[Buckeyephan]

About two weeks ago, we started hearing a shrill noise coming from our guest bathroom. It sounds a bit like a smoke detector. We tracked it down to the pipes in the shower. The noise stopped when we ran water or flushed. Every time we hear it, water is being used by the dish washer or washing machine. We called a plumber and yesterday for $85 he told us that because the shower was rarely used, air was being trapped in the pipes. We should run water there once a week. Followed his instructions and today the noise came back while running the washer. The sink and toilet are used daily so they wouldn’t be the cause. Our house is 6 years old.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[OCsun]

Your not alone! Ours is occurring in the Master Bathroom and it is a shrill high pitch sound. It will stop if we flush the toilet.

[Chatbrat]

Replace the toilet flush valves--$10.00 @ Lowes--had it in both bath rooms--simple , see instructions on youtube--had the exact same noises & same locations--test turn of the water supply to toilet--noise goes away--house is 8 yrs old-replaced 1 valve a year ago, replace the second vale 2 months ago

PS-- that plumber owes you $85.00, especially when you prove it by changing the valves

[HiHoSteveO]

You have a very slow leak causing the valve to operate very slightly. The valve "should" be fine. You likely have an old deformed red seal in there.

You will need to replace the canister seal. Easy do it yourself job takes 5 minutes. Buy a new seal about $7.
(GP 1059291) at most any hardware store or online. Make sure you get the yellow one.

Lots of videos out there to watch how to do it.

Replace Kohler Toilet Gasket/Seal and Stop That Leak! (Five Minute Fix) - YouTube

The plumber should be ashamed.

By the way, if you're not familiar with the type of toilet shut off valve they use here, just pull the white round stem straight out away from the wall to turn off the water supply to the toilet.

[Chatbrat]

Its not the canister seal--look @ the you tube video , you'll hear the sound--its the fill that causing the sound - a canister seal would cause the toilet to fill @ sporadic times

[Investment Painting Contractors]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

Its not the canister seal--look @ the you tube video , you'll hear the sound--its the fill that causing the sound - a canister seal would cause the toilet to fill @ sporadic times

I've got to go with you on this one. Most of my neighbors toilets don't even have a canister, they have a basic fill tube. 99% of the time it's the fill valve. Len

[rjm1cc]

You can put some food coloring in the toilet tank and next time you hear the sound look in the bowel and see if any color entered the toilet. If it did the flapper is the problem as noted in a number of other posts. Also clean the plastic seat the flapper closes on.

Assuming the problem is the flapper some Vaseline spread on the bottom edge of the flapper might work for a while.

[Chatbrat]

The flapper doesn't cause a whistling sound--it causes the toilet to fill

[NoMoSno]

Could also be the mixer valve behind the wall.
Mixes a little hot water with the cold so the toilet doesn't sweat.
All you need to know about, The Toilet mixing Valve

[New Englander]

Originally Posted by NoMoSno

Could also be the mixer valve behind the wall.
Mixes a little hot water with the cold so the toilet doesn't sweat.
All you need to know about, The Toilet mixing Valve

We have a toilet mixing valve behind the wall that adds a little hot water to the toilet tank? Are you sure?

[NoMoSno]

Originally Posted by New Englander

We have a toilet mixing valve behind the wall that adds a little hot water to the toilet tank? Are you sure?

If it is a failing mixing valve you will hear the whistle inside the wall near where the toilet pipe comes out of the wall.

[Chatbrat]

With very stable ground temps and our houses being built on slabs, with no basements the odds of having a toilet hot water mixing valves will be very slim; also, our houses are plumbed using a strict construction format---again go to youtube- and look for sound caused by bad fill valve

[anothersteve]

Not saying it's the problem but showers have mixing valves also
Steve

[NoMoSno]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

With very stable ground temps and our houses being built on slabs, with no basements the odds of having a toilet hot water mixing valves will be very slim; also, our houses are plumbed using a strict construction format---again go to youtube- and look for sound caused by bad fill valve

They are required by code.

[TedfromGA]

Toilet mixing valve - I doubt it - cost considerations. However, if there is one then ask yourself how long it takes HOT water to reach your bathroom sink? At my home it is 20 to 40 seconds. A mixing valve at the toilet would be a complete waste as it would only mix cold water with cold from the hot water line 90% of the time. I wish the builder had insulated the hot water lines under the slab so hot water temperature loss through the pipe would be less.