Understand; however, I cannot replicate it. Each time the maint comes or when finally the plumber came, it flushed beautifully.

To an earlier comment: snake already applied. Plumber guaranteed there is no clog.

Again, it just swirls whether a lot or a little in the water. There is just no siphon; not like it sends some of the waste down - it sends nothing down. But not all the time.

Well, actually there is no suction except what you may get from siphon action.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Unfortunately, this problem highlights the joys of renting. Typically, landlords only care about one thing: your money. My advice: try and save up enough money for a down payment on a modest home.

Yes, homeowners are responsible for everything from the roof to the toilets, but at least you have more control over the place. You want a new Kohler toilet? No problem! You want new ceiling fans? No problem, simply buy and install. Of course, this requires you becoming an expert on HVAC, electrical, flooring, roofing, plumbing, landscaping, etc. you name it.

As I age, my desire to be the building maintenance man is in decline. I'd rather spend time reading books, hanging out with friends, etc but alas, I'm married to maintaining the house and the cars.

Merc lover - thanks but been there done that. I enjoy being able to lock up and travel. Kids are gone; dog died. No responsibility other than to my better half. If the bird feeder happens to go empty while we are gone, they will just have to look elsewhere.

I get it, I see why some people sell the house then buy either a house boat or an RV and hit the open road!

They really so work if you get a good one .

My city sends me updates on my water and electrical use, I have one Kohler low flow toilet (it's a tiny house) and many LED bulbs plus I put a shut valve off on the shower head and use it always, I'm consistently less than half of anyone else in my neighborhood's use of water and electric, I wash my cars using a hose bib etc. etc. .

It $ave$ Dinero and as I live in the Desert, water conserving is wise....

Maybe you can find a better small place to live.....

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

There is no suction until the siphon is started. Good toilets have a strong siphon jet down in the "hole" in the bottom of the bowl. If it's working properly, you should see the level in the bowl start dropping before you ever see any sort of swirling or level rise in the bowl.


If you have minerals in the water, it could just be that the siphon jets are plugged up. You can buy commercial acidic toilet bowl cleaner at Lowe's or Home Depot made by Zep in a gallon jug. Push out as much of the water as you can using a toilet brush, then dump the gallon jug in the bowl and let it sit for a few hours. If you have any mineral buildup or clogs in the trap, siphon, or waterways in the bowl, that should help dislodge or dissolve them. Try it in your most problematic toilet and see if it helps any at all.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Already done on my worst toilet; did not help.

As a landlord for 40 years I have never had a plug that was not caused by the user. I have spent thousands proving it though.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

To check the vent. Watch the water level critically on one toilet while you flush the worse one. If the vent is obstructed or indaquate you should see the level change a little in the watched one. Takes two people.


I have never been faced with the problem you have. Yet if the vent Was pretty well blocked the load in the first toilet will be compressing air perhaps ahead of it. With a good vent I do not think the second toilet will show any or even the slightest change. Just a thought and test.


Your toilet is also acting a little like some plastic toy for example is stuck in the trap neck. Other than you have two other toilets with about the same issue. The toys seem to get contained and float around in the neck sometimes.


American standard stuff was really good at one time. Stupid company that ruined themselves with bad products.


Why it works sometimes and not others is also interesting. A toilet problem should in general be pretty consistant.


Bowl filling up with no action is pretty serious.

Plumbers confirmed there is no plug. Although I have no idea how far down the drain they go.

It could be the outside pipe. I had to replace one of those once. Roots had gotten in the pipe through cracks. Maybe it is time to camera the pipes.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Thanks for information. I will try it.

__________________
Pro Chainsaw

Odd one but rather than something stuck in the trap. Sometimes buid up in the traps is subtantial. Substantially restricting flow. I just saw three toilets that were changed out because of that problem. It is not a hard deposit and was even present on the vertical down part of the traps. Flow is probably inhibited by the rough deposits. Enough the syphon effect is hard to start or weak. You have to pull a toilet to inspect for that or use a camera I suppose. Those traps should be cleanable outside the house. I have been having good luck with the elongated bowl types for personal replacements receintly. Of course over time who knows. No swirling action. The hole at the front of the trap is larger than average. That passage in your toilet if had a gunked up passage. Would also inhibit the start of the syphon substantially. Remember most toilets in homes only operate at gravity pressure.

That said I was in the washroom of a service station a few days ago and it had a simular elongated toilet. The flushing action was not as good I noticed. May have been the line out or the elongated bowl type I am using deterioates in function with time. I will tell you the flush is pretty impressive and is using little water. Water consumption not an issue with me as we are using wells in both places I have been installing them in. Those three toilets removed from a dwelling kind of suprised me. All had the same issue.

In service I can see there might be problems. It is not trap blockage per say. It removes the smootth face on the trap that creates excess turbulance probably. Without a camera to inspect for it you would have to pull the toilet.

I was thinking. If I were a plumber with only the large camera setup. I think I would be behind the times. With a small camera all the unseen areas may be inspectable in place.

If the plumber you had did not inspect properly. He cannot know without pulling the toilet. Replacement toilets are actually cheap today in comparison to most things. A decent seat for them is not a lot less.

Nobody wants to see crap go round and round. Another thing if a toilet worked well at one time. If there are no line problems. They are simple devices and should be made workable again in my opinion. Almost everybody changes them.

As mentioned the plumber should have gone up on the roof and ran something down the vent pipe. Obstructed vent presents back pressure against the syphon.

I guess everybody has toilet problems at one time or another. In life I seem to learn more than I want to know. You were right about one thing as well.

You are probably better off having an older plumber than a young one.

I want to add something as well. Plumbing code has been changed over the years. Tends to favor more venting. . Universal across north America I do not know.

Barry makes a good point ~ in the mid 1960's I was helping a plumber with just this sort of problem : when flushed sans paper & poop, it flushed perfectly every time .

In the end after we'd dismounted the toilet multiple times we discovered the baby (?) in the house had dropped a clear plastic disposable cup in and it was firmly stuck in the toilet's trap where it couldn't be seen and the snake went right through it .

I don't recall how we discovered it now pulled it out .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better