I flushed the toilet, the water goes down from the tank, but it swirls around and around in the toilet bowl but does not flush. What is the problem. Help.

Hey Joe, I have one that most repair plumbers miss. Look down at the bottom of the bowl. If there is a small hole, then that is a jet that starts the syphon action. If it's clogged the water will just swirl around and slowly go down leaving solids behind. Take your finger,(UGH! ) and run it around the inside of the opening. Over the years minerals build up and cut down on the syphon (flush) action. If it is rough or you feel build up, take a table knife and put a bend in it to get around the curve in the bowl and chip and scrap it clear. Next take a coathanger and clear out the holes around the rim. They start the swirling action. And last, check the water level in the tank. It should be 1/2" below the top of the over flow tube. This should get you back in business. If not click on back and we'll explore other possibilities Tom

It worked! Thanks for the advise. :)

Any time, If we can ever be of further assistance we're as close as a click. Tom

Awesome tip Speedball1!!
I had the same problem for quite a while now.

My toilet is about 20 years old. Been running slow like that for quite a while.
Thought it was the trap and I kept trying all kinds of remedies. No go...
The paper would still always pop back up.

I could not even get my pinky in the hole you mentioned and would have
Never thought to examine it. I was a bit worried to use a table knife, so I
Scraped away at it with the back end of a pair of tweezers. Unbelieveable
Amount of mineral build up was there right at the opening. Past the
Blockage was smooth and clean.

It works like a brand new toilet now. Thanks...
:)

To keep the hard water build up out of the vitreous china commode you can use Muriatic acid. This is the same acid that is used for the correct PH factor in swimming pools. To use pour about one quart into the bowl only of the commode and let wet for about one hour and then flush. If it is not clean then repeat one more time.
CAUTION: Only use this acid on viterous china fistures not on enamal or any other type. DO NOT use this acid if you are not on a city sewer system. DO NOT save any acid that you have left because of the danger of the cap on the bottle being loosened or the bottle broken. The fumes will make the chrome on your car to rust. So any acid left pour in commode and flush immediately.

Let me repeat Mr. Ackers disclaimer:
DO NOT use muriatic acid if you are on a septic tank. The acid will kill the bacteria in the tank.
DO NOT breathe the fumes. My lungs are still scarred from breathing in muriatic acid fumes when I worked in my fathers plumbing shop as a young boy. We used muriatic acid to "boil" out toilet bowls that had limed up.
USE MURIATIC ACID WITH MUCH CAUTION. Use safety goggles and don't breathe the fumes.
KEEP WELL VENTILATED! Two years ago I had a good friend die because he poured Blast-Out, (a super strong drain opener based on sulfuric acid and sold only to professionals) down a closet bend in a unventilated bathroom. The fumes killed him. So if you're planing on using acid use it with the utmost caution. Tom

Speedball 1. I should have been more thorough on my Disclamers but after being in the business for over forty years ones assumes that others know as much as I do. I am glad that you added all of the ones that you did and I hope anyone using this acid will be very careful and follow any instructions on the labels. But most of all use common sense. Thanks again. I will think things through a little more before I respond next time.

Well when I flush my toilet it doesn't go down, comes to the top and will slowly very slowly go down, then if you put water in the bowl itself it goes down, my husband plunged it several times this morning and it finally flushes. This happened a couple times and now when you flush you hear it in the sink and the urinal (oh this is at my bar I own, small neighborhood bar). Any ideas on this one (couldn't find the post question part?) New to the site! :D

Hi Sandy,

I have one that most repair plumbers miss. Look down at the bottom of the bowl. If there is a small hole, then that is a jet that starts the syphon action. If it's clogged the water will just swirl around and slowly go down leaving solids behind. Take your finger,(UGH! ) and run it around the inside of the opening. Over the years minerals build up and cut down on the syphon (flush) action. If it is rough or you feel build up, take a table knife and put a bend in it to get around the curve in the bowl and chip and scrap it clear. Next take a coathanger and clear out the holes around the rim. They start the swirling action. And last, check the water level in the tank. It should be 1/2" below the top of the over flow tube. This should get you back in business. If not click on back and we'll explore other possibilities Tom

I'll check it out in the morning - the toilet is only a few years old but it might be due to use?? Is there anything else it might be - we checked the vent or as my husband calls it the "Stink Pipe" and it looked clear.

Howdy Speedball1,

I have been reading various posts here to solve this problem that was very similar to Josef's problem. The water would circle around and wouldn't go down and of course I figure its got to be a problem with my septic system or I screwed up when I put the toilet back on and installed a flange where there wasn't one before we had the floor in the bathroom redone. I have never been real good with plumbing but using the advice found here (cleaned the small siphon jet and rim holes) I was able to solve the problem and now the old toilet is working like it never has before.

I don't know how many people have taken your advice without anyone knowing it but I bet there are many out there. I signed up for an account so I could say THANKS!

Thanks for sharing your experience and advice.

Dan :^)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dboyd

I signed up for an account so I could say THANKS!

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WOW! I'm impressed! It's good to know there are still some decent people in the world. :D

And while we're on the subject of thanking Tom, I would also like to thank him for that tip (about the siphon jet). It has come in handy a few times already.

"I don't know how many people have taken your advice without anyone knowing it but I bet there are many out there. I signed up for an account so I could say THANKS!
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice."

Thanks guys, That's why I answer plumbing questions. So I can give something back and feel that at almost 80 I still have something to contribute and not turn into some old fart setting here in Florida waiting to die. It's nice to be appreciated and get a little recognition. Thanks again, Tom

U saved my!! Thanks a lot!! I was about to call the plumber cause I thought the kids flushed something!!

Worked like a charm! Let me recommend using that double-bent screwdriver that comes in screwdriver sets. Wow, 90 years of minerals. No wire brush could have gotten through that. Some of the pieces that came out were like 1/4" gravel. I was about to buy a new toilet!

Tom, Your advise is a life saver! We have lived with a toilet that barely flushed for so long... I was surfing the internet seeing if I could find a solution and low and behold I did! I know this is crazy but you really made my day! I hope that you read this because I want you to know that you really made a difference in my life today!! :)

I also tried your tip and it worked great thanks so much...