Cloudy Toilet Water Problems? (Doing This Will Fix It!)
If you notice cloudy water coming from your toilet, don’t panic! It’s normal for the water in the tank to be murky after being used. But if it remains cloudy, there are a few things you can do to fix this problem. What causes cloudy toilet water in the first place though?
Cloudy toilet water is often caused by a buildup of minerals and particles on the inside of your toilet tank. This buildup is usually caused by hard water, which is water that has high mineral content. Some of these minerals include calcium and magnesium, which can cause cloudy toilet water.
Cloudy water is not an uncommon problem in the world of home maintenance and repair. Fortunately, it is also relatively easy to fix with a few simple solutions you can perform yourself without breaking the bank.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Before rolling your sleeves up to give your toilet a deep clean, your problem may be as simple as applying a heavy-duty toilet cleaner, which will remove calcium build-up (the cause of most cloudy water).
We personally recommend using something like Clorox Ultra Clean Toilet Tablets as well as the Green Gobbler Ultimate Main Drain Opener to clean both your bowl and drain pipes.
What Causes Cloudy Toilet Water?
There are various things that could cause your toilet bowl to have cloudy water, the top five most common reasons include:
- Dirty Toilet Bowl: If your toilet bowl is dirty, it could be the cause of cloudy water. Make sure to clean your toilet bowl regularly using a basic cleaner or a non-toxic citrus cleaner. Now if you’ve been cleaning your toilet and your water still looks cloudy, there are other issues that might be causing this cloudy water.
- Hard Water: Cloudy toilet water can also come from a high amount of minerals in your well or municipality water, which causes the particles to build up in your tank and filter through into the bowl when you flush. The best way to solve a problem with a high mineral content is by installing an under sink reverse osmosis filter, which will filter out the minerals before they can cause problems.
- Old Water: If your water hasn’t been changed in a while it could be the reason for cloudy toilet water as well. In addition to dirty toilets, old water can also contribute to cloudy water by adding to the mineral buildup from hard water. It’s important you periodically change your water to prevent this from happening.
- Bad Water Heater: If your water heater is over five years old, it may be time to replace it. Cloudy toilet water can also come from a malfunctioning water heater that isn’t heating the water properly. If you’re sure this isn’t the problem, consider getting a replacement for safety purposes.
- City Water Supply: If your municipality supplies water from a reservoir, it may be the cause of cloudy toilet water as well. In this case, you need to contact your city and ask them about the mineral content in your area’s supply of water. If it is high or they don’t know what is causing the problem, look into having an under sink filter installed to
How To Fix Cloudy Toilet Water
There are a number of quick and easy ways you can fix cloudy toilet water. For a completely new look, try replacing the old or broken flapper valve that sits on top of the water in your tank.
Cleaning the Flapper Valve
This is a quick fix that costs very little and can be done without too much trouble if you follow these instructions:
1) Shut off the water supply to your toilet by closing all of the valves behind it.
2) Flush the toilet to drain out all the water in the tank. Make sure you flush it a few times before draining completely because there will still be some water left over after flushing.
3) Gently take off the lid of your tank and set it aside, being careful not to let anything fall into the tank.
4) Place a small bucket beneath the flapper valve and unscrew it using pliers. Make sure you hold onto the chain as well, because this will come off with the flapper valve.
5) Clean out any debris or mineral buildup from the tank and replace the flapper valve by screwing it back into place.
6) Connect the chain back onto the flapper valve and test your toilet by flushing.
Try Flushing Things Clean
If you notice that this is not solving your cloudy water problem, another way to solve it is to simply flush more frequently with this easy trick:
- Fill a five-gallon bucket up halfway with water.
- Take the filled bucket into your bathroom and place it in front of your toilet.
- Flush your toilet like you normally would, but when the tank is about halfway full, use the bucket to fill up the rest of the tank.
- Another flush or two should get rid of any cloudy water that may have built up inside your toilet.
Scrub Away All Calcium Build-up
If these methods do not work, the cause of your cloudy toilet water may be too much calcium build-up in your tank.
In this case, you will need to remove the buildup from the inside of your tank in order to get rid of the cloudiness.
This requires a little more effort and equipment, but by following these steps you should be able to solve the problem once and for all:
- Shut off the water supply to your toilet by closing both valves behind it.
- Flush your toilet a few times to drain out most of the water inside the tank. Make sure you don’t just let all the water drain out, because there will still be some left even after flushing.
- Place a small bucket underneath the fill line and unhook the chain that connects to your toilet tank and flapper valve. Be careful not to let anything fall into the tank as you detach it, or you may need to buy a new one!
- Once your chain is detached, make sure you pick up the lid of your tank and set it aside safely.
- Using a small brush, scrub the inside of your toilet tank clean from any calcium or other mineral buildup.
- Once you have finished cleaning the inside of your tank, unhook the flapper valve from the bottom, being careful not to lose any parts as they may fall into the tank.
- Clean the flapper valve and replace it, making sure to hook everything back together and refill your tank with water.
- Let your toilet flush a few times and enjoy the new look of your sparkling bowl!
If you notice the water in your toilet is still cloudy after following these steps, there may be another problem at hand.
Ask a professional to inspect your toilet if you cannot fix the cloudy water yourself, or if you are unsure about what caused it in the first place.
Cloudy Toilet Water Smells Bad?
Does your cloudy toilet water smell bad? This can be caused by any number of things, but the most common reason is water temperature.
Colder water will often have fewer bacteria in it than hot water, so when you flush the toilet, it mixes with bathroom air that may smell bad.
To fix this problem, just make sure your cold water is just as hot as your hot water. This is an easy process that often requires nothing more than turning a sink on until it gets just as hot as your shower water.
Another possible cause for cloudy, smelly tank water could be caused by the flushing system itself. Uneven flushing can lead to dirty water that ends up in your bowl, which might not get completely flushed down.
Before you try cleaning the water tank, make sure your flushing system is working correctly. This includes making sure your toilet isn’t clogged and that all parts are in good repair.
If you have an older tank that needs professional replacement, or if you notice any damage to your pipes, call a plumber immediately to get it fixed properly.
My Toilet Water Is Cloudy After Flushing
If you notice your toilet water appears cloudy after flushing, it may be time to check for leaks and ensure that your toilet’s flapper is working properly.
It may also just need a good scrubbing with a bucket of water and a brush.
If you notice cloudy water coming from the bowl, but not in the tank itself, this could indicate there are plumbing problems such as leaks or broken pipes that cause dirty water to flow into your bowl.
You should always check your toilet for leaks if it is running or appears to be constantly flushing. Even a small leak can make the water inside the tank evaporate incredibly fast, causing filament build-up and clouding inside the bowl.
You should also check for leaks around all of your pipes and repair any you find immediately to prevent further problems with cloudy water.
Cloudy Toilet Water After Pooping
Cloudy toilet water after pooping is another concern that is brought up on a frequent basis. Believe it or not, this is actually less of a problem than you may think!
The reason why your water becomes cloudy after pooping is because of the feces itself.
Feces are composed mostly of bacteria that help break down food in your digestive system. This bacteria gets mixed with the water in your toilet bowl when you flush, making the water cloudy.
If you are ever concerned about this cloudiness after pooping, simply make sure you do not leave any feces in your toilet after flushing. Flush again with clean water to prevent the buildup of bacteria and sediment on your porcelain bowl.
Final Thoughts
Cloudy toilet water is caused by many different things, but usually, it’s either hard water or calcium buildup that needs to be cleaned out of your toilet tank.
If this is not the case with your toilet, then there could also be plumbing leaks or other problems such as damaged pipes that cause dirty, cloudy tank water.
There are a number of things you can do to fix this problem at home and keep it from coming back in the future.
A quick scrub down of your inside toilet tank should solve the problem, as well as flushing your toilet a few extra times to drain out most of the water.
If you try all of these tricks and they don’t work, it may be time to call a plumber. The most likely cause of cloudy toilet water is severe calcium buildup in your tank, which requires more than just a little scrubbing to fix.
