Faint dripping sound UNDERNEATH toilet in piping underneath floor

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jplacroix

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Hello everyone, we live in a 4 years old house and the toilet from the second makes a very faint dripping noise, under the toilet, possibly coming from the floor. There are no leakage from the tank or the toilet. We can clearly hear a dripping sound that coincides with the volume that is put into the toilet bowl. More volume is added, the quicker the dripping noise goes and then slows down a few moments after the entire flushing cycle is over. The noise is NOT a noise of water flowing down the drain as fluid is added to the water contained in the toilet. The sound is a DRIPPING noise, coming from a pipe within the floor, underneath the toilet. I am no plumber but this is the best way to explain it.

This toilet is on the second floor, and I don't notice any odor or wet spots on the ceiling from the first floor, but I wonder if there might be a leak causing the dripping noise? Is it possible the water is dripping internally to the pipe and causing the noise, or should I be concerned for a much bigger problem and water dripping inside the wall or in the floor? I find it hard to believe a drip could exist within a pipe since fluids prefer to travel along the surfaces of objects.

Please & thank you!
 

Jadnashua

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the toilet bowl is sort of like a full tea kettle...add anything, and some drips out the spout. Depending on how much, and how fast it is added, it could easily be in drips. Because on refill, most toilets overfill the bowl, and it can take it a few moments after the fill cycle stops for the bowl level to stabilize at the weir (rim - outlet). On an older house, the pipes might have been cast iron, and those isolate the sounds much better than their modern plastic equivalent of pvc or abs.
 

jplacroix

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Thank you jadnashua.
This is a brand new house, for sure we are dealing with PVC.
I am familiar (read basic!) with the functionning of the toilet and I do understand how the toilet maintains its level of water in the bowl as volume is added (your kettle example) but I never came across a dripping sound like this hence why I was concerned with it. For sure the dripping sound happens only when there is added volume so it HAS to be caused by the water escaping the bowl through the drain (your explanation makes total sense). My concern was that water escaping should not create dripping sound!

So you suggest that there are no water leaks in the floor and no need to worry about the dripping sound? Since there is no evidence of water damage or odor between the toilet drain (or seal) the dripping sound may be coming from the INSIDE of the pipe and does not automatically flag a leak. Perhaps it is the angle of the pipe when it was installed that is more favorable to a dripping pattern?

Thank you kindly for your post
 

Kreemoweet

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Where the water exits the toilet, at the "horn", there is no pipe surface to follow, and the water must necessarily "drip". Dripping noises
from drain piping are downright common.
 

Kandrakr

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Hello everyone, we live in a 4 years old house and the toilet from the second makes a very faint dripping noise, under the toilet, possibly coming from the floor. There are no leakage from the tank or the toilet. We can clearly hear a dripping sound that coincides with the volume that is put into the toilet bowl. More volume is added, the quicker the dripping noise goes and then slows down a few moments after the entire flushing cycle is over. The noise is NOT a noise of water flowing down the drain as fluid is added to the water contained in the toilet. The sound is a DRIPPING noise, coming from a pipe within the floor, underneath the toilet. I am no plumber but this is the best way to explain it.

This toilet is on the second floor, and I don't notice any odor or wet spots on the ceiling from the first floor, but I wonder if there might be a leak causing the dripping noise? Is it possible the water is dripping internally to the pipe and causing the noise, or should I be concerned for a much bigger problem and water dripping inside the wall or in the floor? I find it hard to believe a drip could exist within a pipe since fluids prefer to travel along the surfaces of objects.

Please & thank you!
Hi, I know this was 10 years ago, but we are having this exact same problem. Did you ever figure it out?
 

royalflush001

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It's possible that the dripping noise is related to condensation. If the toilet tank is relatively cold, especially in a humid environment, condensation can form on the outside of the tank. As water drips off the tank, it could create a sound that coincides with the flushing cycle. Check for any signs of condensation on the exterior of the tank.
While you've mentioned that there are no visible leaks from the tank or toilet, internal leaks can still occur. A leak within the toilet bowl or tank may not be immediately noticeable. You can perform a dye test by adding food coloring to the toilet tank and checking if the color appears in the bowl without flushing. If it does, it indicates a leak.
Another possibility is that a dripping noise could originate from the drain pipe or the wax ring seal beneath the toilet. If there's a small leak in the seal or the drain pipe joint, it might not result in visible water on the floor but could create a sound. See a professional plumber for a thorough inspection.
 

Reach4

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Hi, I know this was 10 years ago, but we are having this exact same problem. Did you ever figure it out?
When you flush the upstairs toilet, you hear dripping for a while. Then the dripping sound stops. Normal.

You are not saying that there is a dripping sound 2 hours after the last toilet flush, are you?
 
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