Tank leaks at water connection only when flushed

One of our 'old fashioned' American Standard toilets has less than a year old guts/water line/seal.etc. Our toilet repairs are always DIY with help from this forum when we have a problem and I always get great advice so here I am again. When the toilet is flushed water pours out of the bottom of the tank where the water line attaches but I can't tell if its coming where the fat plastic 'wing nut' looking tightener is or the big plastic 'nut' because the water is coming out strong and splashing. I catch about a quart while its flushing/filling. The tank fills up normally but the bowl only gets a little bit in it. When the toilet is not being flushed/filled there is no leak.

We checked and all seems to be tight under the tank at the water line connection so we are baffled as to what is causing it to leak only when flushed. Any ideas would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Terri

Hi Terri,

I Doubt very much that is the actual leaking connection. If that were the leak it is under pressure at all times so it would always leak.

Instead look for the water to be leaking at the connection in the center of the tank where water flows from the tank via the flush valve to the bowl when the toilet is flushed.

Or,

Open the lid and there should be a tube running from the fill valve to the overflow tube on the flush valve. This tube may have come loose and is spraying water on the lid and tank wall where it runs down the outside of the tank appearing as a leak on the water supply connection.

It may also be a bad fill valve that sprays water in many directions when the tank is filling. Open the tank lid and flush the toilet to see what is happening.

http://411plumb.com/how-to-replace-your-toilet-fill-valve-with-a-fluidmaster-400a

Thanks Redwood

Thanks for the quick response and hints. I checked the hose and overflow tube and its working fine. I checked all around and the water is definitely coming out out of the bottom of the tank where the water line is connected and comes out strong only when flushed but like I said I can't 'feel' whether its directly from the where the connection enters the tank or between the two water supply connectors. When my husband gets home I will have him check inside the tank where the flush valve connects to the bottom of the tank (maybe it came loose?) while I check for a leak outside. I could do it myself but I have done enough on this for today and its his turn. One other thing...the water level in the tank does not go down so thats good but it seems odd that the tank fills up when flushed even while the water is pouring out underneath but the bowl only gets a little water in it....???

Terri (not Tom...lol)

Sorry about that Terri,

I've got my glasses on now...

Does the fill valve have a long arm coming off it with a float?
Like this one?



Maybe its loose where it connects to the tank or, cracked and the change in pressure on the float arm is causing it to leak.

It is unusual for that to leak though because the line going in at the bottom is under pressure so if it is leaking it should leak all the time.

Lol on the glasses...!

Oh heavens no we are not that old fashioned...we only use Fluidmaster. I took the lid off and the tower seems tight but I am not going to touch any more of it so I don't get 'blamed' by my hubby. As soon as my husband gets home we will take it off again, flush and watch everything and see what we can see. Funny thing is that we just replaced all the guts and the gasket,etc in another bathroom and I told him last night its the first time in months that all three toilets were working perfectly and had all new parts. THEN I flushed the one in our bedroom and here we are!!!

Won't be back on here until Monday and hope I have good news

This is the same toilet that we talked about back in May when it would not flush all the way because there was not enough water in the bowl or the tank after replacing the guts. You taught me how to adjust the tower as it was too low and I kept the diagram you posted on here because I had to adjust the tower in the toilet we just did yesterday. My husband was surprised when I got it to come up higher so easily. Made me feel good.

Terri

leak

Sorry, but there is no relationship between the water line connection to the tank and ANY leak when it is flushed. IF that connection were the leak point it would leak ALL THE TIME, except maybe when the toilet was flushed and the pressure was slightly reduced. Your leak IS from the "tank to bowl" gasket, although it could be spraying out and hitting the water line. That is the ONLY spot where water is flowing when you flush the toiletl. ALL other possible leak points will leak continually. One possible reason for the water line to leak would be if the tank were loose, and you tilt the tank back when you flush it, flexing the connection. But then you should also have other leak problems besides that.

Here is what caused the odd leak

Found what was causing it to leak badly and spray everwhere only when flushed. The water line got bent and therefore was 'pinched' somehow and I have to assume that pressure built up when flushed and forced water out between the connectors next to the bottom of the tank. We decided to try one thing at a time so did not touch anything else after I found/fixed that and flushed several times and no leak at all. Toilets are such odd beasts!

Thanks again for all the suggestions/information

Terri

leak

Your logic is backwards. When the toilet is flushed, the pressure DROPS, because the valve opens and relieves some pressure. THerefore, your explanation, as previously stated, is illogical, even if the repair you made did stop the leak.

hj said:

Your logic is backwards. When the toilet is flushed, the pressure DROPS, because the valve opens and relieves some pressure. THerefore, your explanation, as previously stated, is illogical, even if the repair you made did stop the leak.

Click to expand...

Thanks very much as always. Perhaps I did not describe it properly. Water blew out strongly at the connection when filling after a flush. Seems to me when its flushed and water comes back into the tank that the pressure has to go up. Oh well...all I know is that when I unkinked the hose the leak stopped.

Terri