After initial flush, toilet flushed 1 - 2 more times

[Paul]

We live in a row home, built about 60 years ago. The pressure on the

2nd floor isn't the greatest due to the small (in diameter I believe) copper pipes they installed when the house was first built. The pressure isn't bad, you just don't get a real powerful flush.

Our previous plumber said it might be the... "flap"... I believe?

I don't think it's the ball and chain in the tank, that's just to keep the toilet from always running and sets the level for the amount of water to flush with (from what I know).

So is this an easy DIY job?

I'm wondering if the reason the toilet flushes 2 to 3 times is because the pressure isn't so great, that any.. um.. "leftovers" that didn't get flushed initially should be the 2nd, 3rd time around. But this can't be true, i grew up in a row home and never experienced this, and never experienced this really, ever.

Thanks

[Runtime Error]

If you've got a tank toilet, all low water pressure will do is increase the tank refill time. Flushing force is based on water rushing from the tank into the bowl and is controlled in large part by how long the flap stays up and how far it clears the hole.

Sounds like you're not real clear on how the toilet works. Maybe start with searching online for "how toilets work" or something similar.....

[Don & Lucille]

[CL "dnoyeB" Gilbert]

The ball? You mean the float? Thats to tell when to stop filling the tank. The chain is attached to the flapper. The plumber was right as you might expect. Volume of flush is a function of the flapper. You can buy adjustable flappers from a hardware store. Adjust it down so that it only does a single flush. Save yourself a lot of water that way. Do extra flush only when needed.

Very.

Your basically saying the toilet forms a vortex a few times right? So the water empties twice. This is because the flapper stays afloat too long.

[Paul]

The toilet flushes the first time, and as the water begins to immediately fill back up, about halfway i guess, it starts to flush again. I think I've even seen it do it a 3rd time.

[SteveBell]

I suspect your vent stack might be plugged, inadequate, or non-existent.

The vent stack is the pipe attached to the toilet drain that runs up through the roof and lets air out of the system. When you flush, the water rushing down the drain pushes some air ahead of it. The air is supposed to go up the vent stack.

If the vent stack is not working properly, you get all sorts of odd symptoms, one of which is incomplete flush. One way to clean out the vent stack is to run a garden hose down from the roof.

[David Combs]

My plumber says he always uses an unfolded paper-clip.

David