Fix Your Slow Flushing Toilet

If you are having some problems with your toilet bowl flushing slow you may need to do a few simple repairs or adjustments to get your toilet flushing fast and smooth like it was before it starting giving you trouble. There are three things you will need to check on a slow flushing toilet to diagnose what exactly the problem is and why the toilet is just flushing so slow.

You could have clogged orifices on the toilet bowl rim, you may need to adjust the water level inside of the toilet bowl tank or you could simply have a slight clog inside the toilet bowl trap or the toilet bowl closet bend. To repair your slow flushing toilet you will need a plunger, a closet auger and some standard Q-Tips. Depending on why your toilet is flushing slow will determine which of these you will need to repair your problem. If you have a clog in the toilet trap bend you will need the plunger or the closet auger. If you have clogged orifices inside of the toilet rim then you will need the Q Tips. If your toilet is flushing slow just because the water is low inside of the toilet tank then you might just need your two hands and a few minutes of your time to make a few adjustments. Either way you should have all the things listed above just in case you need to repair all of these things which can be common in older toilets.

If your toilet is many years old and you feel that even with the repair methods listed above your toilet will still give you trouble or you just don’t like the style or color of your toilet you could always replace your toilet with a new toilet that has flushing efficiency. The newer toilets these days use less water per flush and in the long run you will save lots or water and reduce your water bill.

Adjusting The Toilet Bowl Tank Water Level

If your water pressure in your home or office is good and your toilet bowl is still flushing slow the next thing you might want to check is to make sure that the water in the toilet tank is at the correct height. The first thing you will want to do is to remove the lid from the top of the toilet tank. Once you have removed the lid you will be able to see the water level inside of the toilet tank. You of course want to make sure that the toilet has finished filling before checking the water level. Inside of the tank you should see a “fill” line that will show you where the water level is supposed to be when the toilet has stopped filling. This fill line is generally right near the top of the toilet bowl tank. If you were measuring from the bottom of the toilet tank you would fine the water fill line 3/4 of the way up from the bottom.

You can adjust the water level of the toilet bowl tank by adjusting the float arm if you have an old style toilet. If you have a newer style toilet you can adjust the fill level inside of the toilet bowl tank by adjusting the float assembly on the Fluid Master fill valve. This can be done by twisting the adjustment shaft and then setting it to a higher float level which in turn will fill your toilet tank to a higher level. When you flush your toilet with the right amount of water in the tank you will see that you will have a much better flush.

How To Clean Out The Toilet Bowl Orifices

Under the rim of the toilet bowl are some small orifices that allow water to flow onto the sides of the toilet bowl so you can have a nice smooth flush and to also ensure that everything in the toilet bowl is washed down the drain. As your toilet ages these small orifices can become clogged with minerals from your water including iron and other debris. These orifices can be easily cleaned in a few minutes with a few Q-Tips. What you will want to do is to stick the Q tip inside each of these orifices to remove any debris, minerals or anything else that is blocking the flow. On some older toilets you may wind up using more Q-Tips then on a newer toilet, but the end result is that your toilet will flush a lot faster and work much better.

How To Clear A Toilet Bowl Trap & Closet Bend Stoppage

If you feel you have a stoppage inside of your toilet bowl trap or closet bend you can try clearing it with a closet auger or a general purpose plunger. The first thing you will want to do is to make sure that there is water inside of the toilet bowl and you will want to use the plunger by pushing in an up and down motion forcefully to clear the stoppage. After plunging the toilet a few times you will want to try to flush the toilet and see if your toilet is flushing faster.

If the plunger did not help the slow flush, and you still feel there is a clog then you can try using a closet auger to clear the stoppage that could possibly be inside of the toilet trap. You will want to take the closet auger and spin the handle which will push the cable through the trap of the toilet, which in turn will clear the stoppage and your toilet will flush fast once again.