Plumbing – Why do the toilets flush slowly and often incompletely

plumbingtoilet

I have three toilets that all flush slowly and incompletely. I've adjusted the chain to ensure the flap raises completely. I've raised the float to ensure the tank fills nice and high. Yet I have this nagging issue on all my toilets. It often takes multiple flushes to clear simple waste and toilet paper, never mind the "hard" stuff.

All the sinks and tubs drain well, no issues. I'm wondering if the age of a toilet can be a factor. All of my toilets are from the mid-eighties. I'm getting to the point where I just want to replace thm with some water-saving toilets but it would suck to have the problem persist.

Best Answer

I picked up some CLR and scrubbed all the jets under the rim. I even ran some through the tank - open flapper so as to minimize contact with the rubber and plastic. Using a mirror and a small piece of wire I was able to clean out a few stubborn holes.

All toilets were able to take a steady volume of water from a bucket without issue. This lead me to do a little more research. What I found was the hole at the bottom of the toilet that forces water down the drain is actually more susceptible to clogging and plays a larger role in the syphoning action. All three toilets had significant mineral build-up in this hole. A few minutes with my finger was able to clear out quite a lot. Some careful work with a small l-shaped alan wrench brought me the rest of the way home. Whammy!

The two younger toilets now flush like a champ. The oldest was so badly plugged I'll be needing a replacement. I'm gonna try a little soaking with CLR to see if it'll free up but I'm expecting a trip to the hardware store.