Need help! Low flush toilets keep clogging

6 years ago

Hi everyone,

I am really frustrated with our toilet clogging situation and need some serious advice here. We moved into a new construction home in November. Our toilets are low flush and for some reason they keep clogging every other day. We contacted the customer care and they said unfortunately they cant cover this under warranty. They suggested doing things like pressing flush for extra second but nothing is helping.

It doesn’t look like pluming problem as its happening in different toilets. Can anyone advice how to fix this? Do we need to reinstall toilets or there is another solution?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Featured Answer

lascatx

6 years ago

We had a problem in this house -- most often with one son's bathroom. We kept telling him not to use so much toilet paper, flush twice if needed, etc. Not until we had family guests using the bathroom and flooding our master bathroom and causing us to have to rip out the ceiling did we discover that the original plumbing had been run in such a way that any solid waste had a junction where it could easily catch and not flow as it should. We rerouted that plumbing and I don't think we've had a back up since. We have also experienced a main drain line section that was not cemented into place on either end, resulting in dirt and sludge filling it in over time. That didn't cause toilet stoppages so much as back up in the shower on the other end. Another one that took time to discover and $$$ to fix. Another thing I have heard of but not had to deal with it construction debris in the drain lines causing problems. Sometimes it isn't the toilet and it can be hard to figure out.

I would talk to some neighbors and find out if any of them are having plumbing issues and it they are satisfied with their toilets. Research online to see if there are issues reported with that toilet. Document the problem with both the builder and the the toilet manufacturer and stay on top diagnosing the problem so you don't lose any right to have them address it.

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Comments (11)

grannysmith18
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Do you know the brand and model? Sometimes it's possible to change out the flapper, or otherwise get more water per flush.

Lots of people on these boards are very satified with their low flush toilets.

Having said that, customer service telling you that there is no warranty for bad toilets in a new house that you've been in since November, is completely unacceptable. Ask to speak to the manager, and escalate it until you tell them you'll put a sign on your lawn telling people to stay away from that builder.

I'm not a confrontational person - I usually just pay out of pocket, or do whatever it takes to make a problem go away quietly. But your situation is infuriating.
Nikhita Goyal thanked grannysmith18
Nikhita Goyal
Original Author
6 years ago
I don't know the exact model but the brand is Gerber. Yeah I am definitely going to escalate it. Its super frustrating!
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I am a recently retired master plumber and in all of my 35 years in the trade I don't recall reading or hearing so much mis-information at one sitting. First of all, DO NOT equate the price tag of a toilet with its efficiency. I have two American Standard "All in One" kits in my house, which come as a complete set, tank, bowl, seat, wax ring and new mount bolts, all for the outrageous sum of $99 and I can assure you, if you flush my toilets while your seated you better hang on or you may go down the drain too. The problem with retrofitting low flow toilets in vintage homes IS NOT the toilet. To understand the problem we must first understand a basic premis on how the drain pipes function. In all cases drain lines are sized so that when they are handling the full discharge load from the fixture a horizontal pipe will be 1/2 full. In this manner the depth of the liquid is sufficient to suspend and carry any solid particulates in the waste while still allowing the upper half of the pipe for the free movement of vent air. Originally toilets discharged 5gal per flush and they determined that they needed a 4" line. In the late 70's or early 80's the code standards were changed and toilets were reduced to 3.5gal/flush and the old 4" lines continued to work fine, but in the late 80's they reduced the water to 1.6gal/flush. While the toilets all worked fine they began having serious complaints from customers about lines continually clogging. Most ppl automatically assumed the problem was in the fixture but such is not the case. When a 1.6gpf toilet discharges into a 4" line, the level of liquid in the line is no longer sufficient to effectively convey heavy solid particulates, thus the solids rub against the bottom of the pipe slowing their velocity, while the liquids continue to flow around them. In the course of time, and in this case generally rather frequently those solids collect are not adequately transferred so once the liquid has passed the solids dry in place, which then further retards the next solids to pass through the line and before you know it, you have a clogged line. The solution was to reduce the diameter of the water closet fixture arm from 4" to 3". That reduction in line diameter effectively raised the level of the liquid enough to convey the solids effectively. Now we see all forms of power flush, vaccuum and a number of other so called improvements in the fixtures all promising to eliminate the problems of clogged lines, but that is nonesense. Those improvements do improve how the solids are conveyed up and over the trapway in the fixture, but once the discharge enters the house DWV (Drain, Waste & Vent) system it is faced with the same problem as before. When retrofitting older homes, the correct solution is to remove the 4" fixture arm and replace it with a 3" fixture arm.
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TWO possible causes I've personally encountered. The first fix is FREE, the second one is cheap. 1) The air columns in your arrestor tubes have been absorbed over time by the passing water, and the rapid action of your toilet's automatic fill valve is causing water hammer--not just annoying, but damaging to your pipes! You simply need to drain your pipes and let the arrestor tubes refill with air. You do this by shutting off the water to the whole house, then opening the highest faucet in the house (to let air in), then opening the lowest faucet (to drain as much water down a drain as possible), then lastly, open the very lowest point in the system, which is usually a toilet shutoff valve, or an outside/basement hose bib. (You will need a pan under the toilet shutoff valve.) When the draining is complete, close all these fixtures. Note that turning the whole-house valve back on will likely kick loose a lot of sediment. This sediment can clog sink faucet aerators, and ruin toilet fill valves... SO, turn on only BATHTUB faucets, as they are full flow, and have no restrictors or screens. Let the tub(s) run until all the spitting and spurting is over, and they're running clear and quiet. If the problem was water hammer, you should be cured, otherwise on to #2. (Your time has NOT been wasted, as you should do the whole-house drain-down annually anyway, for these very reasons--to clear sediment, and prevent water hammer.) 2) Your toilet fill valve has sand/sediment in it, or some other fault, and needs cleaned or replaced. About $0 to dissassemble and clean, or $7 to replace, ASSUMING you can do-it-yourself. Flushmaster if you want an all-in-one solution. PS: Thank you for your service to the nation, and WELCOME HOME! (My brother returns from "the 'stans" on Friday.)
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pricklypearcactus
6 years ago
There are very big differences in flush capabilities of toilets. One low flow toilet is not equal to another. You might be best off doing some research to find a better toilet and replacing yours. Simply re-installing the same toilet is not likely to fix the issue. In my previous home we installed two Toto Drake (1.6 gpf) toilets and one Toto EcoDrake (1.28 gpf). The EcoDrake had a tendency towards more residue in the bowl, so we liked the Drakes a lot better. Both were champion flushers and I'm not certain if we ever experienced a clog. Previously we would somewhat regularly have clogs with our old 1970s Kohler toilets (probably 3.5 gpf). I chose these toilets specifically because Totos are renowned for flushing capability. I would do some research online to try to find out if this is a common problem with your Gerber toilet.

As lascatx mentioned, there could be issues with the how the pipes were plumbed in the house or if there is a problem further down the line if the toilet itself is not at fault.

Finally a quick fix might be to change your toilet paper. Some are thinner and less likely to cause clogs, though you might run the risk of people using too much because the paper is thin.
Nikhita Goyal thanked pricklypearcactus
Michelle misses Sophie
6 years ago
See if you can determine the model number of the toilets and check them here Toilet MaP Testing As you'll see, even within a brand, there is great variability in "payload performance".
Nikhita Goyal thanked Michelle misses Sophie
chispa
6 years ago
In new construction, the first think to check is construction waste/debris left in the pipes. Call a plumber (not the one used by the builder) and have them check the toilet drains. They can use a special camera to look for blockages in the pipes.
Nikhita Goyal thanked chispa
Nikhita Goyal
Original Author
6 years ago
Update: I got it checked and plumber is saying its a low quality toilet. He doesn't see any issues with plumbing and its more about the type of toilet. The hole is small and unglazed. He recommends changing the toilets to Toto Drake.
Nancy in Mich
6 years ago
Get the Sani Gloss finish! You will love not having to clean as often.
Michelle misses Sophie
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
You will LOVE the Drake! We prefer the comfort height model, but for some bizarre reason it's not available in Sani Gloss. Even without, they are easy to keep clean (and tend to stay cleaner than most).
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loves2read
6 years ago
We had bathroom remodeled and changed out toilet...used same plumbing company that did master bath remodel but different toilet. A few months after remodel we had toilet overflow...thought it was the flapper's fault. When click-flooring had to be replaced due to water damage, the toilet was pulled. Guys doing the flooring found wax chunk blocking water pipe from improper installation initially... Different plumber from same company installed fixtures in this bathroom vs one they did previously...
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H B
6 years ago
Sanigloss is terrific, second that recommendation!
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Need help! Low flush toilets keep clogging

lascatx

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grannysmith18

Nikhita Goyal
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pricklypearcactus

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Need help! Low flush toilets keep clogging

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