Can you believer that my Do it Yourself Toilet Repair post is the most popular post on my blog?
My thanks to all of you who have passed on questions and comments. I decided that it was time to add a bit more info.
Sluggish flushing of the toilet is usually caused by an obstruction in the toilet line. The easy and cheap fix for this is to use a plunger. Get one that has a collar on the end which makes a tight seal. The cheap plungers tend to get more water all over the room than down the drain.
Plunge through several bowls worth of water and then try flushing.
Another tool is one of the new gas cylinders which blast a charge through the drain. Just make sure you have a tight seal or you will have a face full of sewage.
The best option is to use a " Snake". This is a long steel cable with a crank on one end and a spring "grabber" on the other end. It travels through the line and grabs whatever is causing the blockage. This method helps get out a lot of mysterious item's that are stuck on the line. During my Building Maintenance phase of life, I pulled out toys, combs and various hair accessories, etc.
One word of warning when using a snake. Place a cloth under where the snake rubs against the toilet bowl. The cranking action will cause some friction and can leave marks on the toilet
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You can also snake out your main line by unscrewing the access cover. It is usually hidden under your sink. Look along the bottom of the wall at the lowest point in your home and you should find it. You can unscrew the top and feed a motorized snake down the line. You can rent a motorized snake at a tool rental store. This is a simple but potentially messy project. Have plenty of rags handy. You could call a professional router service. Watch him the first time and then do it yourself if the problem ever comes up again.
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Now here is some Winter Toilet Advice. Check your "stack". This is the mysterious pipe that is usually sticking out of your roof with no cap or hood on it. This pipe regulates the air pressure in your drains and makes sure that no sewer gas gets in the house. Sometimes it gets plugged with debris or ice/snow. If your drains and toilets are running slow, this may be the cause. And if you are getting a mysterious sewer smell, this may be why. During winter you can usually check your stack by simply looking to see if it is covered with snow. If you are putting up rooftop decorations for the holidays, you can look to see if it is plugged, but be careful!!!
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Update:
More response from you guys! And thank you for emailing me and responding.
Hissing toilet problems can easily be fixed with vinegar! Thanks for the feed back "GR".
We worked on a problem toilet that was hissing and seemed to stop when the float was pulled up. I advised GR to use either an anti scale formula or just plain cheap white vinegar. He reported back that it took a little while but the vinegar did the trick.
This got me thinking. It would probably be more effective if you just soaked a rag in vinegar and laid it on top of the tower. This would allow the acid in the vinegar to seep into the valve and dissolve the mineral buildup. You guys my want to try this and let me know how it goes.
Oh yes. And if you are in a place with acidic water ( like I am) you should try the technique with an enzyme formula. I doubt that minerals are your problem.
Let me know if you have any problems and I will dig out the answers.
Thanks again for the responses and feel free to ask me anything.
Colin
