One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can plunge it
and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month? I am on a
concrete slab.

badgolferman wrote:
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can plunge it
and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month? I am on a
concrete slab.

Simple things first. Water level in tank may be set too low.

Bob

Any chance it's an older 1.6gpf toilet? those are notorious for doing what
you describe. I had a houseful of them, and if they only stopped up 2-3
times a month, I would've been thrilled.

If that's the problem, you may want to invest in a newer 1.6gpf toilet with
a larger drain. I now have two of those, and they rarely clog.

H

"badgolferman" wrote in message
...
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can plunge it
and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month? I am on a
concrete slab.

H, 1/29/2006,4:52:22 PM, wrote:

Any chance it's an older 1.6gpf toilet? those are notorious for
doing what you describe. I had a houseful of them, and if they only
stopped up 2-3 times a month, I would've been thrilled.

If that's the problem, you may want to invest in a newer 1.6gpf
toilet with a larger drain. I now have two of those, and they rarely
clog.

It is a Mansfield from June 1990. It has plenty of water.

RobertM, 1/29/2006,4:50:18 PM, wrote:

badgolferman wrote:
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can
plunge it and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month?
I am on a concrete slab.

Simple things first. Water level in tank may be set too low.

Bob

The water is about an inch-an-half from the overflow tube. Is that too
low?

badgolferman wrote:
RobertM, 1/29/2006,4:50:18 PM, wrote:

badgolferman wrote:
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can
plunge it and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month?
I am on a concrete slab.
Simple things first. Water level in tank may be set too low.

Bob

The water is about an inch-an-half from the overflow tube. Is that too
low?

If overflow tube is correct length, then that's about right. There
should be a water fill line on the inside of the tank.

Bob

Here's an experience I had once in an apartment where shared bath with
an elderly lady. The toilet would stop almost total one time and then
work fine maybe two or three times then stop again. Ran a plumbers
snake thru it and couldn't find anything. This kept happening till I
finally remove the unit from the floor. I found the culprit. Was the
lid of a tin can that was almost the size of the drain tube in commode.
It had lodged there and was acting sorta in a butter fly manner. It
would close then it would open. Apparently the elderly lady had dropped
it in there and didn't notice what she had done.. It was a mystery
situation till I took it apart though
Jack.

, 1/29/2006,6:15:00 PM, wrote:

Here's an experience I had once in an apartment where shared bath
with an elderly lady. The toilet would stop almost total one time and
then work fine maybe two or three times then stop again. Ran a
plumbers snake thru it and couldn't find anything. This kept
happening till I finally remove the unit from the floor. I found the
culprit. Was the lid of a tin can that was almost the size of the
drain tube in commode. It had lodged there and was acting sorta in a
butter fly manner. It would close then it would open. Apparently the
elderly lady had dropped it in there and didn't notice what she had
done.. It was a mystery situation till I took it apart though
Jack.

I may be resorted to that soon.

"badgolferman" wrote in message
...
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well.
Is someone draining waste at the same time you're flushing?
Use chemicals to clear internal passages in closet.
Use chemicals to clear drain pipes.
Snake the closet.
Check the vent pipe and clear.
Outside air pressure when you flushed?
( Impractical to find out, was it calm or windy did the weather-man say
barometric pressure
high or low?)
Have sewer line snaked.
Xeno

Does the toilet always flush fine if you uase a bucket?

If the water mostly swirls around in the bowl and doesnt go down fast
check the bowls rim. hard water can clog the rim passages.

try pouring water with food cloroing down the dip tube in the tank. see
f the colored water comes out well all around. poor flow equals
sediment deposits

recently fixed a toilet broke 2 years by pouring acid down the dip
tube. dont recommend it but it worked great.

http://www.toiletology.com/index.shtml

a excellent reference

"badgolferman" wrote in message
...
H, 1/29/2006,4:52:22 PM, wrote:

Any chance it's an older 1.6gpf toilet? those are notorious for
doing what you describe. I had a houseful of them, and if they only
stopped up 2-3 times a month, I would've been thrilled.

If that's the problem, you may want to invest in a newer 1.6gpf
toilet with a larger drain. I now have two of those, and they rarely
clog.

It is a Mansfield from June 1990. It has plenty of water.

Actually many of the newer 1.6 gallon toilets do a better job than some of
the 1990 vintage 3.5 gallon toilets. I've purchased two 1.6 gallon
Universal Rundles ... for bathroom renovations in two different old houses,
and both work much better than the 5 gallon toilets that they replaced.

badgolferman wrote:
RobertM, 1/29/2006,4:50:18 PM, wrote:


badgolferman wrote:

One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can
plunge it and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month?
I am on a concrete slab.

Simple things first. Water level in tank may be set too low.

Bob


The water is about an inch-an-half from the overflow tube. Is that too
low?
Probably, should be closer about 1/2-1/4" from the
top of the tube. Also look to see that the
flapper isn't closing very early. Some have a
float on the pull line and might be attached to
high. Also check for any rubbing or erratic
behavior when you flush.

Calcium buildup in passages particularly the larger one at the bottom near
the drain hole. Use a bunch of pipe cleaners and some C.L.R. or any other
commercial calcium remover. Clear the hole and I'll betcha it'll flush
like new.

--
====================================
Garage Door Parts, LLC
973-472-4818
http://www.garagedoorsupply.com
====================================

"badgolferman" wrote in message
...
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can plunge it
and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month? I am on a
concrete slab.

rich is correct. i had the same type of problem (sometimes ok, sometimes
not). the water passages would build up and I wouldn't get good waterflow.

check the small hole where the water comes in at the bottom of the bowl.
"Rich" wrote in message
news:dcoDf.16867$K17.4498@trnddc03...
Calcium buildup in passages particularly the larger one at the bottom near
the drain hole. Use a bunch of pipe cleaners and some C.L.R. or any other
commercial calcium remover. Clear the hole and I'll betcha it'll flush
like new.

--
====================================
Garage Door Parts, LLC
973-472-4818
http://www.garagedoorsupply.com
====================================

"badgolferman" wrote in message
...
One of our toilets doesn't drain very well. If you take a crap and
wipe yourself a couple of times it sometimes backs up. I can plunge it
and clear it, but who wants to do that 2-3 times a month? I am on a
concrete slab.