What can cause a toilet's performance to degrade?

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

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

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

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

See below if you are going to do it yourself:

1. Fill your tub, sinks, and then pull out all plugs at once while flush the toilet/s.

2. Refill the tub partially & sinks till the toilet replenish it self, and then pull out all plugs at once while flush the toilet. Get friend/family member to help doing the prior step, while you are up on the roof trying to listen for water though the vent pipe. And, then drop a small pebble/penny down the drain vent and listen to see if you hear it drop into water or clanking.

3. If you hear water, then rotor-rooter is in order. Measure the distant from top of pipe down and the distant from it to the sidewalk, then mark that distant with a piece of color tape or wax on the snake cable. Have someone man the rotor-rooter on the ground and a person on top of the roof feed the snake into the vent till it cut through & clean all maters (till the predetermine mark distance is reach). Make sure you guide the snake cable though the rung of the ladder that you use to get on top of the roof, when in operation....if not you might damage your roof/gutter.

4. If it is really bad and you can't get the snake to snake it way to the sidewalk. Then digging up & replace the pipe is in order. Minus the length from top of vent to ground on the cable and the left over is where the break/clog is. Dig up that area & cut the pipe, and repeat step 3 to see if there is more break/clog down the line.

5. Replace the broken junction & patch it up.

You have just save yourself several thousands dollar if you done step 4 & 5, and a few hundred dollars if only step 3 is needed.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

Well, you could also try some liquid plumbr and/or one of the organic build-up removers. A root remover might be in order as well. Either way, these things will cost a buttload less than a plumber.

 

[clicknext]

Did you, by any chance, put Type-R stickers on it?

 

[Jeff7181]

Wow... I think I'll try some chemical methods first... if I have to go beyond that it probably won't get done =) I know they make root desolver, so I guess I'll try a crapload of that first.

 

[Bryophyte]

In my home, it's an indication my husband's taken his monthly dump.

My parents had a problem like this twice. First time, my little brother (toddler at the time) had flushed a couple toothbrushes down each day for almost a week. I remember my Dad out in the back yard with his arm in the toilet pulling them out one by one (he had to take the whole toilet up to get to them.) The second time, he had flushed a frozen juice lid (metal one), and it would sometimes lie so the water could go by, sometimes so it wouldn't. Kept rotating. That one was hard to figure out.

 

[Brutuskend]

I don't know, sometimes sh!t just happens....

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: Lutefisks
don't stuff it with toilet paper.... but then again, who wipes and put it in the waste basket next to you?

lmfao...

/me looks around nerviously.

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Wow... I think I'll try some chemical methods first... if I have to go beyond that it probably won't get done =) I know they make root desolver, so I guess I'll try a crapload of that first.

What about the "performance" of your sink & tub? Do you have the same trouble with them? If you do then it is a clog down the main drain pipe, other wise it is a local problem.There are hand snake (around 5~6 feet lenght) that you can purchase at your local hardware store, that can be use for unclog local area drain pipe.

IMHO, the chemical are quick fix that doesn't do the job cleanly and you will have the same problem several month after treatment if it does work.

Call or talk to a reputable local plumber hardware store for information.

Good luck!

 

[Jeff7181]

Thanks for the advice... I was reading on some DIY sites about it... and now I think before anything else, I'm gonna get some CLR and run it through the tank and bowl.
It suggested dumping a bucket of water down, and if that goes down fine, then it's a problem with the water getting into the bowl... which sounds like it may be the case since I held the pluger down in the tank and let it fill up with water as much as possible then flushed it and it seemed to work better.
We have good water here, but after almost 20 years there's gotta be some buildup since I clean the showerhead in CLR about every year. Someone on the site recommended emptying all the water and duct taping around the bowl so water can't get out, and then dump some CLR in there. CLR won't hurt any rubber seals or plastic parts will it?

 

[Goosemaster]

What can cause a toilet's performance to degrade?

Some nasty ass motherfing shat

 

[Jeffwo]

I want me one of those Canadian toilets....WHOOOOSHHHHH!!!!

Jeff