Calcium buildup = slow flush?

Users who are viewing this thread

CarlH

Member
Messages
179
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
Northern VA
A plumber told my father-in-law that his problem with a slow flushing toilet was due to calcium build up. At times, it took as many as three flushes to clear debris from the bowl. The toilet had been augered and the drain line had been cleaned out as far a 160ft from the house. The toilet itself is a 50 year old American Standard that flushes by dumping all the water from the top of the bowl. There is no siphon jet. I did end up replacing the toilet with a Cadet 3 and my father-in-law is happy with that one.

I'm just curious to see if the plumber was feeding my father-in-law a line or if calcium buildup can be a problem for old toilets. I did neglect to inspect the bottom of the old toilet after I pulled to see if I could spot any obstructions. There is second toilet of the same make in this house and looks like it flushes the same way, but no complaints on this one yet. Perhaps there is not complaints because it is not used on the same level or not used by the same individuals.
 

Jimbo

Plumber
Messages
8,918
Reaction score
18
Points
0
Location
San Diego, CA
Probably the calcium buildup he was referring to was in the holes or passages under the rim. These areas definitely do get limed up, and that for sure can affect bowl washdown and the rim flush action. You also get a scale buildup in the throat and trapway. This is not a buildup such that it blocks the pipes, but it adds a lot of friction, and for sure this also affects flushing. This is why reputable manufacturers take the extra step of completely glazing the waterways and trapways.

The fact the your new toilet is performing well seems to confirm the diagnosis on the old toilet.
 

Leejosepho

DIY scratch-pad engineer
Messages
2,483
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
200 miles south of Little Rock
Website
www.nonameyet.org
CarlH said:
I'm just curious to see if ... calcium buildup can be a problem for old toilets.

Yes, and just like Jimbo has described. I once got one working "like new" by chipping the scale out of the siphon jet hole in the bowl, but I was unsuccessful with another that flushed from the rim. One way to check for this kind of problem is to attempt a "manual flush" by using about two gallons of water from a pail. If that pail of water makes the toilet flush fine, then the flush problem is most-likely related to how quickly the water in the tank can get into the bowl at flush time.
 

Michael grubbs

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Texas
A plumber told my father-in-law that his problem with a slow flushing toilet was due to calcium build up. At times, it took as many as three flushes to clear debris from the bowl. The toilet had been augered and the drain line had been cleaned out as far a 160ft from the house. The toilet itself is a 50 year old American Standard that flushes by dumping all the water from the top of the bowl. There is no siphon jet. I did end up replacing the toilet with a Cadet 3 and my father-in-law is happy with that one.

I'm just curious to see if the plumber was feeding my father-in-law a line or if calcium buildup can be a problem for old toilets. I did neglect to inspect the bottom of the old toilet after I pulled to see if I could spot any obstructions. There is second toilet of the same make in this house and looks like it flushes the same way, but no complaints on this one yet. Perhaps there is not complaints because it is not used on the same level or not used by the same individuals.
The Calcium buildup is on the top of the hump. After quite a long time, hard water causes calcium to deposite at the top of the hump. This causes the water to have to rise higher before the siphon effect starts to pull the bowl contents over the hump and down the drain.
 

Treeman

Active Member
Messages
235
Reaction score
34
Points
28
Location
Michigan
I have an old toilet at work doing the exact same thing. I tried cleaning the rim holes. I've also snaked the line. Is it possible that a semi plugged vent could cause a very slow flushing?? It seems that when the flush is so slow it that it doesn't remove the contents well, one single push with a plunger restores it to a good, but still slow flush.

I'm about to pull the plug on a new Drake anyway, but will be disappointed if the problem is something else.

Thanks for any comments.
 

WJcandee

Wise One
Messages
3,181
Reaction score
170
Points
63
Location
New York, NY
It's not going to be the vent.

Can you pour a bucket of water down the toilet and have it all drain away? If not, then there may still be something somewhere in the line, even if you snaked it.

I'm all for the Drake. We have two, and love them.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks