What to do if the toilet does not flush well - causes and solutions

A toilet that does not cope with its duties is a delicate problem that is rarely voiced, but it does not go away from it by itself. If it has arisen, you need to figure out: what to do if the toilet does not wash off well? You need to start by determining why this is happening. After all, the methods of elimination will depend on the specific malfunction.

Causes and manifestations

The source of trouble with the toilet - a bad flush - can be both breakdowns and an unsuccessful design of the bowl or drain system, and in a private house there may also be errors in planning the sewage system. Let us consider in detail what can lead to poor flushing and how this is manifested.

1. Blockage in the toilet siphon or sewer. In this case, the water will stand in the toilet bowl or leave very slowly.
2. Not enough water in the tank. When washing off, it is even visually seen that there is very little water. Sometimes water flows from the tank without stopping.
3. The drain channels in the tank or toilet are clogged. Water from the tank flows slowly, without pressure.
4. The design of the bowl or drain does not allow good washing.
5. Damaged enamel covering the bowl inside. It will be seen that the surface is no longer smooth.
6. If there is no fan riser in a private house, an air congestion forms in the sewer pipe. At the same time, water can leave slowly and evenly or jerkily - at first it costs, but quickly leaves after a while.

Having found out the reason, we can proceed to its elimination. We will analyze what needs to be done in each case.

Clogged drain channels

Ordinary, unprepared water containing mineral salts is poured into the tanks. Over time, they are deposited on the walls of the tank and the working parts. Such growths are called hardness salts or calcareous deposits. Since the drain holes are relatively small, limescale deposits can clog them, leaving only a small gap for the passage of water. To get rid of this problem, you need to leave no more than 1 liter of water in the tank and carry out chemical cleaning according to one of the recipes.

• Pour 100 g of a 5-7% solution into the tank phosphoric acid and after 10-15 minutes rinse with water.
• Add 0.5 liters of vinegar and borax to the water in the tank. Wash off with water after two hours.
• Add 3-4 sachets of citric acid to a tank of water and rinse off after a few hours. This procedure is convenient to carry out late in the evening, leaving acid in the tank for the whole night.

It should be noted that the inner surface of the tank can be cleaned at once, but for the drain holes and mechanism parts, you will need to repeat the procedure several times. That is why it is not recommended to use stronger products based on oxalic and hydrochloric acid: their repeated use leads to damage to plastic and rubber parts.

Tip

Before working with acids, be sure to wear rubber gloves and protect your respiratory system.

For prevention purposes, a coarse filter can be installed at the inlet. If it is impossible to do this for any reason, then there is another method - pill for the tank. Their action is based on softening the water and cleaning the entire drainage system. These pills are available from different companies, but any of them are effective.

There is little water in the tank

If the toilet does not flush well as a result of the lack of water being poured into the tank, the following causes and possible solutions are possible.

• The float closes the valve too early.To fix this, just tighten the adjustment screw on the float.
• Between the pear (petal) and the drain hole, trash fell, and water flows all the time into the toilet. In this case, remove the fittings and clean the drain from debris and plaque.
• Rubber parts above the drain hole have lost ductility due to stiffness salts or chemicals. Here you have to buy the appropriate parts and change them.

If the above actions did not help, most likely the reason is the breakdown of the tank mechanism and the help of a specialist is needed here.

Water is in the toilet bowl

When water from the tank flows under sufficient pressure, but does not drain into the sewer, the cause is a clogged siphon or drain pipe. In this case, they say: the toilet is clogged. No matter where the blockage occurred, the main task is to remove it.

There are several ways to do this:

• using a pneumatic or conventional plunger;
• plumbing cable;
• chemicals: household chemicals, alkali or acid.

Tip

The use of household chemicals, for example, “Mole” means, prevents the appearance of deposits on pipes and is a good prevention.

Enamel damage

Sometimes the toilet does not flush well because the enamel covering the ceramic is scratched. Chips, cracks, roughness delays waste products and prevent them from going into the sewer with water. In this case, the ideal option would be to replace the toilet, but if this is not possible, you can try to make repairs. For repairs, you need ceramic putty or waterproof sealant, powder paint and a spray gun.

Next, you need to perform the following steps.

• Clean and degrease the inside of the toilet bowl.
• To clean with a fine-grained sandpaper the places of chips and cracks.
• Apply putty or sealant to problem areas.
• Dry the surface well and paint it.
• Do not use the toilet until the paint is completely dry (2-3 days).

Tip

Painting ceramics at home is not the same as factory enameling. The new coating is unlikely to last long, so carefully consider whether the restoration is justified or is it better to immediately change the plumbing in the toilet.

Incorrect sewer system design in a private house

Why in a private house does the toilet wash poorly if the same design of the bowl and the cistern in the apartment is not satisfactory? Often when installing a sewer system in a private house, they do not comply with the norms. This leads to the fact that the water from the toilet goes into the sewer too slowly, and waste products are not washed off completely. What to do in this case? The answer to the question depends on the reason. This may be an incorrect slope of the pipes, lack of a fan riser or improper connection of the toilet to the sewer.

The absence of a fan riser is a common occurrence, as are the problems associated with it. A sewer pipe is ventilation for sewer pipes. It allows the accumulated gases to escape from the pipes into the atmosphere. In its absence, an air congestion forms in the sewer, which prevents water from flowing evenly and at the right speed. In addition, the gases still find a way out and “give” the inhabitants of the house fetid exhausts not only from the toilet, but also from the bathtub or washbasin. In this case, there are two exits - either installing a pipe with a roof outlet, or installing a vacuum valve.

The incorrect slope of the pipe leading to the septic tank, or the pipe connecting the toilet and the sewer, cannot be fixed. Here you will either have to redo the system in accordance with the standards, or install an electric pump for forced flow.

Bad toilet design

If the new toilet does not flush well, perhaps the reason is its design. A toilet bowl with a shelf is an example of an unsuccessful design. Modern models are made with a funnel-shaped bowl with a drain in the center or with a slope - the drain neck is closer to the edge of the bowl.

Another design nuance that affects flush quality is the location of the drain holes. If the hole is one and is located in the center, then this is unlikely to provide a high-quality flush. It is better to purchase a model with a circular flush system, when water pours from several holes under the rim, washing the entire surface of the bowl.

If the toilet initially flushed well, then the reason is not in its design. The above information will help to understand the source of the problem, and having figured it out - eliminate it by removing the blockage or adjusting the drain mechanism.