Toilet clogs frequently

[hondgm]

I know this has been discussed before, and I've done a lot of reading about this problem and some troubleshooting. I'm almost ready to throw the toilets out and buy new ones.

I've been in the house for over 1 year, and the two toilets on the main floor clog at least 50% of the time when flushing solids. When flushing only water, it's never a problem. Both toilets are Mansfield from about 1978. The tanks of both fill up to the dip tube, and there is nothing in the tank to use up space to save water. I've poured 1/2 gal of muriatic acid down the dip tube to clear out the water jets, which didn't seem to be clogged at all to begin with (I tried a piece of wire first). These toilets don't have the large water jet at the very bottom.

They're on a city sewer, and I don't notice any other odd symptoms like gurgling sinks. However, one of them is a little loose on the mount, but there's no water leaking. It's rare for the clog to occur inside the trap; it almost always clogs within view right at the drain hole entry. This makes me think there isn't anything stuck in the trap, although I haven't discounted this possibility.

Any ideas before I throw them out?!

[Doug Miller]

[snip]>

Do you think maybe you should actually find out, instead of just guessing? You said the toilets are nearly 30 years old, but you've only been in the house for about a year -- you have no idea at all what somebody else's kids might have tried to flush down the toilets during the last 25+ years.

Find out if there's anything stuck in the trap. Usually, snaking with a closet auger is sufficient to take care of that. You may need to remove them and inspect from the bottom.

[franz frippl]

I have same issue with the two Mansfield stools in my house. Haven't figured out a solution. I now know enough never to consider Mansfield for anything. I lean toward American Standard or Kohler.

[tnom]

If two toilets clog 50% of the time it is unlikely that they are both clogged but possible, so I will repost a reply of a few months ago.

*************************************************** I had a toilet a few years ago that had similar problems.

In the end it turned out that my teenage daughter dropped a stick of deodorant into the toilet. Instead of doing the awful thing of reaching into the toilet bowl she decided to just flush the problem away. The stick made the turn around the first part of the S curve but couldn't go any further. It was stuck in the middle of the S curve. It was not visible and a toilet auger would just bypass it. I tied a three prong fish hook to a sturdy string and flushed it. It would catch something but couldn't pull it out.

I finally took the toilet outside and maneuvered a 1/4 inch rope through the S curve and tied the rope to an old fashioned mop head. I attempted to pull the mop head backwards through the S curve and with it the obstruction but this didn't work either.

I still had no idea what the obstruction was. My daughter never admitted to having any knowledge of the missing stick of deodorant.

After a few months of putting up with a toilet that would clog easily I took matters into my own hand. HAMMER! DEODORANT! ANGRY!

After I calmed down I went to Home Depot to get a new toilet. It was only then that I discovered that the size (3.5 gallon) and the color (Harvest Gold) was not available. I settled for a 1.6 gallon white Kohler.

A few years went by with my mis-matched toilet and then my neighbor had a garage sale. In the sale he had his old 3.5 gallon Harvest Gold toilet left over from his updated bathroom with a "free" sign on it. Bingo. I'm back to being matched again with my 70's style bathroom.

P.S. I do not have a avocado refrigerator

[KLS]

[clogged toilet saga cut]

First of all, please accept my hearty congratulations on your FREE matching toilet! A true coup, in my book. Secondly, what happened to the daughter? Does she live, still?

[tnom]

After a few rough teenage years she finally got it. She became responsible and reliable. Gone was the pink hair. Gone was the salvation army wardrobe. She's normal ! Who'd of thunk it ? She just purchased her first home that is a better home than what I have and she's just 26. I can only hope that when she has kids of her own they can give her some of the same learning experiences that she gave me.

[Larry Bud]

Flush more often?

[KLS]

Well, even though you and I would consider the silence on the deodorant stick to be criminal, at least she didn't break any laws we know of. I'm sure what goes around will come around; wasn't that the case for you in getting this child? ;)

[Brent Bolin]

I also have a Mansfield toilet. Appears to clog easily. When I redo my bathroom this spring it will be replaced.

[Bill]

Flush a couple of times during the "process of doing your business and wiping".

There is the "courtesy flush" which occurs just after "doing your business" and prior to wiping.

Then the "triple flush" where solids first, then paper, then more paper.

And for the large jobs, there is the quadruple "holiday flush". This is after a big meal like thanksgiving and when newspaper or magazine reading is required to get the job done. This can be a solid/paper/solid/paper job. Best to break it up into 4 separate flushes!