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    jake1635's Avatar
    jake1635 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Jun 9, 2008, 03:10 PM
    Toilet fills when it should flush
    My upstairs toilet seems to fill when it should be flushing. I press the handle and it fills close to the top, then slowling empties as the tank fills. There seems to be no powerful swirling that most toilets do. This is a two year old home. Please help.
    Jake. :confused:
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #2

    Jun 9, 2008, 03:38 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by jake1635
    My upstairs toilet seems to fill when it should be flushing. I press the handle and it fills close to the top, then slowling empties as the tank fills. There seems to be no powerful swirling that most toilets do. This is a two year old home. Please help.
    Jake. :confused:
    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
    jake1635's Avatar
    jake1635 Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Jun 9, 2008, 04:16 PM
    Thanks Speedbal. I tried all these and it is still acting funny. I emptied some of the water out of the tank also to get it down to the recommended fill line and when I flushed it filled right back up to even with the overflow tube. This just started happening today.
    Could it be anything else?
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
     
    #4

    Jun 9, 2008, 05:35 PM
    Jake, if your tank fill to te top of the overflow tube it is about 1" too much, lower the ball. Tom's recommendations hits the spot most times but you may be a candidate for a toilet auger and if that doesn't do it we'll be lifting the toilet for a peak. Try the auger.
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #5

    Jun 10, 2008, 06:45 AM
    Lets get that tank level down. What ballcock do you have? (See images) Bobs advice to use a closet auger,(see image) sounds good to me. Let me know, Tom
    Romza's Avatar
    Romza Posts: 4, Reputation: 1
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    #6

    Nov 18, 2010, 08:45 AM
    If I am not misunderstanding your question, your toilet POT fills and the Reservoir empties when you flush. What should happen is that your POT must empty when your Reservoir empties. You have an apparent blockage in the neck of your POT. P-trap pots are easier to unblock by hand than S-trap pots.
    Unscrew the access cap on your stub stack and see if there is any obstruction and try to pull it out. As a qualified plumber I am not suppose to give you the following advice, but it could save you a few bucks instead of calling the plumber. Take your spagetti mop and shove it a few times with force down the toilet pot. It will not go round the bend, but sometimes the force of water pressure gets rid of the obstruction.
    The powerful swirling action you will not get because there is no syphoning of the water as your pot fills up (doing the opposite of what it should).
    Hope this helps.
    afaroo's Avatar
    afaroo Posts: 4,006, Reputation: 251
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    #7

    Nov 18, 2010, 05:27 PM

    Hello Romza,

    You responde to a two years old post and welcom to this web site.

    John
    speedball1's Avatar
    speedball1 Posts: 29,301, Reputation: 1939
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    #8

    Nov 19, 2010, 05:04 AM

    Yeah Romza! Look in the upper left hand corner of the post to find the date. B Regards, Tom

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