Toilets slow to drain. Tips from plumbers

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utahdl

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Recently both of my toilets are having difficulty flushing. One is on the first floor, one on the second floor. I have no idea what the problem is. I do have a septic system, however it is only two years old and should not be full. My showers and all other drains flow fine, it is just the toilets. Any advice is appreciated.
 

Leejosepho

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Septic tanks are always "full" to the level of the outlet, and the inlet pipe is slightly higher. Then when new stuff enters the tank, it displaces a volume equal to itself and that displaced volume overflows out through the outlet.

Are your toilets located one above the other? If so, there might be some kind of obstruction where their discharges come together. Or, maybe your overall septic system is "slow" for some reason and cannot handle the rush of a flush as well as it can handle the slow flow of a sink or shower drain.

When I check my own system, I always begin at the distribution box to be sure the septic tank has a place to drain, then I check inside the outlet end of my tank. If both of those are okay, the problem has to be somewhere between the toilet (or other fixture) and the septic tank.

Most important of all is to be sure you have a filter at your septic tank's outlet. A tank can be easily cleaned and pumped, but a plugged-up drain field can only be replaced. A filter at the outlet of your tank protects the most crucial part of your system, the drain field.
 
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SewerRatz

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It could be a few things.
  • Water level in the tank out of adjust.
In the thank there's a water line mark, that is where the water closet needs to fill to for a proper flush. If the water is shutting off before it reaches that mark that is your issue and the ball cock needs adjustment.

ballcockajusting.jpg

  • Flush / Rim jets are clogged with mineral build up.
Under the rim of the water closet bowl are rim holes. They get a build up of minerals from the water. I do a couple things here, I take a old wire coat hanger and break it in half. Then i take the part of the coat hanger and a small handheld mirror to look up under the rim to locate the holes and poke each hole clean with the coat hanger.

flushjet_cleaning.jpg


After poking the rim holes clean I then pour CLR into the overflow in the tank. This will help dissolve any minerals in the flush rim of the bowl.

overflow_clr.jpg

  • Finely, it could be an obstruction in the water closet itself.
Try plunging the water closet and then see how it flushes. It it flushes normally, try flushing some toilet paper down a few times. If it flushes normally by the third flush that means it is cleared. If it backs up during the first second or third flush of paper, that means there is something in the water closet and you need to auger it. In this case i recommend calling a plumber since they are skilled at using a toilet bowl auger.
 
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hj

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toilets

The only way ANY problem with the piping could affect a second floor toilet would be if it uses an air admitance valve for its vent, and that would be rare for a second floor toilet, unless the installer was "super lazy". From your description, I would say you have two toilets with problems, not a septic tank or any other piping problem.
 
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