Your toilet bowl needs to have a constant water supply to enable you to keep it clean after every use and prevent bacterial growth. But there are times when your toilet bowl will keep emptying itself without anyone using the toilet. This can be a sign of an underlying issue that you need to look at to avoid water wastage and paying too many water bills.

Water not staying in the toilet bowl can be because of a clogged vent or blockage in the trap because of toilet paper build-up. It could also be a gravity issue, or the flapper has problems that need repairs. 

Read on to understand why your toilet bowl keeps emptying itself and possible solutions.

Water Not Staying in Toilet Bowl/ Empty Itself (Causes & Fixes!)

  • Flapper or Fill Valve Is Spoilt
  • Vent Problem
  • Toilet Paper Build Up
  • Toilet Bowl Is Cracked
  • A Blockage on The Inlet Holes
  • Gravity Issue
  • Wrong Placement of Pipes

Flapper or Fill Valve Is Spoilt

The flapper is part of the toilet tank, and it seals it. If you flush the toilet, the flapper moves up, allowing water to wash the toilet bowl. After the water tank is filled with water, the flapper will fall back into its usual place and reseal the tank.

However, this won’t happen if the flapper has a problem or is damaged. Instead, it will have sediment composition and not seal the tank as it should. This will make the tank leak and flush the toilet occasionally.

This problem could also result from a damaged fill valve, which is part of the tank that controls the amount of water in it. If it’s broken or not in the right place, the tank won’t be able to fill up. Less water in the tank means the toilet bowl will not have water.

You can stop this by buying another flapper or fill valve and replacing it yourself. Also, check if there are any spoilt components and place the fill valve at the right angle.

Vent Problem

Another reason why water can’t stay in your toilet bowl is because of a blockage in the vent. When the vent pipes are blocked, the other pipes will look for an alternative outlet to get air. This will force your toilet to produce lots of noise as the vents try to balance the amount of air and water uptake.

Remember, the vent is usually on the house roof, and the blockage can be because of dirt-like leaves that interfere with the ventilation. At times the low water level on the toilet bowl could be a result of too much wind on the vent system.

You can solve this by making a vent cover to prevent the blockage. Also, regularly cleaning the vent pipes to get rid of dirt will help you.

Toilet Paper Build Up

The toilet paper should go away from the toilet bowl whenever you flush the toilet. But if there’s not enough water in the bowl, this will not happen. In the end, there will be a blockage because of tissue paper build-up and no water in the bowl.

This is because the tissue papers will be absorbing the water in the bowl. If you continue using the toilet without solving this problem, it will be a major issue requiring a plumber’s intervention. However, you can use an auger to help unclog the toilet bowl with less water.

Toilet Bowl Is Cracked

Your toilet bowl may not be able to hold water because of an internal crack. If the damage is big enough to allow water out of the bowl, your toilet floor will flood as some go to the drain. The toilet bowl crack could be a manufacturer’s fault, but at times it’s because of the rodding you recently did.

A cracked toilet bowl requires replacement which can be expensive if you were not ready for such expenses. But it will help you prevent further complications like mold on the toilet floors because of dampness.

A Blockage on The Inlet Holes

Water not staying in the toilet bowl could also result from a clogged inlet hole. The holes below the toilet rim help supply water to the toilet bowl. But when they’re blocked, the water from the tank won’t reach the toilet bowl. Less water in the bowl means you’ll not flush the toilet, resulting in toilet paper blockage.

Use pipe cleaners that pipe smokers use to clean the pipe stems to clean the inlet holes and have water in the bowl. You can get them at a tobacco shop near you. Avoid using cleaners in the tank as the chemicals can damage the rubber parts.

But vinegar will help solve this problem with ease. Soak the tank with the vinegar for some hours to help remove the calcium deposit on the inlet holes. Then use a toothbrush to remove all the remaining residues. After that, flush the toilet to see if the problem is solved.

Gravity Issue

There are instances when you can’t flush the toilet through the tank. You can use a bucket to help flush away the dirt. When this happens, it means the water will drain down the bowl with too much pressure as it flushes out the dirt without the help of the tank. This will not allow the bowl to replace the water that was there before as there’s no constant water supply.

Additionally, when your toilet is upstairs, the chances of the human waste exerting extra weight on the toilet bowl are possible. If this happens, the toilet will flush itself. You can stop this by cleaning the toilet bowl then the water will fill up as before.

Wrong Placement of Pipes

A wrong pipe placement will also interfere with the amount of water in the toilet bowl. These are piping that helps get rid of wastewater from the toilet. The pipes should be away from the toilets. But some people put them towards the toilet.

When the pipes are in the wrong direction, the amount of water standing on them will affect the water level in the bowl. So, it’s advisable to keenly check the pipes’ direction before installation to avoid such problems.

Bottom Line

If water is not staying in your toilet bowl, there must be an underlying reason that you need to know beforehand and solve. Most of the time, it could be a crack on the toilet bowl, making the water go into the drain and not the bowl. At times, it could be a blockage in the vent, inlet holes, or tissue paper build-up. It could also be that the flapper or fill valve is spoilt, preventing the bowl from having an adequate water supply.

When any of this happens, you need to solve the problem before it results in a serious issue. Remember, you also need to keep high hygienic standards that the bowl’s water is responsible for. You can solve some of these problems alone, but if not sure of what to do, call your plumber to identify the root cause.