Toilet taking 2, three times to flush?

[canadave]

Hi,

The two-piece American Standard toilet in our new (to us) home is relatively new, but seems to flush relatively weakly. When I depress the handle, water fills the bowl to raise the water level, swirls around for a few seconds, then descends and empties the bowl; however, sometimes solids or the odd piece of toilet paper will remain behind. A second flush usually gets it down; rarely, a third flush is needed. Note that the flush seems normal to my eye--it's not like I look at it and go, "wow, this really doesn't seem to be flushing right." This is on the upper level of a bungalow; the toilet on the lower level of the bungalow is fine.

The house is newly renovated and water pressure isn't an issue. I've snaked the toilet, and there's nothing apparently blocking it. Also used plunger just in case--nothing. The water level in the tank is about a millimeter above the marked water level indicator. Due to various minor issues/leaks, so I've replaced just about everything inside it (flush valve, flapper, etc) with good-quality equipment--it's rock-solid now, but still has this flush issue I'm describing.

I've used other toilets (maybe Kohler, I think?) where the water just dives straight down in one quick "gulp" when flushing and doesn't even seem to use much water to flush; it doesn't rise into the bowl and swirl around before going down, like mine does. Is there a particular "type" of toilet this is, if I want to buy a replacement toilet? I like these more, as they're also quieter.

Also, is there any ideas anyone might have for further troubleshooting of my toilet?

 

[Reach4]

The earlier low flow toilets were not good. What you want to do is get a new toilet, before you invest money or time in trying to make the old toilet work. Start thinking about what you want regarding economy vs appearance or other factors.

It is possible that you could get the old toilet working better. But really, the clean break will be better for you.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

If there's a smaller jet hole in the bottom facing the outlet, that may be blocked. That's the siphon jet, and is what gets the flush water moving at higher velocity so it can use less water than the old wash-down, multi-gallon jobs of old. Some of those toilets use a float on the flapper valve, and if those break off, they can get stuck inside of the passageways of the toilet.

If the toilet was installed with a wax ring and a plastic funnel, sometimes, that funnel can get crimped, and restrict the flow. Also, a toilet auger isn't very large in diameter, so it could pass through a restriction that might slow the flush. Worst case, you have a partial blockage in the drain line.

Double-check the insides of the tank. There's typically a hose that runs to the overflow tube. That tube MUST be pointing into the overflow tube, and it should terminate ABOVE the top of the tube. If that is kinked, or not positioned properly, the water level in the bowl won't be right, and it won't flush right.

 

[canadave]

Thanks, there is a siphon jet hole for sure. I'll have a look at it when I get home tonight and see if there's anything clogging it.

The overflow tube and hose running to it are arranged properly.

 

[hj]

usually that means the water level in the bowl is too low before you start the flush, so the first flush just fills it to the proper level, then the second flush operates normally. It is NOT an unusual situation for American Standard bowls.

 

[Terry]

I was in Canada over the weekend, and noticed the A/S Cadet 3 had very low water in the bowl. Lifted the tank lid and though the fill tube was clipped to the top of the overflow, water was directed back into the tank, and not down the overflow tube that refills the bowl. I moved the clip so that the water was pointed down the overflow and was able to replenish the water in the bowl. Big difference. It looked right, but wasn't right. Easy fix if you can catch it.

Horseshoe Bay in Canada on the way to Whistler BC.
There are a couple nice places for fish and chips on the way there and back. A nice sunny day in March. This is at sea level, with snow above.

And this is Pam at the ski resort.