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What can cause a toilet's performance to degrade?

Jeff7181

Jeff7181

Lifer
I know, sounds funny, or odd... but the toilets in my house use to work just fine. Now it seems like they lack flushing power. Have to flush them twice sometimes... and sometimes even with no solid waste in them. Does this happen as toilets age? (they're 19 years old) Or could it be a more serious plumbing problem?
 
I'm not sure, but if you find out let me know, I have the same problem recently. I sometimes have to take the top off the back of the toilet and push on the little floating thing to fill the back up with as much water as it can handle (that usually gives it a little more power should you have a power dump floating in the bowl). I think my main problem is that roots have grown into the ceramic pipes below the house. Is your place new or fairly old? What type of pipes do you have?
 
The house is only 20 years old... and it was a new development when the house was built. The pipes are all PVC if that's what you mean.

I don't think it's a problem with the float in the tank... the water fills to the same level it always has. The downstairs one just kinda fills up with water and then goes down... doesn't swirl a whole lot. The upstairs one swirls and swirls forever and looks like it's going to overflow before it all goes down really quick, almost like a clog broke free... but it's not clogged... so I dunno.
 
If the water doesn't seem to be filling the bowl as fast maybe its mineral deposit buildup in the clean water path to the bowl? You might try turning off the water, flushing the tank once to empty it, flushing a gallon of undiluted vinegar through the fill tank and then waiting an hour before turning on the water and flushing again.
 
Your pipes may be corroded and there could be some blockage. If you use copper and steel together I believe galvanic corrosion may occur, but it's been awhile.
 
Call a plummer. We're all just guessing here.

Find a good, honest plummer through word of mouth around town.
 
slow drainage is almost always a partially blocked pipe. most likely mineral desposits built up over the years
 
maybe you have a moron roomate like i do who is too cheap/lazy to buy toilet paper so he uses paper towels and clogs it up?
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
slow drainage is almost always a partially blocked pipe. most likely mineral desposits built up over the years
Click to expand...

yup this is most likely the cause, and it is something you should be able to fix yourself...

then again if you are afraid to do any plumbing work then don't. It's better to get a plumber to help you out.

my .02


 
Originally posted by: OrByte
Originally posted by: ElFenix
slow drainage is almost always a partially blocked pipe. most likely mineral desposits built up over the years
Click to expand...

yup this is most likely the cause, and it is something you should be able to fix yourself...

then again if you are afraid to do any plumbing work then don't. It's better to get a plumber to help you out.

my .02
Click to expand...

I'd rather do it myself than pay someone to do it... how would I do it? Replace the pipes?
 
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