Slow Toilets?

[TripleB]

Both of my toilets seem to have lost their 'suction' over the past year, with one getting stopped up quite often, so and I'm looking for answers as to what might be the cause.

We had a pipe burst in our bathroom the other day so while the plumber was here fixing it I asked him what causes poor suctions in toilets and what could be done about it. He said that the smoothness of the toilet deteriorates over time and therefore the water doesn't flow through it as well...wait until it completely stops...then get a new toilet.

A couple days after he left the toilet that gets stopped up a lot more than it should would flush properly (although still with very little 'suction') twice and then on the third flush it would act like it was stopped up. Flush fine two or three times and then act like it was stopped up. Any time I tried to flush it the same cycle repeated itself. Tried it about 12 hours later and it's been working normal ever since.

I read online that maybe the holes that push water into the toilet bowl might be clogged, not forcing the water down, so I cleaned them out the best I could. Still, flushing was no better.

Last night I tried some Main Line Cleaner (poured it down the shower drain)...when I ran hot water down the lines this morning very fine brown sediment came up out of the drain. Not sure if that's normal or not or what it might indicate.

What do you think the problem might be and what would you suggest I try next?

Thanks for any and all help!

TripleB

btw: I'm the most unhandy person you could imagine

 

[havasu]

You need someone to clean out the drain lines. You have a clog and there isn't a liquid available that really works. Make sure you mention that use used chemicals to the drain clearing specialist.

 

[KULTULZ]

He said that the smoothness of the toilet deteriorates over time and therefore the water doesn't flow through it as well...wait until it completely stops...then get a new toilet.

...kinda scary...

 

[TripleB]

You need someone to clean out the drain lines. You have a clog and there isn't a liquid available that really works. Make sure you mention that use used chemicals to the drain clearing specialist.

I assume it's just partially drained since we never have anything coming up into our showers or sinks? Thanks for the advice!

...kinda scary...

Yea, that's what I thought! I looked up a good bit of info online and very seldom did I see that a new toilet was definitely the answer to my problem.

1 question...in my search for solutions someone said putting dishwashing detergent in the overflow tube would help with slow flushing toilet...is guy this really serious?

TripleB

 

[KULTULZ]

1 question...in my search for solutions someone said putting dishwashing detergent in the overflow tube would help with slow flushing toilet...is guy this really serious?

TripleB

If you had heavy calcium in the toilet bowl ring, then there are cleaners or CLR to put into the overflow tube to hopefully break the blockage(s) up some hopefully.

I guess if the detergent was something like LEMONSHINE, it would break the calcium blockages and allow more water through giving a more forceful flush.

 

[pasadena_commut]

Both of my toilets seem to have lost their 'suction' over the past year, with one getting stopped up quite often, so and I'm looking for answers as to what might be the cause.

As others have noted, the most likely reason is some sort of blockage in your drain line.

However, there is another possibility. The water enters the toilet in two ways: through the holes around the rim and through a hole at the bottom. That latter hole shoots water down the drain and gets the siphon action started. When that hole is jammed up the toilet will flush very poorly, often leaving, um, material, in the bowel. After you clear all the rim holes with a bit of wire, also poke it into the bottom hole, that is, the one on the front of the toilet where the water comes in, not the big one where the water goes out. If it is jammed it will usually be right near the outlet.

We have very hard water and this hole gets gummed up once and a while, often forming pretty substantial chunks of calcium deposits.