Toilet plungers create pressure in your toilet bowl to force water down the drainpipe and suck it up to the top. The idea is that as your water pressure increases, it will pull and push on whatever blockage you have in your toilet. That should eventually cause it to pop out of your toilet.
Take your plunger and put its suction cup end in the bowl. Use the plunger to push down on the obstruction that is blocking your toilet. Pull the plunger up and repeat this process several times, trying to exert as much force as possible.
After a few attempts, you’ll find it easier to push down the toilet bowl and pull up the waste pipe. You might even see some old toilet paper in the toilet bowl. This is a good indicator that the plunger is working.
If you notice that a lot of toilet paper is getting sucked up in the toilet bowl, it’s best to take it out and dispose of it in the bin. Otherwise, it may cause more problems.
After a few attempts- and you discover that you have removed the blockages-take out your plunger from the toilet bowl.
Plungers are handy tools, and every household should have one. It is relatively cheap to buy a good plunger from a hardware store – since you will probably use it more often than you think.
Option 2 – Use Your Hands
One possibility is that the clog is near the toilet bowl; if that’s the case, you can easily remove it by just pulling it out with your hands.
Start by removing all the water in the toilet bowl by scooping the water out of your bowl with an old coffee cup and wiping the remnants using an old towel.
You should probably be wearing a pair of very thick gloves as you do this. Put your hand in the bowl and gently push any debris far down as you can. But if you feel the debris, start pulling it out yourself.
After getting everything you need from the toilet bowl, give your toilet a good flush and confirm whether the issue is solved.
Pro Tip: Be careful if you do that because you don’t know what is stuck in the trap. While you want to believe nobody in your home is flushing sharp things down the bowl, you don’t know what’s in the toilet. It is prudent to be cautious.
Option 3 – Use a Plumber’s Snake
If you can’t force the blockage out with a plunger or remove it with your hands, you’ll need to use a snake to fix it.
Plumber’s snakes are powerful tools that allow you to get into the drain to unclog blockages. They can be purchased at any local hardware store near you or online. Plumber snakes are long, flexible metal rods with two hooks on the end that allow them to grip something firmly to unblock the pipe.
If you want to use a snake to clear a blockage in your toilet, you’ll have to feed the toilet snake into the drain and let it go until it reaches the clog. Some pipes may bend, but if that happens, you’ll keep turning your snake until it gets the obstruction.
When you feel something like it’s blocking your toilet, that’s a good sign that you’ve reached a blockage. If it does get an obstruction, you need to keep turning the snake to make sure that the hooks at the end of the snake grab whatever is blocking your toilet.
Once you pull out the snake, you’ll see what it has caught up from the toilet drain. Throw away the object in a plastic bag. Give your toilet a good flush, and then check to see if the water drains out of it correctly. If it does, the drains should flow freely again, and your problem is solved.
Option 4 – Clear The Air Vent
If you have problems with your whole toilet system or none of the tips above works out for you, it’s best to try clearing out obstructions in your air vent pipe.
If you find a problem in your vent pipe, you can try to unblock it. Use a steady ladder to climb up to the top of your house.
If your toilet vent has a grille on the top to stop any debris or leaves from falling into it, take off any leaves that have settled over the grille.
If that doesn’t work, try removing the grille and inserting a hook to pull anything that may be stuck in your vent pipe. You can use something like a long, bent wire that could potentially be used as a coat hanger.
After that, give your toilet a good flush to see if the water drains away more quickly.
FAQs
What happens if the toilet water level is too high?
Having a higher level of water in your toilet bowl can cause you to have a less powerful flush. You need to address the issue to ensure your toilet flushes more easily.
How can you control the water level in your toilet tank?
Turn the adjustment screw on the top of your toilet valve to adjust the water level in your toilet tank. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise and counterclockwise to increase and lower your toilet water level.
The Takeaway
If you notice that your toilet water rises too high when flushed, you may have plumbing issues. These may include clogs in the vent, drain, or trap. Luckily, most blockages are easily removed with a plunger. But some blockages are challenging to get out of a toilet. In such cases, use a toilet snake to fix it. If you feel that you’re stuck anywhere, we recommend you call a professional plumber to come and help you.