So, basically I live in a region where the water has a lot of limestone content and calcium gets stuck to everything. In my house one of the toilets has this issue where water comes out only from the front holes of the flush and the rest of the holes are clogged with calcium deposits.
If I use acid I think it would only fix superficially and I think some of the holes have a lot of calcium, so the easiest option I think would be to physically drill with a nail or a hard wire, the thing is that it's quite uncomfortable to reach and to be honest a little nasty…
I tried using a small mirror (like a dentist) and a small screw held with pliers. The thing is that I think the holes are a tiny bit smaller than the screw so it's not a good fit. I am going to look for a tinier nail and try to use it.
Any recommendations?
Best Answer
I have this same problem. What I have done is turn off the water to the toilet and hold the handle down until all the water is emptied. Then, inside the tank, manually prop open the flapper and pour a bunch of vinegar (or some other acidic cleaner) down the hole. This works well because it lets the cleaner attack the mineral deposits from the back, so everything gets soaked more thoroughly. You'll need to use quite a bit, and it has to be poured down pretty fast. Then let it sit for a few hours or over night.
Just be careful to not get any chemicals on the flapper or on the gasket that it seals against. If either of those sealing surfaces is damaged by the acid, the toilet might start emptying continuously and having "ghost flushes". If that happens, you might need to replace those parts.