Is your toilet not refilling water after you flush? Homeowners who notice a low water level in their toilet bowl or tank often worry about cracked pipes and leaks in the wall.

The good news? There’s usually not much cause for concern. There are 8 common reasons why a toilet doesn’t refill properly after flushing — 4 in your toilet tank, 3 outside your toilet, and 1 inside the bowl.

Follow our simple 3 minute checklist, and find out if you need expert plumbing repair (or a $5 part from the hardware store).

Here’s what to do if your toilet isn’t refilling after you flush:

• Look for common causes in your toilet tank. Root causes for poor refill rate include faulty valves, cracked overflow tubes and a misaligned float valve.
• Not a tank issue? Check your water supply line. You may have low water pressure due to a clog or leak in the supply line.
• None of these? Call a plumber ASAP. If you can’t easily locate the reason for your poor refill rate, call us to determine if you have a more serious plumbing leak.

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Why Isn’t My Toilet Refilling? The TL;DR Answer

If your toilet isn’t refilling water after you flush, there’s usually a problem within your toilet tank. 

The first question you need to answer is simple: is your toilet running at all?

If your toilet water is running poorly, you probably have a problem with your fill valve. This device controls the flow of new water into your tank after you flush. A constant “running sound” is also a telltale indicator of a fill valve problem.

If your toilet water is running but not filling, check your flapper first. This issue is usually caused by a weak flapper seal, or a poor connection between the toilet chain and the flapper.

Start your search in these two areas, then move on to our 3 minute DIY diagnostic test below.

Here’s why it matters (even if there’s no leak)

Many homeowners ignore a poor refill rate in their toilet if there isn’t a leak. But there are several causes for concern beyond a toilet leak that can create a costly toilet repair situation.

Here are 4 reasons why you should always fix a toilet that isn’t refilling properly:

1. A clogged drain pipe. A blocked drain vent or pipe wreaks havoc on your plumbing system. Over time, that poor refill rate leads to cracked pipes and toilet overflow.
2. Limescale buildup. If your toilet isn’t refilling due to low water pressure, this can indicate limescale buildup in your pipes. This limescale corrodes metal pipes — if left unchecked, you can’t remove it without replacing the entire pipe.
3. Blocked rim jets. These inlet holes under your toilet bowl rim become plugged with calcium over time. This can lead to permanent toilet damage.
4. Toilet overflow. Ironically, a weak flush can cause your toilet fill valve to overcompensate. This leads to an overflow of bacteria-infested water onto your bathroom floor.

Don't ignore that weak flush! If your toilet's not refilling water you might have a pipe or valve leak.

Toilet Not Refilling Water? The 3 Minute DIY Diagnostic

Follow this simple 8-step diagnostic test to determine why your toilet doesn’t refill properly. You’ll need to check 3 areas — first, look inside your toilet tank. Then, check the area directly surrounding your toilet. Finally, look inside your bowl at the inlet holes.

You should locate the source of your weak flush problem in 3 minutes or less.

4 parts to check inside your toilet tank

1. Float valve. If your float height is set too low, your tank stops refilling before enough water is present to adequately fill your toilet bowl. 
2. Fill valve. Watch your fill valve when you flush the toilet. A faulty or broken fill valve won’t open fully after flushing, which causes a weak flush and poor water delivery to your toilet bowl.
3. Toilet flapper. This is the gasket at the bottom of your toilet tank that seals the tank from the bowl. A worn out flapper lets water continuously drain into the bowl — in turn, there won’t be enough tank water to refill your bowl after you flush.
4. Overflow tube. Check the plastic overflow tube in your toilet tank for cracks. A cracked overflow tube allows water to leak directly into the bowl and bypass the tank — the tank won’t fill properly, and this often leads to an overflow.

3 places to check outside your toilet

1. Water supply line. If low water pressure exists, you likely have a clog or leak in your supply line. Flush your toilet, and check your water supply line for leaks. If none are visible, your supply line may be clogged. 
2. Shut off valve. If your water shut off valve isn’t fully open, you won’t get a sufficient flow of water to your toilet after flushing. Make sure the valve is completely open.
3. Toilet base (floor level). Check for cracks and leaks around the base of your toilet. Even a small crack lets enough water trickle out of the bowl to mimic a weak flushing issue. Pinhole leaks are hard to detect, so look closely.

Wobbly toilet? Pooled water or cracks? Your toilet might be cracked at the base. Learn the warning signs to watch for, and how to get a 6-year warranty on the repairs.

Check the inlet holes in your toilet bowl

There are small inlet holes underneath the rim of your toilet bowl (also called rim jets). These are the holes that let new water into your toilet bowl after you flush.

Open the toilet lid and flush the toilet. You should see new water enter the bowl from the toilet tank via these inlet holes. If new water isn’t appearing (or runs too slowly), your inlet holes are calcified and must be cleared.

Toilet Water Level Low? Here’s When to Call a Plumber

Call us to schedule plumbing service if you notice any of these warning signs associated with poor toilet refill rate:

• A cracked overflow tube
• A broken fill valve or float valve
• Cracks around your toilet bowl or base
• Broken tee bolts at your toilet base
• Pooled water or spongy floor around your toilet
• Consistent low water pressure (this indicates pipe buildup or a broken water line)

Tarrant County plumbing repair with an unbeatable warranty

SND Plumbing offers an unmatched 6-year warranty on toilet repair service — that includes parts and labor. 

Call us if your toilet has a low water level or your toilet isn’t refilling after you flush. We provide expert plumbing repair service for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and all of Tarrant County.

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