Toilet flushing slower

[corvairbob]

Morning. My girl called me yesterday and told me she thinks she needs her septic cleaned out. She got the house 3 years ago and the system is new and cleaned just before she moved it.

So i asked her if water is showing up in the tub, one place that full septic tanks show there need for cleaning. plus she has a sump that pushes water to the tank and has a check for backflow.

I had the toilet of the floor a month ago due to the wax ring just failing, i never seen that it just rotted out and let the water run over the floor. so I installed one of those expandable rings and she said the toilet did not leak anymore and I place a pan under the toilet in the basement on a shelf and she checks it every week to make sure the toilet is not leaking.

So this toilet is one of those 1.6 gallons per flush. and you can see the pipe in the toilet base. I just put one like it in my house and when I checked mine out it does not look like you could get anything to actually stick in that pipe.

So my question is has anyone ever got anything stuck in one of those type toilets? Hers looks like mine and mine is the american standard company could be the champion model. I told her she may have dropped something into the toilet and not seen it. or her kids and flush it and it stuck in the toilet pipe. So is that possible with those type base pipes? I hate to get the tank cleaned and then find out the tank was not in need of it yet and the toilet was the issue. yes I can just remover the toilet and see but i'm trying to avoid any extra work just because. and if the toilet is not leaking at the floor I just as soon let a sleeping dog lie, No sense breaking the seal or having the 50 year old floor flange breaking an ear and then I have more work to deal with and then find out i could have ran an auger down the toilet and dislodge an object. and I do not have one of those yet so i would have to get that also. So no need for that if these toilets don't normally get items stuck in them. thanks

 

[Reach4]

so my question is has anyone ever got anything stuck in one of those type toilets? hers looks like mine and mine is the american standard company could be the champion model. i told her she may have dropped something into the toilet and not seen it. or her kids and flush it and it stuck in the toilet pipe. so is that possible with those stype base pipes? i hate to get the tank cleaned and then find out the tank was not in need of it yet and the toilet was the issue.

The expense and inconvenience of being late is much more than for being early getting the septic pumped.

There are a lot of factors in how often you need that, including how many people are contributing into the septic, what gets put down the drains and toilets. Some people use a roll of TP per week per person. Some much more, and some less. If there is a garbage disposal in use, and things that could go in the trash bin go down the disposal, that contributes to the load.

Suppose the septic needs pumping every 5 years, but you get it pumped after 3. If getting the septic pumped costs $250, you have spent an extra $100. That is a lot better than $10000 to replace a clogged septic field. If you get it done early, the pump person should be able to estimate when pumping is needed again.

But yes, toilets can get partially blocked. Check that the bowl starts full. If you slowly add an extra quart of water to the bowl, within a minute the level should have fallen back to what it was before you added extra water.

 

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[corvairbob]

thanks and i agree. but i do not think that is the issue yet. in our area they install tanks for 5 people and they normally need pumping 5 years or so. they have 3 people and the tank cleaner tells me he doesn't think this is yet an issue.

so what i'm going to do because i will get tons of replies telling me clean the tank sis to just take the toile off and inspect that first. then i will run a hose down the floor flange and see if the soil pipe fills up if i can run water down that soil pipe for half an hour then the tank is just fine now.

and because the sump is not pushing water back into the tub as would normally happen to a full tank that also tells me the tank is fine. the sinks drain good the tub drains good. the toilet flushes slow. so something is wrong there. it may be the p-trap inside the base or the soil pipe itself may have a clog or even roots. it is ole and the rest of the system is pvc. thanks

 

[Reach4]

Your approach is reasonable. I did not know that the house was not built with a single chamber 750 gallon tank in the 50s. The tub backup thing is useful.

Most toilets have something called a siphon jet. That contributes a lot to flushing. The passages of that could be reduced with mineral deposits. Removing deposits with chemicals is more trouble than it is worth.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-use-a-closet-auger-on-a-plugged-toilet.18133/
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/premature-end-of-life-for-the-drake-ii.71439/

 

[corvairbob]

the toilet is about 5 years old and one of those that you can see the p-trap in it. a single p-trap but i was asking if anyone ever had things get stuck in that style p-trap. i'm thinking that maybe a toothbrush might have got into it. i had that happen one time years ago and kids will not tell you.

so what i will do today is first is check the tank to make sure it is filling up then flush it a few times myself to make sure she is not having a memory issue. then if it fails to flush normally i will then run a stiff hose down the toilet to make sure it can go and if not that is the issue.i will remove it and see if i can see the hose come out the end. it come out the other end then the soil pipe may have a clog. so i will try to fill it up with a garden hose. if it fails to fill up the all the rest may be good and she is just having memory issues.

the tanks they install now in our area are 1000 gallon tanks. i may for s&g find the lid to the tank and open it ans see if the tank looks like it is getting full. that is an easy test i have done it before and seen tank cleaners do it. just so she has a clue about how full the tank is for sediment. thanks

 

[Reach4]

the tanks they install now in our area are 1000 gallon tanks. i may for s&g find the lid to the tank and open it ans see if the tank looks like it is getting full.

It will always be full to the overflow a few months after being pumped. So your test will involve a rod to feel the scum and solids. I expect "see" was metaphorical.

 

[Helper Dave]

Get a closet auger before you pull the toilet, imo. Much easier job if that's all it takes. All kinds of stuff can get stuck in those traps, especially when kids are involved.

 

[corvairbob]

i got it fixed. nothing wrong. snaked it flushed tons of tp took it off to see it it had a tank full and backing up nothing was wrong my girl is paranoid i guess. next time she pay a plumber. dadis done with this one