On 1/30/2015 6:14 PM, micky wrote:
What does it mean when one fllushes the toilet, the tank empties, the
water level comes back up to its normal level and seems stable, but when
one looks at it an hour later, almost all the water is gone from the
bowl? The water level is just where the porcelain ends on the far side
of the bowl. In other words, the opening is full of water, but the
water goes no higher. .

FWIW, this is not a low-volume toilet. It's happened three times in a
row.

I do have the water supply turned almost off so it normally takes a half
hour for the toilet tank and bowl to fill, but it's been working like
that for years.


Another interesting thing about this toilet is that just after it
finishes flushing, I hear thunder from somewhere. Well it sounds like
thunder or like the way the special effects man would imitate thunder
during radio dramas by taking a piece of sheet meal and shaking it.

But what's strange about this is that there's another toilet in the
next bathroom, back to back with this one, with only a stud and
sheetrock wall in between, using most of the same pipes, and it doesn't
make this noise.


The hammering, thunder as you call it, *may* be caused by the valve that
you say is barely open. I have a toilet, that if the shutoff valve is
nearly closed, threatens to shake the wall apart. Try opening the valve
fully and see if Thor goes away. What you think you are accomplishing by
just opening the valve to a trickle escapes me. You still need the same
amount of water, it just takes a silly amount of time (1/2 hour ? - LOL)
to get there.

As far as the bowl emptying itself, I have no idea, a siphon effect
caused by who knows what? A leaky vent or bad toilet gaskets come to
mind. But if its a 3 gallon model its probably way past it 'use by' date.

Anyway, since this isn't a low flush model, the first thing I would do
is replace the toilet with a modern low flush job. I have a cheap (8~
year old 'Standard') and an expensive (1-1/2 year old 'Kohler') and they
both flush every bit as good as an ancient 3 gallon model (40+ year old
'Standard') that I have in a seldom used powder room.

John