My toilet in my upstairs bathroom is not emptying completely. If flushes, but not all the water exists. It's sporadic; sometimes it flushes okay, sometimes not. Maybe once out of every 5 flushes it flushes completely where all the water evacuates the bowl. I have a basement toilet and first floor tolilet as well as another upstairs toilet and they all flush fine. Doesn't seem like it's a septic tank problem but I'm not sure. And it's not a plunging issue as the solid waste (TP, etc.) flush from the bowl even when the flush doesn't appear complete. Any ideas?

Hey Barbara,

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. Hope this helps . Tom

Thanks for the quick response. My toilet doesn't thave a small hole. I checked the holes around the rim and they are fine. The 1/8" tube and it is as you described: it is directed down the overflow tube and water is filling in the tank to within 1/2" of the top of the overflow tube (almost exactly on the "fill" line in the tank). This problem seems to be a little more difficult apparently. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Now let's see if the bowl has something cought in the trap. Flush a couple of large wads of TP down. Does the bowl start to back up? Let me know. Tom