Black deposits in low flow toilets

[Furd]

I thought I would post some gross out pictures on this subject. This is a Toto Carlyle toilet and it does grow grey spots that will eventually turn black if left go long enough. The first three pictures are what has grown three days after washing down the bowl with a high pressure spray.

 

[Furd]

The next two pictures are ten minutes after applying bleach.


The last picture is after flushing the bleach once.


I did not brush this at all. I have found that even when doing a thorough job of cleaning with brushing and a ten minute bleach treatment the spots will return in about three to five days. Is it something in the water or something that I have previously eaten? I don't know. I figure it is just a reminder to clean the silly toilet at least once a week.

This will easily brush out and leave the porcelain shining.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

Likely in the water. Is this municipal supply, or from a well?

 

[Furd]

It's municipal water. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining. I just wanted to post this as an accompaniment to the other posts describing "spots growing in toilets".

 

[Achutch]

Stains and municipal water

I have two properties, a condo on a regional water system that serves most of the county and a seasonal cabin with gravity fed water from a brook.

One might think the brook water would stain, but have a look at the pictures. At the cabin I can get away from having to scrub the toilet bowls often as compared to the condo.

If the toilets sit unflushed for a week or so at the condo, a deposit begins to form from the water. In the case of my stained toilet, it sat for a couple of weeks.

Since I have been staying overnight at the condo on "work nights" to save gas and money, the staining is not as bad. I keep a bottle of bleach in both bathrooms at home and give the bowls a treatment which eliminates the stains.

I do not use bleach at the cabin because I don't want it in the septic tank. But there is no need for it or acid based cleaners because the water doesn't appear to have anything in it that would deposit.

The photos of my Antique China are from 2005. The 1936 Standard in the condo has been replaced in March of this year with a Cadet 3 (to reduce water bill). The 1952 Gerber is stored away in the Hutch and a 1952 Eljer siphon jet is in its place for its rotation on the Hot Seat. The 1957 Eljer in the shed facilities is currently in use. The antiques reign at the cabin and are rotated almost annually for my enjoyment and for my guests to appreciate (and they do)!

Enjoy

achutch

 

[Jadnashua]

I get similar things in mine if they aren't flushed frequently...it's totally a water supply thing, and has nothing to do with the individual toilet. I will say that on the Totos I have with CEFIONTECT, it just swishes off with an occasssional brush where I had to scrub a lot on the old, builder supplied toilets. In addition to that, I get iron reducing bacterial deposits (orange ring). Bleach helps tame that for 2-3 weeks.

 

[alansheila]

New twist to the question

I've recently moved into a two-year-old house. I have a situation in which I have two toilets in opposite sides of the house. One is fine, the other develops black streaks that won't come off with bleach, Comet, Soft Scrub, Magic Eraser or CLR. Why one and not the other?

 

[bejay]

Black deposits

I have two Toto toilets. One gets the black deposits, one does not, so I think the problem comes from the toilet, not the water system. The one with the problem also is having a problem running after it is flushed. It has had more use than the other toilet, so I think something needs to be replaced, which hopefully will stop the running and the problem with the deposits. Both problems started around the same time.

 

[Lauries]

diabetes can cause black mold

my partner has diabetes and works away, we only get black deposits when he is home. This occurs with alot of people with diabetes. I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[Annette]

Mold rings in toilet

I too have a new home with the low flow toilets. I have had these DISGUSTING water lines ever since I moved in. In 23 years at the old house with the old toilets, I NEVER had this problem. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

 

[Terry]

my partner has diabetes and works away, we only get black deposits when he is home. This occurs with alot of people with diabetes. I thought it was worth mentioning.​

That's interesting. One of the home with black mold, there is someone with diabetes. The other home doesn't as far as I know. Though the last time I checked there, the mold line was gone.
I don't have it where I live, so it is kind of odd when you see it. Two of mine are the 1.28 gallon flush.

​

 

[Jimmys here]

As for mold rings in the bowl, they can either be iron or other mineral deposits from the water supply, or mold growing in the spouts where the water enters the top of the bowl. I greatly reduced the black mold problem by using a steam cleaner and applying steam to the water spouts at the top rim of the bowl. I suspect one could use a spray of acidic solution like white vinegar or diluted muratic (swimming pool) acid but since I had a steam carpet cleaner that application really worked well. The mold will eventually come back but it is a very light case indicating a bowl cleaning is due. As an interim step a few drops of clorox into just the bowl will stop the growth of rings but be careful not to use too much if you have a septic system, chlorox can damage the septic system.

As for the black mold line at the water surface inside the tank, I did two things. After turning off the water, flush the toilet, use a small paint brush with chlorox to kill the mold. Then I wanted to seal the porous tank so I dried it with a fan for a few hours then painted the inside of the tank a few inches above and below the normal water line with a two coat epoxy paint. This paint should at least remove deep seated mold by filling the porous ceramic surface. Next I plan to occasionally empty the tank and steam clean the surface at the water line.

It seems the mold must be a product of limited air flow in the rooms and spores in the environment combined with the tank temperatures. If my attempts to reduce mold don't take care of the problem there are more solutions available but they get into more expense.

As others have said don't use any strong chemicals inside the tank. They usually make the flapper brittle and unable to seal, allowing leaks. Also chemicals will rust out the bolts holding the tank to the commode. I speak from personal experience...

 

[velocipedist]

my partner has diabetes and works away, we only get black deposits when he is home. This occurs with alot of people with diabetes. I thought it was worth mentioning.

I have diabetes, other in my family don't. I use one toilet consistently, others use the other toilet. We have black deposits ONLY in MY toilet. Both toilets are identical, use the same water supply, were installed at the same time, and are cleaned with the same frequency using the same methods.

 

[Jimbo]

I have diabetes ( type 2), but well controlled. I don't have any issues. I try to stay abreast of diabetes issues, and this is a new one on me....why would anything in your system cause a ring? Could it be the meds? It would be worthwhile checking forums at the American Diabetes Association ( diabetes.org) or Taking Care of Your Diabetes ( tcoyd.org)

 

[leslee]

Its called Ridex pour whole package in toilet two months pass and repeat the Ridex again. Don't need any black mold. Yikes

 

[WJcandee]

For what it's worth, when I started using a bleaching system in my NY toilet, I started seeing some black crud (like thin little rectangular pieces the size of a fingernail) come out of the rim holes, some of it pretty large (like it wouldn't seem to be able to fit through, but it does). I ascribed it to mold within the toilet that was being dislodged by the bleach. I get nasty, nasty mold in the shower if I don't regularly treat it with Tilex (and on the underside of the rubber bathtub mat, if I don't do the same), so I assume that the stuff is in the air and has had literally decades to form on the water channels in the toilet and has only now started breaking up and floating away.

 

[CountryBumkin]

I have not heard of this diabetes-to-black stain connection before, but if you Google it - there are a lot of links with the same reports. Apparently due to higher than normal sugar concentration in the urine interacting with the natural mold spores in the air (and humidity of bathroom).

However that alone would not explain the black streaks coming from the bowl wash-down holes.

 

[KBellH]

This question was asked in July 2001 by another woman but got no responses. Now, I am having the identical problem. She wrote, "Has anyone else experienced a problem with nasty black deposits at the waterline in the bowl of a low flow toilet? Ever since my apartment bldg replaced our old toilets with the low flows, I've had these black deposits appearing almost daily. I thought they were mildew stains, but mildew removers like X-14 have no effect. They come off easily with scrubbing, but I've found no way to keep them from coming back. What causes them? What can I do to prevent them? " In my case, I recently purchased a new house and all three toilets develop these nasty black streaks. They wash off easily but are really disgusting. Is it the pipes, or is it the toilets?

Solution - MURIATIC ACID!!!!! Pour into tank & bowl, wait 2 mins, brush. Works on black deposits on white bowl, white deposit on black bowl! Please be careful of fumes and splash -- it's ACID.

 

[Plumbs Away]

Solution - MURIATIC ACID!!!!! Pour into tank & bowl, wait 2 mins, brush. Works on black deposits on white bowl, white deposit on black bowl! Please be careful of fumes and splash -- it's ACID.

I, too, have found muriatic acid to be the best (and easiest) solution to any type of toilet bowl stain. But don't pour it directly into the tank. Since it's acid, it will eat up the rubber/silicone tank components. Use the "green" variety (no caustic fumes) and pour a half gallon into the overflow tube of the flush valve and wait 30 minutes. It will dissolve any mineral build-up in the rim and clear the jets, so you might notice improved flushing. What's been poured into the overflow tube will now be in the bowl. Brush thoroughly, especially under the rim and in the siphon jet area, flush, and your bowl will sparkle.

 

[Shoe that walks]

I have been having black streaks in my toilet bowls in my new home--2 toilets, same age/manufacturer, and I see black coming out from the holes under the rim. After a little investigating, there are two bolts or screws at the base of the toilet tank. They are completely rusted out and disintegrating. I scratched one of them, and black sediment came off it. I'm pretty sure I figured out the issue, and hope this will help other people. Attached are some photographs. The screw on the left, below the overflow tube, has not been scratched or rubbed, and you can clearly see how rusted it is.

I wonder if my property inspection companies should have found this, and I wonder whether my 1st year home warranty will cover this. Even still, there is a $100 copay per toilet. It sucks. But I guess that would be cheaper than having a plumber do it, right?

In the attached pictures, the screw on the right has been scratched and rub, where the black sediment is, but the screw on the left is still rusted in just like the one on the right was before I altered it. What are those screws anyway?