Drake II 454cufg plugs on first serious use !

[DMY]

JR just managed to plug my brand new Drake II 454cufg that I
installed a couple days ago ! the toilet was filled with water to
the brim - I had to get my plunger out to clear the toilet.

Also during this episode, water started leaking from one tank
bolt, though I don't see how this is connected to JR jamming the
toilet.

We've historically had lots of problems with plugging the toilet in
this bathroom - I always thought it was a bad toilet. Now I'm
wondering if I have problems in the sewer piping downstream ?

I'll tighten the tank bolt a bit to see if it fixes the leaking problem.

Any help or pointers on why this toilet would plug are greatly
appreciated ! He uses the two other toilets in our house on a
regular basis (both old toto models), and we don't have the
same frequency of problems with plugging !

Thanks,

Doug

 

[Jadnashua]

If the drain line has a partial obstruction, or the slope is incorrect, or the line has a dip (sometimes called belly) in it, it can make things difficult to impossible for any toilet. If you're lucky, you can look at the pipes from below (a basement would be lucky!), but often stuff in Nevada ends up on a slab. You might want to consider getting the line checked out - someone that knows how to use a snake properly with a cutting head, and if things are clear, then maybe a camera to check for dips, or maybe even cracks in the pipe. A shifting foundation or just a bit more tremor than designed could mess with a pipe...any earthquakes since this started to happen or has it always been this way?

Then, there's the 1-2% that have a medical condition with a really hard, stiff, long BM that doesn't want to bend around the trapway. That, combined with lots of paper can clog almost any toilet. If that's the case, although the Drake is a great toilet, it may not be the best for you. Something like one of the Caroma toilets from Austrailia may be in your future.

As to the tank bolts...the ideal way to resolve this is to use two sets of nuts and washers. Make sure you only have a rubber washer in the tank, use a metal one immediately underneath the tank along with a nut and tighten that up to make a good seal. SOmetimes, it helps to take some emery cloth or fine sandpaper before you insert the bolt and sand that area smooth. Once the bolts are tightened down on the tank, it is watertight. Well, it doesn't hurt to check the hole and seat beneath the flapper valve, check the big nut underneath to ensure it is tight (usually is). Then, use the second set of nuts and washers to anchor the tank to the bowl.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[WJcandee]

That 1G has been getting truly amazing reviews online, so it should be doing a good job for you. Maybe limit the TP a little bit, and make a courtesy flush before the TP. Also, something like Kirkland Signature will dissolve more readily than Charmin Ultra, although we use the latter without problems.

As to the tank bolts: (1) make sure that you only have a rubber washer under the head of the tank bolt, NOT a rubber washer and a metal washer. The order is Bolt Head, Rubber washer, tank wall, metal washer, nut, bowl china, metal washer, nut; (2) If that's correct, try sanding around the tank bolt holes a little with superfine sandpaper to make sure it's a smoot surface on which to seal; (3) tighten the tank bolts as per the instructions -- finger tight plus an additiomal 1/2 turn with a wrench.

Let us know how it goes!

PS Looks like Jim beat me to it...

 

[DMY]

I double checked the tank bolts, and they are tight. A leak appeared only as related
to this one incident. I refilled the tank, and there is no leak. When the toilet plugged
(and it could have been excessive TP) is it possible the leak occurred elsewhere - and
not the tank bolts ? Seems to be working fine now. Thanks for your feedback !

Doug

 

[WJcandee]

Huh. Tight between tank and bowl or tight between bolt head and tank? The double-nut system attaches the bolt head to the tank and then the tank to the bowl, so unless you pull the tank, the first connection could still be loose. Of course, in reality the tank-bowl connection should pull against the bolt head enough to keep it tight.

You did mention that the bowl was full to the rim. Although unlikely, perhaps some water leaked out between the tank-to-bowl gasket and the tank. Or just ran backwards from the bowl to a spot under the tank and then to the floor. That's more likely if the toilet was tilted slightly back. (If it is significantly-tilted towards the rear, some of the water in the bowl can run over the weir and down the drain, leading to a lower water level to start with and inhibiting flushing performance. I saw this on one of our toilets, and when that was fixed it flushed much better as it started the flush with the right amount of bowl water. However, you need more than just a teensy tilt backward for this to happen.)

 

[DMY]

thanks

I've used the toilet several times over the last couple days, and it
seems to be working fine. No leaks from the tank bolts. It appears
that JR just used excessive TP.

Thanks for all your help..

 

[Wallijonn]

Make friends with Scott 1000 sheet single ply paper. ;-)