The water in the toilet bowl is an essential part of its functionality. Besides flushing, it also works as a barrier that prevents gases in the sewers from flowing back into the bathroom.
Ideally, your toilet bowl should always be around halfway full. But what if you noticed that the water level in the toilet bowl is low?
In this article, we’ll explore the 9 most common reasons why this might happen, so you can take proper action to have it fixed.
1. Limited Water Supply
The first and most common reason why toilet water level is relatively low is water supply issues.
This can be a problem with the water supply to your home as a whole, such as a low water pressure or a faulty water pump.
In that case, you’ll notice that the water pressure is low across other fixtures in the bathroom, such as the faucets.
Alternatively, it can be due to the valve responsible for providing the bowl with water, which might be partially shut off or broken.
2. Leaks and Cracks in the Toilet Plumbing
Another common reason for this issue is leaks caused by cracks in the system. These cracks can be in the bowl itself or hidden inside one of the pipes.
This issue is common in relatively old and unmaintained toilets, as the sealant holding the pipes together starts to break down, causing separation in the pipes.
A telltale sign of a crack or a leak in the system is finding water around the toilet. In that case, you might need to replace the broken parts or the entire system.
3. Malfunctioning Fill Valve
As the name suggests, the fill valve is the part responsible for controlling the amount of water that goes into your toilet tank, which affects the bowl water level after flushing.
To check the water valve, you’ll need to take off the toilet tank lid and inspect the valve, which you can typically find on the left side.
Adjust the valve if it’s not lined up properly and see if the water level goes back to normal after flushing. However, if it’s broken, you’ll simply need to replace it with a new one.
4. Issues with the Fill Tube
The fill tube is a flexible plastic tube that transfers water from the tank to the overflow tube. Similar to the valve that controls it, any problems with the tube can affect the water level in the bowl directly.
Any issues with the fill tube, including damage, clogs, and separation will directly affect the level of water in the tank. Luckily, this part is fairly available and easy to replace, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
5. Internal Pipe Clogs
Internal pipe clogs can also cause a low toilet bowl water level. This happens when something blocks the flow of water from the tank to the bowl.
These pipes lead to small inlet holes under the rims of the toilet. Since they’re quite small, the build-up of grime can block them. Luckily, you can clean them with an old brush and some diluted vinegar solution.
6. Low-Lying Float Ball
The float balls are found inside the tank and are responsible for stopping the water from flowing into the tank once they reach a certain level.
If you set this height to be relatively low, the tank won’t fill with the right amount of water to fill the bowl after flushing.
7. Blocked Sewer Vent Pipe
The sewer vent line is designed to let air and gasses flow out of the waste pipe after flushing.
When it malfunctions or gets blocked, the pipes won’t be able to get the air out, which results in a characteristic gurgling sound after flushing.
Unfortunately, fixing the sewer vent line is quite complex, so you’ll typically need the help of a professional plumber to fix it.
8. The Main Toilet Pipes Are Clogged
In most cases, clogged toilets will cause an overflow of the toilet bowl water, but in a few cases, it might lead to the opposite.
The clog can be caused by a variety of things. Luckily, in most cases, you can fix this issue with a plunger.
If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to turn off the water valves and call a professional plumber as soon as possible.
9. Issues with the Main Pipes
Lastly, low toilet tank water might also happen if the main pipes are clogged, damaged, or separated. Checking them may require a lot of work, so this is also typically left to a professional plumber.
Wrapping Up
This marks the end of today’s guide that shows you all the different reasons why the water level in toilets could be low.
As you can see, it can happen for a variety of reasons, but luckily some of them are fairly simple and a professional plumber can fix them right away!
