Toilet flushing question...

[lawdog]

OK, I have one of our stools that "sort of" flushes all the sudden rather than fully flushing. The water doesn't overflow, but doesn't fully empty the bowl either and therefore remnants remain (paper and other) IF I just hold the handle eventually it might go down but still the water never really flushes. I tried plunging and its no different.

Is there another way to clear this up? How does a toilet even work? Could it just be worn out? I sort of have a feeling there could be a plastic toy stuck down there but I have no idea...

[Jim Almquist]

I had the same problem and no matter how many times I ran the snake threw it would never change so I went out and bought a new stool and that fixed the problem. I broke the old stool apart and there was the toy that caused all the problems and I could see the marks from the snake and it just went right over the toy.

[BobT]

Something is restricting the flow of water somewhere. Most likely on the downstream side or in the drain pipes but could also be in the supply between the tank and the bowl. If you have young children that may have removed the tank cover and dropped something inside....

Another possibility may be the waste water ventilation system. If this is plugged I suspect that air could be getting trapped in the drain system preventing the water from flowing normally.

I'm not a plumber so there may be others with more expert opinion.

Bob

[fastkaw]

If you have kids, and you think there MIGHT be a toy there probably is.

You have to take the stool up to tell.

Take it up turn it over and look. listen for foreign objects while turning over.

Look in the pipe under the stool when it is up. there should not be water in it.

If there is water in the pipe then the plug/toy is in the pipe not the stool.

[sparcebag]

Under the toilet rim there are floage holes they are set to make the water swirl,If you have mineral deposits plugging them they will restrict the flush power.You can use a small tool and mirror to try to unclog them,Or take the bowl out and use muriatic acid while its set upside down soak and pick them clean or the easiest is new bowl.

[IFallsRon]

Could be that your tank isn't full enough and you're not getting the right amount of water flowing that is correct for your unit.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Oh boy, if I had a nickel for everytime I had to deal with this when my kids were young. Let's just say I'd be debt free riding around in a new boat.

Sounds like either a Hot Wheel or the Blue Power Ranger action figure in the stool. Been there, done that. As said earlier, empty the tank, remove the stool, turn upside down, and wiggle. The stool itself has casted into it pretty much the same thing as the P-trap under a sink. There's no taking it apart but if you can hear a clanking inside then I'll put a dollar on the fact that there's a Hot Wheel that's been flushed.

A snake will not remove a Hot Wheel. You have to twist and turn the stool and let it work itself out. Once you've done this for abbout an hour and have become totally grossed out and nothing has emerged from either end, a trip to Menards and a new stool and wax ring may be in order.

[lawdog]

It would be either a polly pocket or Barbie something or other instead of a hot wheel at this joint Boiler, at least for a few more years.

[Surface Tension]

If its flushing good without a load but not good with load then you could have an obstruction. Then theres the swirl factor caused by deposit build up. Water level is something else to check. Try a bucket of water and pour 2 gallons directly into the bowl. It should go down right away. Venting could be another cause, could be its vented properly but a it got backed up somehow.

You have the "got to hold the handle down" symptom. Thats is an inconvenience when you want to go along your way fast. Life is to short for that.

So what your doing is holding up the flapper. Note that a normal flush won't drain the tank. You'll have to check to see if the flapper is falling down prematurely in which case you get a new flapper or that for a good flush that you need to use all the water in the tank. If thats the case your water level is low or you have hard water deposit build up. If its the later this toilet is not your friend,,,any more. If its an expensive toilet you could do as what was suggested in previous posts. If its a cheapo get rid of it and get another top and bottom. They go on sale and you can get an entire thrown for under $60.

Biggest problem is what to do with your old friend. Some folks say they make good planters. I say not in my yard.

I'm lucky to have a shooting pit. A 12 gauge or large caliber hand gun makes quick work of it and its done right fun.

[harvey lee]

Jeff, one might just quit playing with your polly pockets.

[lawdog]

Jeff, one might just quit playing with your polly pockets.

NEVER

Actually, I tried the bucket of water trick and it flushed right down. Looked in the tank and the water lever was quite low. Adjusted that and we seem to be functioning again...

THANKS GUYS!

[UdeLakeTom]

Is this called "shooting the crappier"???

[mcgarth]

lawdog could you e-mail me i have a question for you please thanks sabbachl@aol dot com thanks scott