Ask Me Help Desk - Slow draining toilet

Hello all,

A few days ago my toilet started to drain slowly, the toilet releases all of the water from the cistern but it just fills up then drains slowly. So far I have plunged the toilet which has not worked and put a 6ft flexible cleaning rod down which went straight through the pipes no problem. I thought it might be something to do with the mechanism inside the cistern so disabled this and threw a bucket of water into the toilet bowl but it did exactly the same thing. Since reading a similar post on this site I have also checked the holes under the rim for mineral build up but these are fine as the water releases fast into the bowl. I also had a look to see if there was an outlet hole in the bottom of the toilet but I can't see one. Lastly, my bath and sink drain perfectly fine no matter how much water I release from them.

Has anybody got any suggestions as to what I can do next till Im forced to call a plumber.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

At this point... lift the toilet, turn it over and see what is inside there. You would be amazed at what a closet auger (6ft snake) will not clear... or what it will just punch a hole through.

Before you lift toilet though, use a small mirror and look up under inside of toilet.. may see something just poking up and out.

Once I closet augered a toilet 8-9 times just to find that I had to lift it and low and behold... 2 q-tips crossed across one another... toilet paper actually locked them tight so I just kept punching through the paper but could not budge the q-tips... also happened with some men's razor blades in a package... kept turning sideways as I punched past it.

Hey if this helped, please RATE THE ANSWER... Thank you and good luck! Let us know what happens.

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Originally Posted by massplumber2008

At this point...lift the toilet, turn it over and see what is inside there. You would be amazed at what a closet auger (6ft snake) will not clear...or what it will just punch a hole through.

Before you lift toilet though, use a small mirror and look up under inside of toilet..may see something just poking up and out.

Once I closet augered a toilet 8-9 times just to find that I had to lift it and low and behold....2 q-tips crossed across one another...toilet paper actually locked them tight so I just kept punching through the paper but could not budge the q-tips...also happened with some men's razor blades in a package...kept turning sideways as I punched past it.

Hey if this helped, please RATE THE ANSWER...Thank you and good luck!! Let us know what happens.

OK I checked the toilet exactly how you recommended, unfortunately it was clear - I'm guessing I need to put some drain rods down a man hole (nearest to my toilet), however there has been a new development. Last night I was running water down my kitchen sink which is a double sink and the water started to come up the other plug hole next to it. I think this is probably a firm indication that I do have a blockage that's slowly building up. Do you agree I pursue with the drain rods?

Thanks for all your help.

At this point... sounds like a good idea. I would try to fill the pipe to almost overflowing while I am snaking it... here just run the tub and watch the drain line at toilet flange for the water to be seen... careful could overflow if not watching clocely. Then reduce the water flow in the tub so that as you snake drain water remains at a pretty constant level... THIS way when you hit the clog you will know because the water will release in a big whoosh!! Then pull snake back and see what is on end. If nothing then rod again and see if that brings anything back.

BUT first, start at the basement main drain cleanout... see if you can remove the cleanout and then try to flood the drain line (washing machine great at this)... does it back up? If it does then you will want to snake the main drain from here. IF NOT then go back to the toilet flange and snake through that. Hey, good luck and let us know how you are doing!

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Last night I was running water down my kitchen sink which is a double sink and the water started to come up the other plug hole next to it. I think this is probably a firm indication that I do have a blockage that's slowly building up.

I have a little different take on the kitchen sink clog. I don't think thye two problems are related. Here's why. Your bathroom and kitchen are on two separate branches. Unless the clog's in the main sewer and blocking everything upstream of it this isn't likely to happen. Typically a kitchen sink will clog in the horizontal line in the wall. This is a local problem and does not affect your toilet. Yor toilet does not have a jet hole in the bowl because it isn't a siphon-jet. It's a wash down bowl with no little hole in the bowl.
I fully agree with Massplumber to check the house cleanout for standing water but after reading,"

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my bath and sink drain perfectly fine no matter how much water I release from them.

This tells me that it's two clogs, one in the toilet and the other in the sink. Pull the toilet and go in the bottom to see if a comb or some object got caught up down there.
After that you can remove the "J" bend from the kitchen sink trap and send a snake up into the wall. You will run into a elbo about 8 inches in but once around that you will only have to put out 6 foot more to reach the stack. Flush with a tub full of hot water. Good luck, Tom