Help!! I live in an apt. built in the 70's and my toilet has not properly flushed since I moved in. They have been out to "Snake It" but that didn't work. I think it just may be too old and needs to be replaced. Is there any plumbers out there that can tell me if I need to have management replace it?? Thank you and hope to hear from an expert soon.

D

How far into the toilet did they snake, just the 3-4 feet that comes with a closet auger? They may need to pull the toilet and go farther since it may be their drain and not your toilet. Keep complaining because they are required to maintain your drains, its isn't just an option for them. How to Unclog a Toilet Fixture-Use the Toilet Auger or Closet Auger (stubborn clogs)

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Originally Posted by Dawcy

Help!!! I live in an apt. built in the 70's and my toilet has not properly flushed since I moved in. They have been out to "Snake It" but that didn't work. I think it just may be too old and needs to be replaced. Is there any plumbers out there that can tell me if I need to have management replace it??? Thank you and hope to hear from an expert soon.

D

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I have several solutions for you to check before you go through the hassle and expense of replacing the toilet.
Try this first

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. And speaking of the overflow tube, Make sure the small 1/8" tube from the ballcock to the white overflow tube is connected so it discharges in it and that it's flowing when the ballcock fills. This is what raises the water level in the bowl. For a good solid flush they all have to work together.

If the toilet has never flushed properly here's another one.
In my capacity as shop trouble shooter I began to run into a slew of complaints on our new construction that were just like yours. I knew they all couldn't be " bad toilets" so I went looking for the cause. I found that when installing the new bowl that the wax ring had been forced out into the discharge pipe and blocking the free flow of water. When the water hit it a backpressure was set up preventing the siphon that makes a good flush and the solids just swirled around while the water went slowly down. I had to set up meeting with our plumbers and show them the problem and how to fix it. When you set the bowl, put the wax seal down on the flat side to the closet flange. Then take your hands and bevel the wax seal outward so that when you set a bowl on it the wax is forced out instead of in blocking the flush. The customer complaints stopped and I had less work to do. Try molding the wax seal so it doesn't choke down on the flush.
Good luck and let me know. Regards, tom