Question: Toilet constantly flushes slow and will not fully empty solids. We have never had this problem before and we do not know how to fix a toilet. Even if we flush the toilet multiple times it does the same thing and solids do not empty properly. Can you give us some tips and advice?Toilet Is Not Clogged But Drains SlowThe problem is most likely not from your actual toilet. You probably have a partial blockage in the pipe. The easiest way to fix this is to first try a toilet plunger. (Get this type of plunger as it works better with toilets) Use the plunger in the toilet and push down and pull up and push down and pull up making sure the plunger has an air seal. You want to only push the water down into the pipe not any air. So position the plunger properly so you are only moving the water up and down. This will force the blockage (piece of plastic or something that was accidentally flushed into the toilet) to move back and forth and back and forth and will eventually get it loose.
If the plunger method works, it will let your toilet flush normally again. If this does not work, try the process one more time. If your toilet still drains slow and won’t fully empty, read on below. (Note: Some toilets have air pipes that go out the roof, if this air pipe is clogged, this toilet flushing issue will occur, check roof pipe if applicable)Toilet Water Flow Clogged From RoofInspect the toilet for proper operation. Remove the tank lid and look inside. Be sure the toilet flapper assembly is properly connected to the flushing handle. The small metal or plastic chain should not be long enough to let it get stuck or hung up. Move the chain onto a different hole on the handle flush bar if necessary to fix this. If the chain has too much play in it, it can hang up and the flapper will not seal and the toilet will constantly run water. Flush the toilet to be sure the flapper works and positions properly. Make sure the water exits the tank with no problems. If the water drains very slow then the air pipe or the sewer pipe may be clogged.
This may involve a professional plumber with a plumbing snake to fix it.Another issue that can cause this type of problem is the toilet wax ring under the toilet. The wax rings purpose is to make an airtight seal between the sewer pipe and the toilet. (See image above for wax ring location) This airtight seal makes it so the water leaving the toilet makes a vacuum which pulls any solids down and into the pipe. You can usually tell if the wax ring is not sealing if you smell the odor from the sewer line under the toilet. That air will find its way in between the toilet and wax ring if there is a problem with the wax ring. If you suspect the wax ring under the toilet to be the issue, you can replace it yourself. Here is how to replace the wax ring on your toilet.If after replacing the wax ring the toilet still drains slowly, then the sewer pipe is clogged. It will be your responsibility to pay for cleaning it out if it is between the main sewer line and your house. Somewhere, there should be a clean out opening near the main line.
From the clean out opening, your water company or your County takes over from there. If you have tried everything and you are sure your toilet is operational, there is no issue with the toilet wax ring, and the pipes you are responsible for are cleaned and free of any blockage, call your water company. Tell them the issue and see if they can send someone to check. If you are not sure if the issue is on your side or the water companies, it may be best to call a professional plumber even before calling the water company. Tell them the issue in detail and see what they recommend.Use a toilet auger or plumbing snake to unclog toilet pipeIf calling a plumber and spending about $150 to have them come out and snake your pipes is too much money for your budget, you can do it yourself if you buy your own plumbing snake or toilet auger. They are easy to use and are a good investment as any other plumbing clogs or blockages you have in the future you can repair yourself.If you know of other ways to fix a toilet that drains slow and will not completely empty when flushed, please leave a comment below to assist our other readers.
Please Share Our DIY Repair Help and Projects... More "Do It Yourself" Tips, Tricks, Ideas, Repair: APPLIANCE REPLACEMENT PARTS CENTER APPLIANCE PARTS FOR ALL BRANDS AND TYPESPool and spa drains pose a serious risk of body entrapment and hair entanglement, particularly to children, but are preventable hazards if safety precautions, including the use of special drain covers, safety vacuum-release systems (SVRSs), and other pressure-venting filter-construction techniques are used, say the Consumer Product Safety Commission and The American Academy of Pediatrics. Body entrapment "often involves a child playing with an open drain, inserting a hand or foot into a pipe, and then becoming trapped by increasing suction that causes tissue swelling.3 Hair entrapment occurs when a bather's hair is sucked into the suction fitting drain of a pool hot tub, or whirlpool bathtub and becomes entangled in a suction fitting drain cover as the water and hair are drawn powerfully through the drain.
incidents, children were playing a "hold your breath the longest" game, leaning forward in the water and permitting their long hair to be sucked into the drain. strong enough to cause entrapment of hair or body parts, and drowning. The statistics are sobering and enough to give every parent pause: There were 98 cases reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of body entrapment in a pool or spa drain, including 15 confirmed deaths, between 1990 and 2007.1,2 The deaths were the result of drowning after the body, or a limb, was held against the drain by the suction of theThe incidents occurred in both residential and public settings: Twenty-two incidents occurred at a residential location, and 31 at a public facility. In 21 cases, the location was not specified; Thirty-nine of the incidents occurred in spas, hot tubs, or whirlpools; 31 incidents occurred in swimming pools and three occurred in a wading pool (one location was reported as ”unknown”).
In one of the spa incidents, a 16-year-old girl became trapped on a 12" by 12" flat drain grate in a large public spa and died. According to the CPSC, there were 43 incidents of hair entanglement, including 12 deaths, between January 1990 and August 2004. The incidents typically involve females who are underwater with their long hair near a suction outlet, when the water flow into the drain sweeps the hair into and around the cover, where it becomes tangled in the holes and protrusions of the cover, causing the victims' heads to be held drain outlets involve people with hair that is shoulder length or The CPSC and the AAP recommend the following safety measures to prevent body entrapment and hair entanglement in a pool, spa, hot tub, or whirlpool bathtub: If you own a pool, spa, hot tub or whirlpool bathtub: install special drain covers, safety-vacuum release systems (SVRSs), filter pumps with multiple drains, or another pressure-venting filter-construction techniques;
Make sure your child keeps his or her long hair away from the suction fitting drain cover; better yet, have him/her wear a bathing cap or pin the hair up if your child has long hair; allow a child to play in a way that could permit the child's hair to come near the drain cover. Always supervise children around a spa, hot tub, whirlpool bathtub, wading pool, or swimming pool;3 and If drain cover is missing or broken, shut down the pool, spa, or hot tub until drain cover is replaced. For public pools and spas, make sure that special drain covers, unblockable drains, and SVRSs have been installed, as required under the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which became effective in December 2008. Regardless of whether the pool is public or privately-owned never - even for a moment - leave small children alone or in the care of another young child while in bathtubs, pools, spas, or wading pools. For updated drowning prevention advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics, click here.