By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,
Our toilet has an unusual habit. Until recently, we regarded it as a positive characteristic, but now a home inspector has reported it as a defect. Every time we press the flush handle, the toilet actually flushes twice. The water goes around and down, the bowl refills, and then it goes around and down again. Is this ok, or should I call a plumber? -- Brian
Dear Brian,
This condition, while common, is a minor defect, not a significant problem. My guess is that you have a low flow toilet with tank hardware that is faulty or out of adjustment. Low-flow toilets are designed to complete the flush action with a limited amount of water - approximately 1.6 gallons, according to their design specifications. The flush tank typically holds more water than this, but the tank hardware is designed to permit a limited portion of this water to flow into the bowl with each flush.
If your toilet is repeating the flush action with each use, this may be because the tank is gradually releasing all of its contents into the bowl. After the initial flush performance is completed, water continues to flow from the tank into the bowl, causing an encore flush to occur. Fortunately, the only adverse consequence is wasted water. On the other hand, some low-flow toilets require two flushes to get the job done anyway. With yours, the back-up flush is on autopilot. If you wish to have this corrected, refer the matter to a licensed plumber.
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