Reaming out a toilet

Caryc

Well-known Member
Bathroom toilet was not flushing like it used to do. I have been through this before. This toilet was replaced maybe ten or so years ago. When you have one that the flushing power starts to decrease on, put on a rubber glove and stick you hand down in it and you will feel the hole is smaller than it used to be.

I decided to try to ream it out. I turned off the water to it and emptied the bowl. Then, I poured a a whole bottle of CLR into it and let it sit over night. The next morning I started to work on it. The only tools I found effective are what you see below They are a brake adjusting tool and an auto interior removing tool. These are the only things that will fit in there to try to bust up the build up.

I should add here that I am on well water and I suppose it has lots of minerals in it. I started digging at it and was busting out stuff that was like a quarter inch thick. I finally got it to flush all right like it used to but I'm asking here if anyone knows of a stiff wire brush that will get into that hole. I'd rather use that once in a while than have to try busting out that build up again.

I guess what I'm looking for is something like a flexible saxophone swab but with wire bristles.


mvphoto48000.jpg
 

I think you either need a water softener or you need to start dumping some dairy milk stone remover in and letting sit for an hour about once a month. That will do a lot more than CLR.
 
(quoted from post at 11:02:58 01/19/20)
I think you either need a water softener or you need to start dumping some dairy milk stone remover in and letting sit for an hour about once a month. That will do a lot more than CLR.

But what would it do to plastic plumbing?
 

Several years ago I lived in a house with extremely hard water. The minerals would build up in the toilet pretty much the same as you described. 1 gallon of muriatic acid made short work of it. Get as much water as possible out of the bowl. Pour in the acid and cover the bowl with a sheet of cardboard to stop the fumes. Come back in 1 hour or less and flush the toilet. Job done.
 
I have gipy water well. From time to time have to descale it where cant be seen using muratic acid poured down overflow pipe. It smokes and boils for little bit.
 
I hate plumbing. Especially not knowing if any of the mentioned options will ultimately work. So my solution for $89 is to replace it with a new one.
My solution.
 
(quoted from post at 12:46:04 01/19/20) Muriatic Acid comes in a plastic jug.....(-:

I know, I have a case of it. I needed some for parts de-greasing and cleaning and had to by a whole case at Home Depot. I needed to take the zinc coating off some screws so "gun blue" would work on them. The muriatic acid worked well for that.
 
X2 I replace mine with ADAH, higher toilets.

If a toilet is limed up a little, muriatic acid will knock out some of the lime.
Wear protection, hold your breath. dump on the acid. Turn on the vent fan and run.
 
If you pour that acid in the "tank" it WON'T hurt any gaskets or plastic, but when you flush it, it also cleans out those holes around the rim. Used it several times after someone finally convinced me
that it would work. BUT, you gotta have every window/vent available open/working and you physically have to get the heck out of there for a while. Just sayin'
 
> So my solution for $89 is to replace it with a new one.

One has to wonder how it's possible to manufacture a toilet, ship it halfway around the world, then sell it at a profit for 89 bucks. And the price comes down to $80 each if you buy four!
 
(quoted from post at 13:05:40 01/19/20) I hate plumbing. Especially not knowing if any of the mentioned options will ultimately work. So my solution for $89 is to replace it with a new one.
My solution.

Not all toilets are equal. I have one that will flush bricks. Another toilet, different brand, needs help quite often, and it is NOT plugged or restricted in any way. Simply a difference in design. Thr toilet that needs help came from Menard's. The one that works every time came from a local plumbing contractor.
 
Make sure you COMPLETELY neutralize the acid with baking soda before flushing is you have a septic tank.

I have the same issue, I've yet to find anything that will fit at the angle needed to clean it regularly. I just scrape it out a couple times per year, I don't like to use the acid if I don't have to.
 
(quoted from post at 06:48:42 01/20/20) Make sure you COMPLETELY neutralize the acid with baking soda before flushing is you have a septic tank.

I have the same issue, I've yet to find anything that will fit at the angle needed to clean it regularly. I just scrape it out a couple times per year, I don't like to use the acid if I don't have to.

The acid will become neutralized when it dissolves the lime deposits.
 
The acid will become neutralized when it dissolves the lime deposits.
It takes a certain amount of neutralizing agent to completely neutralize a certain amount of acid. There's usually not much more than a teaspoon of lime deposits in the toilet, so there's not nearly enough to neutralize the muratic acid used. Last time I used it, I added at least a 1 lb box of baking soda before it stopped foaming.
 
(quoted from post at 09:24:29 01/20/20)
The acid will become neutralized when it dissolves the lime deposits.
It takes a certain amount of neutralizing agent to completely neutralize a certain amount of acid. There's usually not much more than a teaspoon of lime deposits in the toilet, so there's not nearly enough to neutralize the muratic acid used. Last time I used it, I added at least a 1 lb box of baking soda before it stopped foaming.

Thanks, I was wondering how much baking soda to use. Of course I could just disconnect the plumbing connection to my septic and just flush the acid out on the ground.
 
(quoted from post at 09:24:29 01/20/20)
The acid will become neutralized when it dissolves the lime deposits.
It takes a certain amount of neutralizing agent to completely neutralize a certain amount of acid. There's usually not much more than a teaspoon of lime deposits in the toilet, so there's not nearly enough to neutralize the muratic acid used. Last time I used it, I added at least a 1 lb box of baking soda before it stopped foaming.

I guess that depends on the hardness of your water. The lime deposits that I fought were MUCH greater than 1 teaspoon. Maybe even more than would fit in a 2 cup measuring cup.
 
(quoted from post at 13:41:28 01/20/20) The upstairs toilet in our house started not flushing well. Worked on it and piddled with it for a year, no results so I replaced it. Took old one out in the
backyard and busted it open looking for an obstruction. I could find absolutely nothing wrong with it. Ellis

Many years ago when I was married and had small step children in the house, one of the toilets stopped flushing. It wouldn't overflow but just would not make that final surge and the water drained out slowly.

I drove myself nuts trying to fix that thing. I even got a snake down it although I had a hard time doing it. I finally resorted to taking it up off the floor. What I found caused me to use some extreme expletives. Inside the toilet was the square plastic top off a spray bottle of Channel #5 perfume. With it being square, it nestled itself in there quite nicely so it would not go up or down.

Took a lot of beers to get over that one!!!
 
My BIL had one not working right & put it outside when he replaced it with a new one . The water left in it froze & broke a piece out. I needed something for my shop but couldn't afford anything at that time. I took it home & my plumber friend & I cleaned it out & cemented the piece back in. It still works ok today 44 years later.
 
Wife and I returned from a weekend getaway to find house not quite right. Learned youngest step son had a party, oh well I was young once. Noticed toilet wouldn't flush so dug septic by hand and called plumber. Got home next evening saw a Dorito's sack wadded up by septic, went into the house and said "now we know"! Wife insisted plumber "must have had a snack while working" so I just let it go as her little boys can do no wrong. lol Weeks later told story and friend of plumber said Gary had never seen a Dorito's sack plug an outlet before! Welcome to my world! Hat's off to all Step Parents!
 
(quoted from post at 10:15:45 01/19/20) Bathroom toilet was not flushing like it used to do. I have been through this before. This toilet was replaced maybe ten or so years ago. When you have one that the flushing power starts to decrease on, put on a rubber glove and stick you hand down in it and you will feel the hole is smaller than it used to be.

I decided to try to ream it out. I turned off the water to it and emptied the bowl. Then, I poured a a whole bottle of CLR into it and let it sit over night. The next morning I started to work on it. The only tools I found effective are what you see below They are a brake adjusting tool and an auto interior removing tool. These are the only things that will fit in there to try to bust up the build up.

I should add here that I am on well water and I suppose it has lots of minerals in it. I started digging at it and was busting out stuff that was like a quarter inch thick. I finally got it to flush all right like it used to but I'm asking here if anyone knows of a stiff wire brush that will get into that hole. I'd rather use that once in a while than have to try busting out that build up again.

I guess what I'm looking for is something like a flexible saxophone swab but with wire bristles.


mvphoto48000.jpg

Oh my, I remember the time I was dealing with the same problem and it was such a pain. It's fairly common for toilets in hard water areas to develop calcium deposits.
As Tony already said, "I hate plumbing" x2

Guys already recommended muratic acid treatment, worked for me as a charm, but be careful with it - concentrated amounts are harmful. You pour it only down the overflow of the flush valve assembly. It might take 2 or 3 attempts, depending on how much buildup there is.
Final step is to route all holes with a tiny wire brush (I found them at hardware stores) and clean underneath rim with a brass brush. Takes about an hour to clean and then flush normally after filling the tank.

Good luck!
 
My folks spent a good amount of money on a fancy self-maintaining water softener that the plumber GUARANTEED would work. The hard water ruined it in 6 months, and while it was working we never really noticed any difference. Of course the water softener wasn't guaranteed against hard water so the plumber's word meant nothing as usual. Typical backwoods plumber with a captive audience, full of empty promises and ready to shaft customers at the drop of a hat. Still in business because he's the only game in town.
 
(quoted from post at 11:00:29 01/28/20)
dereksh,

I'm curious as to why you say to pour it down the overflow pipe only?

Wondering the same thing. The "booster port" does not flow much water until a vacuum is created or the water level drops below it.
===== =====
To the OP.

Look for a tool called a EZT-406 Standard Flexible Rod Cleaning Brush. They are made to be used for cleaning P-traps on AC units. They fit snug in a 3/4" pvc pipe and I have never used one on a commode booster port. So I can not say if one will fit or not. Just throwing it out there in case it is something like what you are looking for.
 
(quoted from post at 11:00:29 01/28/20)
dereksh,

I'm curious as to why you say to pour it down the overflow pipe only?

Hmm, I was told to do this thing since this will send the muratic acid through the bowl rim (the same way like if you were flushing the toilet).
 
(quoted from post at 00:08:38 02/03/20)
(quoted from post at 11:00:29 01/28/20)
dereksh,

I'm curious as to why you say to pour it down the overflow pipe only?

Hmm, I was told to do this thing since this will send the muratic acid through the bowl rim (the same way like if you were flushing the toilet).

Ok, now that I think about it, if you just poured a gallon of the acid right in the tank and flushed it, it would come out of the bowl rim too but only for a short time. If you slowly poured it down that tube it would keep coming out of the bowl rim holes.
 
(quoted from post at 14:15:45 01/19/20)
Then, I poured a a whole bottle of CLR into it and let it sit over night.
mvphoto48000.jpg

CLR is merely an extremely weak solution of phosphoric acid, I believe under 5%; doggone near useless. Best thing for dissolving those deposits is the CIP "milkstone" acid used in dairy pipelines. It's close to 50% phosphoric acid and a gallon costs about as much as 8 oz of CLR. Our water is so hard you have to chew it, plugs up coffee maker in a matter of weeks. I dump a half cup of that acid in and she bubbles and steams briefly, dump, rinse a few times and coffee machine is like new again. An once or so in the pup's SS water bowl, slosh around, rinse and it shines like new; cheap and very effective.

Jim
 
(quoted from post at 15:54:21 02/03/20)
(quoted from post at 14:15:45 01/19/20)
Then, I poured a a whole bottle of CLR into it and let it sit over night.
mvphoto48000.jpg

CLR is merely an extremely weak solution of phosphoric acid, I believe under 5%; doggone near useless. Best thing for dissolving those deposits is the CIP "milkstone" acid used in dairy pipelines. It's close to 50% phosphoric acid and a gallon costs about as much as 8 oz of CLR. Our water is so hard you have to chew it, plugs up coffee maker in a matter of weeks. I dump a half cup of that acid in and she bubbles and steams briefly, dump, rinse a few times and coffee machine is like new again. An once or so in the pup's SS water bowl, slosh around, rinse and it shines like new; cheap and very effective.
Jim

I assume that rubber gloves and eye protection are in order when handling the stuff?
 
[/quote]
Probably a good idea, I've occasionally immersed faucet parts in a cup of it and fished them out without benefit of gloves with no ill effects. Like any chemical treat with respect, but it's nowhere near as nasty as muriatic acid.
 
(quoted from post at 17:07:58 02/03/20)
I assume that rubber gloves and eye protection are in order when handling the stuff?[/quote]

Thanks, that's good to know.
 

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