Slow toilet, with exceptions
Rex Burkheimer
The tank empties into the bowl fine, water circles and runs down, but not
fast enough to empty all the contents of the bowl. You don't get that
satisfying "ker-plooosh!". It lacks closure ;)
So I called out the plumber who dutifully ran his auger through the bowl
down into the sewer pipe, took my money and left. No change.
But I have noticed something strange: Once I flush it and let the bowl
refill, I can flush it again within a few minutes and it works perfectly
(ker-plooooosh!). Wait too long, and it's back to being sluggish.
BTW, the sink and tub in this same bathroom, which I assume are on the
same drainpipe, work fine, never back up. We use the shower all the time.
Now I'm sure some of you old toilet pros out there are saying "Aha !!"
in recognition of a common symptom. Could it have something to do with a
venting problem?
Suggestions?
--
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
Speedy Jim
A venting problem should occur with each flush.
This one sounds like toilet paper wadding up in the boel outlet
passages.
If no solids and no paper is put down, is the flush good *every* time
or is it still alternate flushes?
If it appears to be paper-related, there may be a foreign object
in the bowl outlet which a snake won't dislodge.
Or......it may be caused by the paper you're using.
Try switching to the older "scratchy" paper for a couple of weeks.
We've often seen this solve difficult problems.
Jim
Rex Burkheimer
October.
No paper, no other solids. Flushed about 5 - 6 times a week. No change
--
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
"Speedy Jim" <vo...@nls.net> wrote in message news:3CE2E3...@nls.net...
Rex Burkheimer
I'll check that tonight - thanks!
--
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
"Trent" <trent...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:r966eusj62eqeerkg...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 15 May 2002 16:58:25 -0500, "Rex Burkheimer"
> <r...@wmautomotive.com> wrote:
>
> >One of our toilets has been flushing poorly ever since we bought this
house.
> >The tank empties into the bowl fine, water circles and runs down, but not
> >fast enough to empty all the contents of the bowl. You don't get that
> >satisfying "ker-plooosh!". It lacks closure ;)
> > So I called out the plumber who dutifully ran his auger through the
bowl
> >down into the sewer pipe, took my money and left. No change.
> > But I have noticed something strange: Once I flush it and let the
bowl
> >refill, I can flush it again within a few minutes and it works perfectly
> >(ker-plooooosh!). Wait too long, and it's back to being sluggish.
>
> It sounds like the flapper may not be sealing tightly. The tank may
> be loosing water when its allowed to sit for a period of time.
>
> Take the tank cover off...let it sit for a couple of hours after a
> good flush...then check to see if the water level is still where it
> belongs.
>
>
> Have a nice week...
>
> Trent
>
> Cat...the OTHER white meat!
thunder
Someone once posted this website:
http://www.toiletology.com/toc.shtml
My guess is you will find your answers under the Lazy Flush link.
Charlie Spitzer
news:ue5ncga...@corp.supernews.com...
check the siphon tube. we had a toilet that had one where the tube was
filled up with mineral deposits.
Michael Baugh
will be someone's wife having the notion that the toilet needs one
of those 'thousand flush' disinfectants. Discussed thoroughly in
the URL under the 'bluegoo' heading. Doesn't have to be blue,
they all do the same. They screw up the water hydraulics, and the
symptom of the good second flush is extremely suggestive of this.
If there is one of those tablets in the toilet, it needs to be gone
yesterday. Warrantees on the 'guts' of the tank are also typically
voided if those chlorine products are used.
thunder <thu...@gti.net> wrote in message
news:ue7o00g...@corp.supernews.com...
Rex Burkheimer
I had been given a sample of the "2000 Flushes" or something similar so I
dutifully dropped it into the tank and forgot about it. The water was a
pretty blue for 6 months, but it would not flush reliably during that time.
It never occurred to me that the "water color" could be related tot he slow
flush problem. But finally the product ran out, and colored the water very
little. Toilet started working fine and has been fine ever since.
So why the heck would that affect it? I watched the water run out of the
tank way more times than I'd like to admit, and could not see any problem.
Granted the "2000 flushes" stuff appeared to be a vague viscous mass
floating in the bottom of the tank, but the part near - and flowing out -
the flapper valve seemed to be only colored, but viscosity-enhanced.
Any clues out there? In the meantime I'm going to give that rep that
gave me the sample a piece of my mind.
--
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
"The practical definition of a bigot is a person who is arguing
with a liberal and winning. "
"Rex Burkheimer" <r...@wmautomotive.com> wrote in message
news:ue5ncga...@corp.supernews.com...
Manx5
(246 of them), I must say that I never thought that blue stuff could do what
it does. It coats everything it touches and doesn't come off too easily.
After that, we put up notices that bleach pucks are OK, but no blue stuff is
to be used because of the problems it causes. It's nasty stuff and I
wouldn't doubt it screwed up your system pretty good. Good riddance and
don't replace it with another one.
Blake
Michael Baugh
is void if you use them.
Manx5 <ma...@cablemountain.net> wrote in message
news:ae336r$9ns$1...@news1.mountaincable.net...
RB
aerobic septic system. The products said "septic safe", but now I wonder.
--
Rex Burkheimer
Parts Plus Marketing Director WM Automotive Whse., Fort Worth TX
"The practical definition of a bigot is a person who is arguing
with a liberal and winning. "
"Manx5" <ma...@cablemountain.net> wrote in message
news:ae336r$9ns$1...@news1.mountaincable.net...
Chip Stein
flapper valves more than once. When we moved to florida though i
realized the othe r problem. when a hurricane comes by, sometimes the
water may be shut-off for a couple of days, if you didn't know it was
coming the fastest place for clean water is the toilet tank.. unless
those damn pucks are in it! people don't think of these things until
it's too late..
Chip
David Combs
Rex Burkheimer <r...@wmautomotive.com> wrote:
>One of our toilets has been flushing poorly ever since we bought this house.
>The tank empties into the bowl fine, water circles and runs down, but not
>fast enough to empty all the contents of the bowl. You don't get that
>satisfying "ker-plooosh!". It lacks closure ;)
> So I called out the plumber who dutifully ran his auger through the bowl
>down into the sewer pipe, took my money and left. No change.
> But I have noticed something strange: Once I flush it and let the bowl
>refill, I can flush it again within a few minutes and it works perfectly
>(ker-plooooosh!). Wait too long, and it's back to being sluggish.
(1) So, just as soon as the tank is filled again, lift up
the top and see (and mark or remember) how high the
water is in the tank.
Come back in an hour and compare.
(2) Go to HD and get one of those redish-pink
*giant* plungers they sell. ("The mother of
all plungers").
(3) Also buy a "toilet auger", of which part is
"wrapped" by what appears to be a tight-fitting
rubber hose.
I learned *the hard way* why that's what you
need for toilets: I used a "regular" (non-toilet)
"snake" to remove an obstruction in the toilet
outlet-pipe. Scratched the hell out of the
toilet bowl; scratches get dirty (and dirty
looking) pretty quickly, requiring much more
toilet-brushing.
(4) Keep large drinking-glass in the bathroom.
When about to flush, fill the glass with
water, and then when the flushing is maybe
half or 2/3 done, "chase" it with the water.
(4.5) With one of those conserving-water toilets,
at the *same instant* you hit the flush lever,
dump the water at the *back* of the bowl,
thus "blasting" said unnameable solids
forward and *up into the bowl-water*,
so that they're not all gathered together
at the exit-hole, placed perfectly ready
to be shoved down and lodge together as the
exit hole starts to narrow -- much better
blasted out *separately* into the bowl-water
where they have a *chance*, at least, of
going down one-by-one.
(5) For those times where you shit out seemingly
your entire insides, a *bucket* is handy to have
stored there in the bathroom, eg in the bathtub.
Same trick as with the glass -- but be careful,
you can make a real mess!
Now, what was that about wanting to go
out to dinner?
Cheers!
David
Gord
I have had this problem for years. It will flush properly 9 out of 10
times. On the tenth flush which goes very slow, all I do is wait until the
tank fills up and then try again. It will then work perfectly for quite a
few more times.
I tried snaking the toliet, but I determined nothing could really be stuck
as it does flush properly most of the time.
Any thoughts,
Thanks