[andsoitgoes]

This seems to happen at various times during the year, primarily around summer... and seeing as this is only the 2nd year we've lived here, that's my only basis

Anyway, the basement toilet is fine. Upstairs toilet is the issue.

In my mind, I keep thinking it's the fill valve inside and this is at least the 3rd time I've spent HOURS trying to fix it so that it's not continually running. Every time I fix it to get a bit more water in the top tank, I flush and the thing goes like the dickens.

The problem is that it stops once it, you know, drains out and fills again. Then it continues to underflush without a good swift dump of water.

If I adjust again, even with just a slight bit more water in the tank FROM the tank, it flushes okay. But in order for it to be at the right "level", the tank has to keep running. It's like there's this mystical "slot" on the float level.

Oh, and it doesn't have the float "ball", it's the newer design... and, as I mentioned, I've fiddled and adjusted it umpteen times.

Is it just a serious clog? I do get some air bubbles up from the base of the toilet when I flush sometimes...

Thanks for the help!

 

[hayewe farm]

Low water usage toilets always seem to be a problem. If yours has a chain going to the flapper valve with a Styrofoam float on the chain. There is a retaining clip it looks like a flat piece of plastic on the top and bottom of the float to hold it in place. They have a slit in them and can be slipped off the chain.

Remove the bottom one and move it down the chain about ½" to and inch, slide the float down and then move the top retainer down. This will hold the flapper open longer and dump more water into the bowl. The farther down the chain the more water you will use.

 

[andsoitgoes]

Hmm, thanks for the help. I don't have that kind of setup, there is no "chain" so to speak.

There's a fancy looking plastic bit on the left hand side that controls the amount of water that fills the tank, rather than the float.

there's a hose that goes within the overfill tube that fills it with water.

The flap is fine, it seals quite nicely.

any other thoughts?

 

[Plumber101]

What Hayewe I believe is trying to say is not refering to the fill valve but the flapper valve and the lenght of time it stays open to release more water into the bowl to help it flush properly. I have had flappers seal fine but are a little to heavy and close quickly causing a non flush

 

[andsoitgoes]

I've tried to manually keep the flapper valve open, both by holding the handle down as well as manually from inside the tank, and it's not helped.

I still run into the same issue...

Any other thoughts?

 

[MALCO.New.York]

If it is not the Water Level, it is the flapper.

Or........

Obstructed venting!

 

[andsoitgoes]

Well, that's the thing - It MIGHT be the water level, but I can't adjust it without it constantly running.

The flapper was fine.

What does obstructed venting doing, and why would this happen, clear up, and then happen again?

 

[andsoitgoes]

Anyone here? I'm having a heck of a time, it's just not working, nothing I do seems to help...

 

[AllanJ]

If the waste pipe is not properly vented, the toilet flushing is impeded by air in the vent pipes that gets compressed rather than equalize pressure via the vent at roof leve.

To see how well the bowl flushing takes place, measure off different quantities of water in a bucket and pour that into the toilet without activating the flush lever. You may need more than one trial with each chosen quantity

Is the entire toilet new with tank and bowl matched, as opposed to a smaller capacity low-flow tank attached to an old high flow bowl?

Yes there is (or should be) a mystical slot or open topped vertical tube somewhere in the tank that acts as a safety overflow down to the bowl if the incoming water doesn't shut off and the level of water in the tank gets too high. So there is a maximum level in the tank you can adjust to.

.

 

[rtoni]

is it possible that the rim on the bowl (or jet) is clogged up? and does not dump water in fast enough from the tank for a good flush?

in my case (older unit - 3 - 1/2 gallon tank) , it barely flushes from the tank, but if I dump a couple gallons in from a bucket (read somewhere - maybe here - that this is a good sanity check for vent issues) it flushes like a tornado. So I'm thinking the flow from the tank to the bowl is impeded (gunked up). I'm thinking about replacing the toilet (as I really want to avoid any nasty chemicals - especially with my son being very sensitive to those things).

I might be out to lunch on my assessment - but if this is in fact an issue in my case, it may be a factor for you too? fwiw....

 

[andsoitgoes]

If I do pour water into the main tank, it works fine if I do it RIGHT. Basically I have to aim it as a jet into the center of the bowl.

I've scrubbed like the dickens under the rim, but I'm half willing to do anything. I'd much rather not have to spend to replace the toilet.

Allan, I've adjusted the flow control in the tank to add more water/less water in. The only time it works properly, the water keeps running. Any adjustment less than that and it doesn't work.

Outside of that, I'm just confused at the situation.

 

[Leah Frances]

Yes there is (or should be) a mystical slot
.

Is this like the drywall fairy? Or the underpants gnomes?

 

[majakdragon]

For less than $10 you can replace the fill valve with a Fluidmaster 400A fill valve. The bubbles you spoke of would be a vent problem. May be spider webs with leaves on top, blocking the vent pipe partially. This could explain why it changes and is not always the same. Only way to check this is a trip up on the roof with a flashlight.
Your comments about adjusting the fill valve flow makes me think that when you adjust it for more water, it is running into the overflow pipe since it is set too high.

 

[andsoitgoes]

Okay - Sorry, I'll clarify things a bit more too. We have 2 toilets, the one in the basement is currently and always has run fine.

It seems like the problem clears up for 2 or so flushes if we heavily plunge, but reverts back after a short time.

ANd yes, when it goes higher it does run into the overflow pipe, and from what I gather, if I could increase that height ever so slightly, it would solve the problem.

I do have a newer fill... area. I don't know if it's the kind you're mentioning, but I'll take pictures and post those.

 

[hayewe farm]

You have stoppage in the drain, run a toilet snake down the drain.

 

[AllanJ]

Some toilets have a tank to bowl feed directly to the bottom of the bowl as shown in the picture above (to force the solid matter out first); others have just little holes under the rim (to rinse down the bowl each time). You might (carefully!) poke the holes under the rim using a coat hanger wire to see if they are clogged a little so the flush is not as strong as it needs to be.

If the problem goes away when you plunge and then comes back, that tells me that the problem is down below and trying to adjust the tank is a workaround.

 

[breid]

plunge ?

tell us about this plunge stuff. fill up 3 buckets with water. pour them in to stool one after another. stop if water quits going down. try again and throw a ball of toilet paper each time. if it stops you have a plugged drain. breid

 

[spark plug]

Mystery of toilet not flushing strong, intermittently

Okay - Sorry, I'll clarify things a bit more too. We have 2 toilets, the one in the basement is currently and always has run fine.

It seems like the problem clears up for 2 or so flushes if we heavily plunge, but reverts back after a short time.

ANd yes, when it goes higher it does run into the overflow pipe, and from what I gather, if I could increase that height ever so slightly, it would solve the problem.

I do have a newer fill... area. I don't know if it's the kind you're mentioning, but I'll take pictures and post those.

Even though this (solving Plumbing problems) is out of my field of expertise, Speaking as a DIY'er, I've had this same problem in one of the houses that I lived in. One toilet was flushing fine and the other gave problems a lot of times, and had to be plunged often. It is definitely a Venting problem. I went up on the roof and found that the vent for the problematic toiled was clogged (at some point), by concrete. To solve it, would be very costly. So, (as not being the owner of the house) we left it at that!!!:furious::no::drinkon't Drink and Drive!!!

 

[andsoitgoes]

The toilet always flushes just fine if I pour even a litre of water down slowly and steadly when flushing, even if there is a full bowl.

as for the venting, the toilet in the basement is directly below, so wouldnt it have the same issues? The vent would have to be in the same location.

 

[skipjack]

This seems to happen at various times during the year, primarily around summer...

Weird. Are birds nesting on top of your vent during the summer?

I would think the toilet below would be on the same vent... however.. if the vent was clogged.. flushing the toilet downstairs would most likely suck some water from the upstairs toilet bowl. It's possible the vent is partially clogged and the downstairs toilet is able to suck on the upstairs toilet a little and get enough momentum for a proper flush... or it could be a better designed toilet with more flush power.

Have someone flush the water in the downstairs toilet and see if the water in the upstairs bowl moves. If it does.. your vent is obstructed.