Toilet flushing troubles

[Repair Man Rex]

What makes a toilet flush slowly and plug often? It's an old house but a newer toilet. The shape of the drain chamber of the toilet looks like a zig-zag from the outside, what is the function of this? It seems like it would cause blockage but many toilets have this feature. This toilet fills to the top of the bowl every time it is flushed and plugs almost every other time. A plunger fixes the plug but its a constant problem. Do I need to replace the toilet or clean the pipes or something else??

 

[Jadnashua]

It's probably the toilet. Some have much smoother paths than others. Unlike a sink or essentially anything else plumbed in the USA, a toilet has its trap inside of it rather than outside, underneath. The design of the trapway is a problem on many toilets. Then, the technology in the flush and the bowl wash isn't even across the brands, and even within the models offered by the same manufacturer. It takes some actual engineering to make a low-flow toilet work well; not everyone has figured that out yet. When you could use 5-8 gallons to do it, those would wash away nearly anything. Not so with the newest, low flow. Some manufacturers tried to use the older designs and make them work with less water. The best ones redesigned the toilet guts. Toto is the largest manufacturer in the world with factories in many countries, including the USA. Most of the US companies now make much of their stuff overseas, so buy american (name) doesn't mean much, and many of them are lousy toilets.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Swart]

You likely have something lodged in the trap. Common things plumbers find are toys, combs, toothbrushes, and similar objects that will not go through the trap. Some toilets clog more than others. Kohler is has a poorly designed trap that frequently clogs, but other brands can clog too, even a Toto, if foreign objects get into the trap. Plunging will not clear these. You need to get a toilet auger, but sometimes these won't do it either. In that case, you have to pull the toilet and go at it from the bottom. The other possibility is the drain is partly clogged and needs to be professionally augered by a plumber. This is not a DIY job. Do not use chemical drain openers, they not only don't work, they can create a hazard for the plumber who will eventually have to be called.