Need help - insufficient flushes from toilets
 

Ok, guys. For a little over two years I have been living in an apartment and from time to time each of the three toilets gives an insufficient flush. Not all the time but this should never happen.

What happens is this: the water and waste swirls and swirls but there is little or no downward suction. Sometimes it takes three flushes for a complete flush.

It happens throughout the day but I notice one toilet does it on the first flush of the morning. Thinking maybe the tank bled down during the night, I check the water level - full to the water line. Even holding the handle down and watching to see that the flapper does not flap down prematurely, it happens. Same with other two toilets.

Management sent out quite a young plumber today and he just said that there is no blockage on any of the three toilets. He left. Frankly I do not think he had much experience. He figured out what is not wrong; he did not figure out what is wrong.

Any idea what could cause this? Could the wax seal in all three toilets be failing after twenty five years of use causing some kind of air leak?

And I cannot replicate it generally; of course it flushes fine each time when the plumber is here.

Ideas? I think management just wants to let it ride and go no further to find out what is causing this. I do not know much about plumbing but I know this is not right. This never happened in my house over thirty eight years of living there.

Blocked toilet vent pipe?

Could this affect three toilets on two floors?

Septic or city/municipal system?

Do they all feed into the same vent pipe?

Try flushing mid job if it might be a big load.

As a landlord I'd say that 97% of the people never comment on toilets....the other 3% cannot be pleased.

I have a system in my office building which will plug right up if too thick of toilet paper is used. If they have trouble now, I send them a link for the right kind of easily disintegrated toilet paper.

Do you hold em to one square/wipe Tom?

Sounds like you got one of those low water use/flush toilets on a system that is not optimally designed/installed.

Atlanta municipal system. No idea about the vents; cannot see on the roof.

I have lived with it for almost three years and do not want to become a problem to the landlord.

What is strange is that it has a mind of its own; I never know when it will fail to complete a flush.

Youtube says hard water can clog up the small holes under the rim; that gives inadequate extra water when you flush and causes it not to evacuate. I do not think we have a hard water problem in Atlanta.

I bought a new Kohler toilet a few years ago. Recently, it began having problems flushing. I purchased a new Korky's flush kit from Lowes along with a new Korky's wax free gasket. The Korky's wax free gasket was a LOT easier to install than the previous wax set-up. There have been NO leaks since install.

I don't endorse many products but I gotta say, the Korky's universal kit totally transformed this toilet! It went from being a dead lawn mower engine to a 426 Chrysler HEMI!! have had absolutely NO problems since the Korky's universal kit install.

Now, it is a little bit louder but I'll live with that in exchange for the dramatic performance increase.:D:D

more fiber

No Flush
 

For me it was the Kholer toilet that finally stopped the endless occasional failure to "launch" ~ after I'd had all the original 1923 rotten cast iron gray water pipes replaced.....

Last year in the rental house after the fire we had the same issue and I found some GREAT two stage powdered stuff you pour in the toilet and flush then keep the water running ~ it mixes as it goes down the pipe and turns into a foamy mess that you leave sit (NO flushing, sink use etc. !) for 12 hours, the old clogged up pipe (this one had roots, serious roots) will be wide open .

I cannot find the order on Amazon, I *think* it was called roberks, or robecks or something like that .

The plumbers had claimed it needed a $10,000.00 re pipe and the land lord was selling so we were stuck, I paid about $125. for this stuff .

If I ever find what the stuff was I'll come back and post it here .

I *think* I found it Foaming Root Killer by Roebic Laboratories

https://www.amazon.com/Foaming-Root-Killer-Roebic-Laboratories/dp/B018HI700Y/ref=sr_1_22?dchild=1&keywords=roebic&qid=1593662466&s=hi&sr=1-22

Is it a water issue or a drain issue? Check to see how much water is in the tank. You may need to adjust the float To get a higher water level. I installed a pressurized system on the toilets and it’s a beautiful thing. Even though you rent you can install a pressure system on a standard toilet and just remove it when you move.

Please show us more on this...link? ...pics?

I have a section of drain pipes under the slab on grade building which are only 3" (which is legal but should not be) and possibly lacking somewhat on proper slope. IN any case if they put down the heavy quilty paper or so called flushable wipes it will plug right up.

I have a whole thread about it called grinder water closets toilet.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/off-topic-discussion/392673-grinder-water-closets.html?highlight=toilet

for big loads, keep cheap dish liquid on hand to add to toilet loads