When I flush my toilet the bowl pressure is pretty weak, and doesn't always clear the bowl completely. We often get pieces of paper that come back into the bowl. The tank and bowl was cleaned out completely before I re-installed it. I also installed a new flush valve system. Still the weak flush.

Would a simple auger into the bowl help clear up this problem, or any other suggestions?

Make sure all the holes that create a swirl are clear under the rim, also take your finger and put it in the hole at the bottom of the toilet to make sure that is also clear. A wire hanger works well to open up the holes that minerals & calcium build up over time and block. Try this first, if all is clear and working well check back with this forum for more help. All these holes should have water coming out when you flush, if not then that could affect your flush.

Check down at the bottom of the toilet sump area for a 1" hole, this starts the siphon effect. Stick your fonger in the hole to feel around for any build up of crud. If this does not work you next step involves a toilet auger.

I will clean out the holes under the rim. After reading I took a look and noticed no water pouring into the bowl from the rim. My toilet does not have the hole at the bottom of the toilet that you mention, ballenger. Does this make a difference?

Thank you.

It has to have that hole, you are not looking where it should be. Where your waste gets flushed at the bottom of the inside of the toilet there should be a small hole opposite the drain hole that water should come out of to start the siphon action

Yep. Keats is correct, there must be a hole. It faces the back of the toilet so it is not readily visible but it is there, about 1.5" hole.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ThomasCKeat

it has to have that hole, you are not looking where it should be. where your waste gets flushed at the bottom of the inside of the toilet there should be a small hole opposite the drain hole that water should come out of to start the siphon action

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NOT QUITE SO!
There are toilets that have small holes that start the flush action, they are called siphon jet toilets/. And there are toilets that do not have those holes in the bowl, they are called wash down or gravity toilets. kbuchholtz has the latter. There are more types for for now lets realize that he has a wash down toilet that he cleared and just installed a new ballcock before he reset it. And there is where I think the problem might lie. Read on! First, clear the rim holes and if that doesn't help think wax seal.
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. Let me know. Good luck, Tom

Toilets basically have a small 2" hole where the toilet sits on the floor. You should remove the toilet and turn it upsidown and check the area to see if anything is blocking in that area. Note that the insice portion of the toilet trap is not glazed usually so objects can get caught from time to time. If you have done everything that you say than the next step is to check out the drain portion at the floor. It could be very well that something is blocking inside the pvc drain pipe. You should get an auger and check that portion. It is usually only a small distance to go from the hole in the floor to the main drain pipe. Remember that you must replace the wax seal if you remove the toilet. These are inexpensive.

First, thank you all for your time and advice.

I went back and looked at the toilet and under the rim, at the front of the toilet, there are two holes slightly larger than the rest which seem to push out more water to help in the flushing action. But no hole in the bowl.

I cleaned out all the holes as best I could and filled the tank level to 1/2" below the tube. The flush is stronger, but I'm still getting some backwash into the bowl. No solids coming back, but some paper particles do linger back.

I gutted the bathroom over the summer and when I put the toilet back in I cleaned it inside and out (except for the holes). I did replace the wax ring when I put the toilet in, but this toilet had this problem before I redid the room. When I put the toilet back in I checked the surface of the drain pipe and noticed no clogs, but there could something at the elbow, I suppose.

Thanks again for your advice. This board has been great!

To eliminate the trap in the toilet ry using a toilet auger. You can buy them for about $18 at Home Depot or rent them there.