Strange Toilet Issue

[Tim Nelson]

Hey everyone.

I have a toilet without a siphon jet. A couple of weeks ago there was some material in the bowl that did not go down - it got stuck somewhere in the siphon. I plunged it, eventually I got to a point where a toilet flush would fill the bowl, and the siphon whirlpool would never really start to much of a degree, but the bowl would start emptying.

Without a true siphon in action, it doesn't completely empty the bowl of water. However, some water / material will make it out of the bowl, although it might take a few flushes to clear everything because of the incomplete siphon.

Ok... The dumping of a pale of water into the tank does start a true siphon. But part of that might be the fact that when you dump water generally it goes in the center of the bowl, and that water velocity might be assisting with the siphon.

The bowl does fill rapidly and gets to about 1" below the bottom "lip" of the rim. It hovers there at its peak for a few seconds while the siphon "fizzles" and then slowly drains.

I'd rather not try the muriatic acid thing as I don't really believe that the filling is a problem. However the fact that I am still able to use the toilet and flush real waste (just with several flushes) suggests there is no "hard" constriction.

I'm thinking there is some very weak constriction on a side of the waste pipe somewhere, possibly in the toilet, possibly in the pipe... And it is causing a slight disturbance to the siphon, and hence it never gets started.

What do y'all think?

Tim

[Mikepier]

Get a toilet auger to really clear out the clog. You are never going to clear it with just a plunger or pouring water down the toilet

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, How is the venting?

[Joseph Meehan]

I agree this is the most likely issue.

[Doug Miller]

You've got something stuck in it. Get an auger and clean it out.

[JohnH]

In the time it took to type your message you could have removed the toilet and cleared the obstruction.

[hallerb]

If the auger doesnt work do the acid in the dip tube and bowl.

HONESTLY it sounds scarier than it is just have the window open, dont splash, and take your time.

Leave the acid in a short time like 10 minutes, if it helps give it a second dose

plus its cheap like 5 bucks

[Pop]

Since dumping in a pail of water makes it work, I'm going to suggest one of two things to check.

First, a plugged vent -might- cause this. Any chance it's frozen, plugged with a bird's nest, bees, whatever?

I think right now the most likely culprit might be the flapper; if it's not opening far enough to allow the water to flow unimpeded, that could happen. Check to see if it's partially clogged with gasket, foam, anything that might've gotten down into it. Water should flow down thru it quickly when the handle is activated to flush the toilet. Assuming, of course, that the tank is filling all the way up. If the water is being shut off too soon, and the tank isn't getting enough water into it, then that would cause what you describe, also.

That stuff's easy to check. If it doesn't help, then you might want to check into a cheap toilet auger. They're cheap and easy to use.

HTH,

Pop