toilets clog too easily

16 years ago

All three toilets in my home have always been very easy to clog. They are low flow by Crane, installed by the builder in 1997. One of them needs to be replaced due to a leak, so I am wondering if getting one of the stronger, better toilets will solve my problem, or if I need to call out a plumber to see if there is a problem with the line. (I had a really bad experience years ago with a plumber and a snake, so I am a bit wary of going there again!) I saw some designs at Home Depot that claim that they don't clog because their pipe opening is wider. I think that my husband could install a new toilet himself, but I don't want to just put a bandaid on the real problem.

Is this a common problem with the newer low flow toilets?

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Comments (6)

threejsmom
16 years ago
The earlier low flow toilets had numerous problems but the newer ones are much better. We resisted replacing our old, leaky, water-hog toilets for years but finally got some Toto Drakes, which work very well. Do a search in this forum as well as the Bathrooms forum for Toto toilets to get other opinions. Apparently the American Standard Cadet 3 also works great and is cheaper but some people have had issues with quality control. The Totos are sold thru plumbing supply stores.
alexbar001
16 years ago
HI, sounds like there is something wrong with your pipes such as blockages caused by tree roots. Your only option is to get a specialized plumber to clear the blockage and to replace or repair the pipes. Make sure the plumber CCTV (cameras the pipe)and shows you the problem. There is new systems out there that Reline the pipes (creates a new pipe within the old pipe) that can save you thousands of dollars because it eliminates the need of digging up the pipes. Use the search engines to find some of those that can especially sydney australia are experts and pipe repairing!. Get references because there are some dodgey plumbers who don't know how to use an Electric Eel (snake) properly.
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I think you may have missed the real problem: the jet/hole shooting water toward the back of the toilet to get the siphon started sooner. I cleaned mine out and fixed it nicely. Here's how 0. clean your toilet if you need to, this involves putting your hand in the bowl 1. turn off the water supply to the tank 2. flush, holding down so the tank and water level in bowl get as low as possible 3. if you want, use rubber gloves, take a screwdriver (medium shaft length, as short a handle as possible) and poke it into the little hole (towards the front of the toilet), scraping off as much of the scale as you can. Voila. While you're at it, you may want to see if any scale has built up on the underside of the rim as well, and of course you can use your screwdriver or a pumice cleaner to get any scale off the bottom of the bowl into the siphon itself. 4. clean up & done
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Wow... a lot there. Let's start with the plumbing problem: Toilets can become not effective at flushing if the water level in the tank isn't high enough (there's generally a water level marked inside the tank)or if the water isn't moving from the tank fast enough (water passages clogged) or completely (flapper valve not adjusted right). Check the operation of the toilets by making sure the water level is correct and that the tank is emptying all but the last inch or so of water. Cleaning the water passages involves either flushing an acidic solution through the water passages or cleaning them with a pipe cleaner, small wire tubing cleaner or similar. The thing is that the correct amount of water must move from the tank to the bowl quickly in order to effectively flush solids completely through the trap. Otherwise they clog. If you suspect that the water passages are clogged and you don't want to mess with cleaning them, replace the toilets. Now for the rest of the story: At 16 and 13 the boys are plenty old enough to plunge their own damn toilet. They are also old enough to do their own laundry and deal with the aftermath of their poor hygiene. Really! You might even teach them some basic plumbing skills by having them fix or replace the toilets. Your future daughters-in-law will thank you.
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The problem is not the toilet, nor is it a problem with venting although it is so blatantly obvious that on first inspection it goes totally unnoticed by homeowners and even most plumbers, however I would bet a steak dinner that once I explain the problem all the plumbers who read these posts will slap the palm of their hand on their forehead and shout, "I knew that!" The post clearly states that all four TotoÂs were installed to replace older 3.5gpf toilets. That fact alone tells me that the house was constructed prior to the introduction of the 1.6gpf water saver toilets. Here is the answer: Prior to the introduction of 1.6gpf water saver toilets the plumbing codes mandated that all toilets must be installed on a 4" line. With a 3.5gpf flush the water level in a 4" line will fill the pipe about Â½ way, which is a sufficient depth to convey the solid particulates in the waste, however with a 1.6gpf flush the water level is too low to properly suspend the solids. The solids then rub against the bottom of the pipe, retarding the velocity of flow and the water will seep around the solids, thus leaving the solids to buildup in the pipe forming a clog. In fact, in the early days of 1.6gpf toilets this is what made Toto famous because the Toto bowl filling technique and trap design resulted in a slightly higher velocity of flow than the competitors, which helped compensate for the pipe size problem. Once the problem was fully understood the plumbing codes were amended so that they now say if we install a toilet with a flush greater than 1.6gpf we must install it on a 4" line, but when installing a toilet with 1.6gpf or less we must install it on a 3" line. By reducing the pipe from 4" to 3" that effectively reduces the volume of the pipe to Â½ the volume of a 4" line, which in turn raises the water level in the pipe during the flush to the prescribed 50% fill needed to properly suspend the solid particulates. Therefore, as I stated originally, the problem is not particular to the Toto toilets, it is a problem with water saver toilets in general, and understanding that we can no longer install toilets with a flush greater than 1.6gpf the only permanent solution is to change the toilet waste arm from 4" to 3".
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A question first, is the toilet the only thing draining slow or not at all? If you are not having a backup from any other device while trying to drain a large amount of water, i.e. tub, shower, dishwasher, or washing machine draining slowly, then the clog is likely localized to the toilet only. Roots or some other clog in the main drain line would, in theory slow down the whole system.Ridex is a product to promote the bacterial function of a septic tank and would not unclog a toilet and other drain cleaners should be avoided in a toilet because of their caustic nature and danger of splash back. My thought, if the toilet is the only thing draining slowly, is one of 2 things, you have a stubborn small item trapped in the device itself that clears and floats back to clog, I had a plastic bottle cap in one of mine once as an example, and secondly something has caused your tank to not refill with enough water to make it flush. Look at the water level in the tank and see if it is up to the water line stain inside from past levels or, as odd as it might sound, try flushing the toilet with a bucket of water poured slowly into the bowl until it flushes, instead of flushing it with the tank. Try this when the toilet has not been used so that you are dealing with clean water but you should not have to over fill the toilet to get it to flush. Obvioulsy if this works there is no clog but instead a problem with your tank float which is not allowing enough water to fill the tank and to provide enough water to flush.
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hendricus
16 years ago
Sounds like alex is trying to drum up business for somebody. Second post I read with his comment and he just registered today. What a coincidence.
house_md
16 years ago
Go for the American Standard Cadet 3 toilet at Home Depot/Lowes. Do NOT buy the Champion.

There are many posts about the AS Cadet 3 and they are all true. I just installed three of them from Home Depot. Mine were all fine... No quality issues.

Installing a toilet is simple. They also sell Flushmaster Toilet Installation kits at Home Depot which makes it easier. It takes about an hour to two for the first one...
alexbar001
16 years ago
Actually no Hendricus, I am in Sydney Aust so would be unable to travel thousands of miles to help the person out I am not superman. However, I had problem with by pipes for years with plumbers using snakes etc to no avail so I am trying to help others avoid the angrish, not to mention the expense I have endured. Yes not everyone is out for a buck. I obviously hit a raw nerve!
hendricus
16 years ago
Actually alexbar001 I've been trying to picture a camera that will negotiate a 3/4" or 1" galvanized pipe. You've been posting on all the plumbing post wih pipes regardless if they are supply or waste.

In the U.S. our normal house supply is 3/4" to 1 1/2" and waste is 4" . Is your supply really 3" clay pipes?

This is from one of your other posts.

""Our problem was also in the supply line and guess what - had tree roots. I'm not an expert but tree roots are pretty strong and the water pressure would have to be pretty strong to prevent tree roots wouldn't u think?
Also, who knows the companies might not even be able to line galvanised pipe, i don't know I only had clay pipes.""

toilets clog too easily

Comments (6)

threejsmom

alexbar001

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hendricus

house_md

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