About a week ago my upstairs toilet started flushing slowly and acting like it was clogged. It would not completely flush away solids or toilet paper. I plunged on multiple occasions over the past week and have got it to go down, but then will just start acting clogged again sometimes without it even being used since I plunged. The plunger I have does not make a perfect seal over the hole on the toilet so I kept telling myself that was the issue. Yesterday I noticed the toilet in my master bedroom seems to be flushing slow, just swirls a lot before it actually goes down and does not go down with a ton of pressure. The two bathrooms are right next to each other. If I cut a hole in the wall of the master bath I would see into the main bathroom, so I would guess it is possible for one clog to be affecting both toilets. I have a toilet downstairs that flushes normally, but my shower drain downstairs seems to be backed up but this could be completely unrelated and a separate issue as this shower has not been in use for about 9 months due to a bathroom remodel and could be clogged with debris from the construction. Just want to know if there is an easy fix I can try for both issues before I call I plumber and pay more money than I need to. Thanks ahead for any help.

Bob Rodkey
Pittsburgh

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 and thank you for rating my reply.. Tom

Why would both toilets be affected?

I tried your advice and still doing the same thing. The water level in the tank is at the fill line but if I fill it up with more water than the toilet flushes all the way. When I flush without adding water I swirls but never goes down. It just se

Sometimes the factory setting is low. The water level should be about 1/2" beneath the top of the white overflow tube.

Quote:

---

When I flush without adding water I swirls but never goes down.

---

This is the classic symptom of a blocked jet hole. I gave you the same advice on both toilets because they were both doing the same thing. If your water levels are as high as they will go and the jet's open and there's no backup then I'm stumped. Any experts out there with a solution ? Tom

Can I adjust where it allows the water to fill up to? If so, how?