toilet tank siphoning to supply

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Jun 19, 2011
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hurt, va
hi all,

my problem is blue stains showing up in the sink. i rebuilt both toilet tanks, the valves are correct heigth, supply water fills to the line on the inside of the tank every time, and shuts off. i let the lid off the tank, and it looks like once in awhile the water in the tank will rise above the mark in the tank. i dont think the valve has let the water in , so where did it come from? the blue water in the bowl seams to fade to almost clear ( sometimes ). from what i have read on here i am guessing the problem is a bad toilet, or a clog of some kind. the toilet flushes ok , but it doesnt flush the same way every time. i was thinking about installing a check valve in the supply line, just to rule out the siphoning thery. is there any reason that i souldnt install them?? i live in a 2003 doublewide, 2 full baths,. also resently when i let the dish water drain, i hear a gurrgling, i think it is the vent under the sink. how can i test these vents to ensure they are working properly? can anyone help me ??

thanks

also the first time i became aware of this problem is water started dripping from my tub ( which i dont use ) and thats when i first seen it. the water does not drip from the faucet. it seems as though there is a pressure change in the supply to it because it only drips once in a while, but for no reason, it hasnt been used?
 
Last edited:
You probably have well water. I suspect the well water is the source of the stains.
 
the stains are from the blue tabs that you put in the toilet tank. when i dont use the tablets i dont get the blue stains in my sink and shower. did you see the edit to this?
 
Post a picture if you can. You say you rebuilt the tanks.
What type of new ballcock did you install.
What type of new flapper did you install.
Toilet tank repairs are probably the most common type of call backs even for experienced plumber.
Why is the water blue in the tank. Are you using dye test tablets or do you have some kind of blue cleaning product in the tank.
Cleaning chemicals in the tank are not recommended.
You don't need a check valve on you toilet supplies.
You may have a faulty pressure reducing valve on your water supply to the home.
If the pressure reducing valve is leaking by the increased pressure sometimes relieves itself by forcing open the ballcock and or dripping from the tub valve.
You can buy a test gauge and check it on a hose bib.
 
the stains are from the blue tabs that you put in the toilet tank. when i dont use the tablets i dont get the blue stains in my sink and shower. did you see the edit to this?

Sure didn't see it. You should have anti siphon ballcocks installed that would prevent any cross connection. Its common for well water to turn fixtures bluish green.

Replace the ballcocks with fluidmaster 400a's if they are compatible with your toilet. They are anti-siphon and would eliminate any possible backflow.....but I do not think that is your problem. What type ballcocks are installed now?
 
I'm a little slow . must have been typing when he post that:)
 
i installed fluidmaster rebuild kits in both toilets. i also correctly checked my pressure tank and pressure switch. the pressure is holding. not leaking off. where is a pressure reduceing valve usually located? i thought those valves were only on city water.
my fixtures are not turning blue and green. the inside of the sink bowl turns blue ( where water lays after you turn the water off ) the floor in my shower turns blue.
yes i put the blue cleaning tablets in my toilet tanks. if i dont use the blue tablets, there is no blue stains in the bowl or the shower floor. when i use the tablets in the toilet tank, the stains appear again, so i know the blue stains are comming from the toilet tablets.
what did you want me the upload a photo of ?
 
the pressure switch is a 30 on - 50 off , which i thought it should be 20 on- 40 off. my bladder pressure is set for the 30-50
 
If the blue stains only appear when you use the blue tabs in the toilet tank, then for the water to get to the fixtures from the toilet tank there would have to be siphoning. First, adjust the float on the fill valve so that the tank water level is about one inch below the top of the overflow tube. Next, attach the bowl fill tube to the overflow with the provided clip. Do not insert the bowl fill tube into the overflow tube, just attach it to the rim. If you continue to have siphoning issues with blue water from the tanks, then there is an issue with the anti-siphon fill valves.
 
Also, dogsbestfriend, the members who help on this forum are just volunteers and do not spend 24/7 on the site. If we log off to take care of work or personal business, we will get back to you the next time we log on. It's Father's Day and they may have had plans.
 
thanks for the info. everything is set correctly with the tank. i have more than the 1 in. space required for the over flow , i talked to the tech rep at fluidmaster, and they sent me filters for the supply line, that stoped sediment from comming in. the clips are also installed right, i like those clips better than the ones on the old style.i also did the flush out again for the fill valve, maybe i didnt get all the sediment out.
i am sorry if i affended anyone, i wasnt trying to. we had been conversing back and forth, almost like a instant messenger, and i guess thats how i thought the conversation was going. i do thankeveryone for their imput.
 
Sorry I left you hanging. I logged in and answered a ? or two. Then the wife woke up and we took off to go to the Beach.
Fluidmaster 400A's are a good choice. Never heard of them siphoning water back into the system. If they don't have an air gap on the refill tube then they will siphon water out of the tank into the bowl.
Forget what I said about the Pressure reducing valve.
Pictures of anything that might be helpul. Inside the tank or ?
 
There was no offense taken, dbf. I was just giving a heads-up on how the forum works so that you don't get frustrated and feel that you were blown-off. Let us know if the blue water shows up again. We educate through the experiences of each other. Everybody benefits from the info.
 
hey guys,

i have decided to shut off the one toilet for now, and see if i have the issuse with the other one. i am guessing that i must not have got all the sediment out of the fill valve, it usually takes a few weeks for the stains to reappear. i beleive the tank is set up right. i dont claim to be a plumber by any means, but i do have 20 years experince in industral maintenance. i did learn some by reading the forms, and doing futher resurch. THANKS TO ALL who has given me their input. if i continue having the issuse i will be back in touch.
 
If you notice corrosion on any of your fixtures or bluish-green stains in your sinks or tubs, then your pH level may be too acidic. In the shower, you may feel like the water is not very "wet". When you drink your tap water, you may notice a metallic taste. If you notice these things, then you probably need well water whole house filters, but you can always buy some litmus paper to test. Blue litmus paper turns red in the presence of acid. A numbered pH tester is also available, but is more expensive. Any level under 7 is equal to an acidic pH. In order to correct acidity, you need well water filters that enhance the water by balancing the pH. Multi-stage systems use ion exchange and other filters to correct the level.
 
the only time i get the blue stains in my sink and shower, is when i use the blue tabs that you put in your toilet tank, that turn the water blue. i shut the one toilet off, and tried the other one.well the blue stains are back. i am going to flush out the fill valve to remove any debri that may be in it. it usually takes a few weeks for the blue stains to reappear.
yes i do need a house filter for sediment, i just tested the ph with ph test strips. it stayed yellow, thats like 5.0 reading. i guess all ph strips are the same, i got this from the helth food store for testing my body ph. if the stains are because of the low ph, then why do the stains only appear when i use the blue tabs?
 
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