toilet issue....

[Gibson486]

It swirls, but it does not drain completely....

Yes, we my fiancee uses the blue tablets...

You think the ports are clogged or the pipes are clogged? I plunged furiously last night, but it did not fix anything. Buy a snake?

 

[DrPizza]

Could be a partial blockage. Plungers aren't too effective at getting rid of those. I had one like that in a house that I rent out. The snake didn't do the trick either (though I would try that next, and a snake is a tool that you should own if you own a house.) Turns out that there was a hair clip (okay, iPad, why the hell did you auto-correct that to hair lip?) stuck in there. I didn't find it until out of frustration I removed the toilet, took it outside, and started running a garden hose through it from the bottom.

 

[Pardus]

pour a box of baking soda into the bowl and let it sit overnight, it should help dissolve any massive turds stuck in there.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Try putting some Javex in there and leave it overnight. Put it in when it's almost done flushing that way some will get sucked into the P trap and some of the rest of the plumbing.

Double check what those tablets are made of though, make sure it's not ammonia. I don't think so though, pretty sure they are bleach based.


Though when you see it flushes slow, is the water rising up and then it takes long to flush, or is it that there's not enough of a rush of water when you flush? If there's not enough water going into the bowl in first place then your problem is upstream, possibly the holes in the bowl where the water comes out or the flap in the tank is not opening enough.

 

[Bignate603]

Just an FYI, the home depot rents powered snakes. I've used their tool rentals before, never had a problem with it.

 

[Ronstang]

Make sure the vent for that line of pipe is not obstructed in any way.

 

[Gibson486]

Try putting some Javex in there and leave it overnight. Put it in when it's almost done flushing that way some will get sucked into the P trap and some of the rest of the plumbing.

Double check what those tablets are made of though, make sure it's not ammonia. I don't think so though, pretty sure they are bleach based.


Though when you see it flushes slow, is the water rising up and then it takes long to flush, or is it that there's not enough of a rush of water when you flush? If there's not enough water going into the bowl in first place then your problem is upstream, possibly the holes in the bowl where the water comes out or the flap in the tank is not opening enough.

It begins its normal routine, but the water does not go down. After it builds up, it goes down, but not fully.

 

[brianmanahan]

if you got toilet problems i feel bad for you son,
i got 99 problems but the john aint one

 

[Gibson486]

if you got toilet problems i feel bad for you son,
i got 99 problems but the john aint one

sure, but I would rather have a toilet issue than some of the 99 problems you have....

 

[ThatsABigOne]

if you got toilet problems i feel bad for you son,
i got 99 problems but the john aint one

Not a good pome.

 

[Gillbot]

Does it flush ok if you dump a bucket of water into it?

If so, the rim ports may be getting clogged. I used muratic acid on the one in my old house and it worked excellent. It's available at lowes but that stuff is nasty so be careful. Just google Muratic Acid Toilet and you'll see the details.

 

[brianmanahan]

Not a good pome.

its a rap, not a pome, duh

 

[Puppies04]

Turns out that there was a hair clip (okay, iPad, why the hell did you auto-correct that to hair lip?) stuck in there.

 

[brianmanahan]

lol awesome

 

[Newbian]

Make sure you are sitting on the toilet the right way and using the shelf as a place to hold your book.

 

[Paperdoc]

OP, your description does sound more like a slow drain than a restricted feed from the tank. Gillbot's suggested test with a full pail of water will confirm that.

A snake is the best way to deal with a stubborn partial plug, but you'll need a larger one. I have used a ½" snake about 50 feet long for clearing out the main 4" drains from the toilet down to the house main sewer line, AND for clearing the line from a basement access port all the way to the street. A blockage in that line can make everything in your house slow to drain, but it will be more obvious on high-flow items like a toilet.

Also I echo Ronstang's suggestion to verify that the vent line is clear - blockage there will trap air and slow the drain action.

The ½" snake I prefer actually is manually-operated - it comes on a frame as a drum powered by a crank handle. I rented a motor-powered unit a couple times and found it hard to control for one person. They're great when there is no trouble, and they can power through a tough clog. BUT when they hit something solid the end tends to stop, and the coiled snake starts to twist into loops really fast and they swing around randomly. It can be hard to find and turn off the switch before a loop whacks you!

 

[Gibson486]

Problem seems to be fixed....

What fixed it?

Well...a massive poo, that is what. I was on my way out to get a snake...but I really had to go, so I just thought, what the hell, i will just get a bucket and pour water in to flush it. Well, I flushed...everything started going down, swirling and what not. But then it stalled as all the waste started converging to the hole and water started rising. I got scared that I was gonna need a mop, then magically, it slowly goes, then it rapidly goes down... I pause for a second...wait for the toilet fill in the tank, pray, and flush the toilet it again. It flushed!

 

[SandEagle]

man, what a sorry ass disgusting thread gibson

 

[BUTCH1]

Just an FYI, the home depot rents powered snakes. I've used their tool rentals before, never had a problem with it.

Just had my main line snaked a short while, friend of mine is a plumber he did it for $50, according to him a powered snake can be tricky and somewhat dangerous to use, he wound up snaking mine through the vent stack as it works every time he says..