A clogged toilet is among the most frustrating things in any household. However, a weak flushing toilet can lead to a slow, stinky disaster that is a lot worse.
Sometimes low water in the tank can cause a weak flushing toilet. Other times clogged holes around the rim can lead to a weak flush performance. Either way, here are some quick tips to help get rid of the problem and boost the flushing power of your toilet.
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Why is a Powerful Flush Important?
Since a powerful flush forces waste down the drain in one go and stop it from coming back up, it is essential to keep your toilet clean and hygienic. A strong flush also saves you from having to flush the toilet multiple times. Toilets that require multiple flushes are considered a weak and less desirable choice.
Tips to Make a Toilet Flush Stronger
Here are 5 ideas to make a toilet flush stronger.
1. Test for Clogs
Testing for toilet clogs is the first step toward making your toilet flush stronger. Even if your toilet is not completely clogged, waste build-up over the years can cause the toilet to clog partially, which can affect the flushing performance.
Pour a gallon of water inside the bowl, and if the water struggles to flush, it means that the toilet is partially clogged. Use a plunger or snake to clear the pipes.
2. Vinegar
You can also use vinegar to improve the flushing efficiency of a toilet. A vinegar soak is a lot more proactive and effective than simply checking for clogs. First, open the tank lid and remove the fill hose that varies by toilet model. Now, put a funnel inside the overflow tube carefully, and fill it with vinegar.
Leave it for a couple of hours then, put everything back the way it was. Flush the toilet and you should notice a significant difference in flushing power. The vinegar should quickly and gently remove the build-up in your toilet and pipes.
3. Reset Your Water Level
Toilets flush by releasing water from their tanks into the toilet bowls, then refilling the tank for the next flush. The tank knows that as soon as the floating rubber device drops below a fill line, it is going to need a refill so, it keeps filling the tank until the floating rubber reaches the fill line again.
Open the tank and locate the float and the fill line. Activate the flush while keeping the lid open and watch the water release into the toilet bowl and then fill back up. Check to see if the tube stops refilling before the float reaches the fill line. If it does, ย the toilet wonโt perform a fully efficient flush. Adjusting the float is pretty easyโyou have to position it to connect it to the refill tube. Now, flush again and see if it is working correctly.
4. Clean the Rim
Water enters the toilet bowl through several jet holes that are located around the upper rim. These jets control the pressure and the flow of water as it flows into the bowl. The flow of the water creates the centrifugal force required to boost the efficiency of the flush.
Over time, these jets tend to accumulate dirt and waste build-up, which leads to a partial clogging of these jets and making it harder for water to flow effectively. The water struggles to clear up the blockage inside the jets, which is why you get a weaker flush.
Locate the jets under the rim. You will quickly notice build-up and clogging around the nozzles. To clear this up, use a heavily watered-down bleach or a vinegar solution and an old toothbrush or wire brush to scrub away the blockage and obstruction on the nozzles. When you are finished, clean the toilet thoroughly with bleach or a standard toilet bowl cleaner.
5. Switch Toilet Models
If nothing seems to increase the flushing power of the toilet, you can also consider buying a new toilet that is designed in a modern way. Pressure assist toilets consist of bladders that hold water under pressure. These toilets are more expensive than most traditional toilets but have a strong flushing performance.
Vacuum-assisted toilets contain plastic tanks that generate suction action in the tank as the water releases while sucking the waste out of the bowl, generating a lot more flushing power than conventional toilets.
You can also replace the pipes that connect to the toilet. When pipes get old and you havenโt replaced them in a long time, it can lead to a slower flushing performance. ย Changing the pipes is a small change that can make a huge difference.
Summary
In conclusion, these few tips and tricks can help you increase your toilet’s flushing power and you wonโt need a professional! A few adjustments here will prolong the life of your toilet and help maintain its top-notch performance.