My toilet isn’t flushing very well. Any ideas to clean it out ?
by
Cat18041169
+14
it flushes but needs several times to do the job. Not completely clogged but anything I can do that won’t hurt pipes to get it flushing more freely? I tried Green Gobbler. It may have helped some but I can’t find more.
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Try pouring about a cup each of baking soda and vinegar into the trap, let sit a while and see if the clog loosens.
Is your tank not getting or using enough water? As in, years ago it was suggested that folks put bricks in their tanks to reduce water usage. Except you had to flush three times.
We had that problem, and a new toilet fixed the problem. However, a friend said to take a coat hanger and open it up. Then use it to open up all the holes under the rim. That will give more water pressure. My husband said it was easier to replace. If you do buy, be sure to measure for correct water fittings. You will need a new wax ring too.
It may be the design of the toilet and the pressure that the water coming into the bowl. I would lean toward replacing the toilet if it is over 10-15 years old.
Run a snake down the toilet. If no improvement. pull the toilet and run a snake down the drain. Check the toilet to see if there is any thing stuck in it. Toys. hair brush. or other things that can not be flushed.
It could just be the flush mechanism in the tank has failed and likely the flapper as well. $15 in parts to fix it and about 30 minutes of easy labor
This usually happens in the spring to my toilet. I put Roebic Root Killer down the toilet to clean out the sewer line. Then I follow up the next day with Roebic Drain Cleaner down the toilet before bedtime.
Hope coat hanger works for you. I also forgot to ask if you have trees? We lived on an acre in a Victorian house. We had to dig up the yard where the pipe ran to the city sewage line. Tree roots had entered the line and clogged it. It would flush freely for a while and one day it backed up into the tub and over the bowl. We replaced the whole line and put concrete where the pipe connected. No more problems after that.
Check your tank water level, it should be 1" below the overflow tube, you can adjust the screw if its too low or too high. If your water level is too low, I would also check the flapper, by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Then check in the bowl to see if the dye leaks out into it. If it does, its time to replace the flapper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNOXMHi5EM
flapper.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Gv2bnsPVQ