Question: Toilet constantly flushes slow and will not fully empty solids. We have never had this problem before and we do not know how to fix a toilet. Even if we flush the toilet multiple times it does the same thing and solids do not empty properly. Can you give us some tips and advice?Toilet Is Not Clogged But Drains SlowThe problem is most likely not from your actual toilet. You probably have a partial blockage in the pipe. The easiest way to fix this is to first try a toilet plunger. (Get this type of plunger as it works better with toilets) Use the plunger in the toilet and push down and pull up and push down and pull up making sure the plunger has an air seal. You want to only push the water down into the pipe not any air. So position the plunger properly so you are only moving the water up and down. This will force the blockage (piece of plastic or something that was accidentally flushed into the toilet) to move back and forth and back and forth and will eventually get it loose.

If the plunger method works, it will let your toilet flush normally again. If this does not work, try the process one more time. If your toilet still drains slow and won’t fully empty, read on below. (Note: Some toilets have air pipes that go out the roof, if this air pipe is clogged, this toilet flushing issue will occur, check roof pipe if applicable)Puppies For Sale Frederick MdToilet Water Flow Clogged From RoofInspect the toilet for proper operation. Power Window Repair GeelongRemove the tank lid and look inside. How To Replace A Hp G70 Laptop ScreenBe sure the toilet flapper assembly is properly connected to the flushing handle. The small metal or plastic chain should not be long enough to let it get stuck or hung up. Move the chain onto a different hole on the handle flush bar if necessary to fix this.

If the chain has too much play in it, it can hang up and the flapper will not seal and the toilet will constantly run water. Flush the toilet to be sure the flapper works and positions properly. Make sure the water exits the tank with no problems. If the water drains very slow then the air pipe or the sewer pipe may be clogged. This may involve a professional plumber with a plumbing snake to fix it.Another issue that can cause this type of problem is the toilet wax ring under the toilet. The wax rings purpose is to make an airtight seal between the sewer pipe and the toilet. (See image above for wax ring location) This airtight seal makes it so the water leaving the toilet makes a vacuum which pulls any solids down and into the pipe. You can usually tell if the wax ring is not sealing if you smell the odor from the sewer line under the toilet. That air will find its way in between the toilet and wax ring if there is a problem with the wax ring. If you suspect the wax ring under the toilet to be the issue, you can replace it yourself.

Here is how to replace the wax ring on your toilet.If after replacing the wax ring the toilet still drains slowly, then the sewer pipe is clogged. It will be your responsibility to pay for cleaning it out if it is between the main sewer line and your house. Somewhere, there should be a clean out opening near the main line. From the clean out opening, your water company or your County takes over from there. If you have tried everything and you are sure your toilet is operational, there is no issue with the toilet wax ring, and the pipes you are responsible for are cleaned and free of any blockage, call your water company. Tell them the issue and see if they can send someone to check. If you are not sure if the issue is on your side or the water companies, it may be best to call a professional plumber even before calling the water company. Tell them the issue in detail and see what they recommend.Use a toilet auger or plumbing snake to unclog toilet pipeIf calling a plumber and spending about $150 to have them come out and snake your pipes is too much money for your budget, you can do it yourself if you buy your own plumbing snake or toilet auger.

They are easy to use and are a good investment as any other plumbing clogs or blockages you have in the future you can repair yourself.If you know of other ways to fix a toilet that drains slow and will not completely empty when flushed, please leave a comment below to assist our other readers. You are hereHome:Toilet Help:Troubleshooting We are committed to providing you with all the tools needed for your toilet repair projects. The videos below cover the following topics:Troubleshooting GuideFill Valve InstallsFlapper InstallsFlush Valve InstallsHow a toilet works Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5pm cstIn the ancient world people were capable of designing quite sophisticated toilets. Stone age farmers lived in a village at Skara Brae in the Orkney islands. Some of their stone huts had drains built under them and some houses had cubicles over the drains. They may have been inside toilets. In Ancient Egypt rich people had proper bathrooms and toilets in their homes. Toilet seats were made of limestone.

Poor people made do with a wooden stool with a hole in it. Underneath was a container filled with sand, which had to be emptied by hand. (If you were wealthy slaves did that!) In the Indus Valley civilization (c.2,600-1,900 BC) streets were built on a grid pattern and networks of sewers were dug under them. Toilets were flushed with water. On the island of Crete the Minoan civilization flourished from 2,000 to 1,600 BC. They too built drainage systems, which also took sewage. The Romans also built sewers to collect rainwater and sewage. (They even had a goddess of sewers called Cloacina!). Wealthy people had their own toilets but the Romans also built public lavatories. In them there was no privacy just stone seats next to one another without partitions of any kind. Despite the public lavatories many people still went in the street. After using the toilet people wiped their behinds with a sponge on a stick. In the Middle Ages toilets were simply pits in the ground with wooden seats over them.

However in the Middle Ages monks built stone or wooden lavatories over rivers. At Portchester Castle in the 12th century monks built stone chutes leading to the sea. When the tide went in and out it would flush away the sewage. In Medieval castles the toilet was called a garderobe and it was simply a vertical shaft with a stone seat at the top. Some garderobes emptied into the moat. In the Middle Ages wealthy people might use rags to wipe their behinds. Ordinary people often used a plant called common mullein or woolly mullein. Toilets in the Modern World In 1596 Sir John Harrington invented a flushing lavatory with a cistern. However the idea failed to catch on. People continued to use chamber pots or cess pits, which were cleaned by men called gong farmers. (In the 16th century a toilet was called a jakes). However in 1775 Alexander Cumming was granted a patent for a flushing lavatory. Joseph Brahmah made a better design in 1778. Thomas Crapper did not invent the flushing toilet.

That is a Historical Myth. However flushing toilets were a luxury at first and they did not become common till the late 19th century. Also popular in the 19th century were earth closets. An earth closet was a box of granulated clay over a pan. When you pulled lever clay covered the contents of the pan. In rural areas flushing lavatories did not replace earth closets until the early 20th century. In the early 19th century working class homes often did not have their own toilet and had to share one. Sometimes you had to queue to use it. In the 19th century toilet pans were made of porcelain. They were usually decorated, embossed or painted with attractive colors. Seats were of wood and cisterns were often emptied by pulling a chain. At first toilet bowls were boxed in but the first pedestal toilet bowl was made in 1884. Meanwhile the vacant/engaged bolt for public toilets was patented in 1883. A toilet bowl from Weald and Downland Museum However inside toilets were a luxury in the 19th century.

In the late 19th century working class homes almost always had outside lavatories. About 1900 some houses were built for skilled workers with bathrooms and inside toilets. However it was decades before inside toilets became universal. There were public lavatories in the Middle Ages and the 16th century. For instance we know there was one over the River Fleet at London. However public lavatories were rare at that time. Often people went wherever they could. In 1547 people were forbidden to go in the courtyards of royal palaces so presumably it must have been a real nuisance. The first modern public lavatory, with flushing toilets opened in London in 1852. Toilet paper went on sale in the USA in 1857. At first toilet paper was sold in sheets. It was first sold in rolls in the USA in 1890. It was first sold in rolls in Europe in 1928. Soft toilet paper went on sale in 1942. However after it was invented in the west toilet paper was a luxury. In the early 20th century many families used newspaper.

Today in rich countries we take toilets for granted yet in poor countries millions of people do not have hygienic toilets. Our word toilet is derived from the French word toilette, which means little cloth. In the 17th century it was a cloth cover for a dressing table, called a toilet table. If a woman was at her toilet it meant she was dressing and preparing her appearance. By the 19th century toilet room or toilet was a euphemism for a certain room. Our word lavatory comes from the Latin lavare meaning to wash. In the 17th century a lavatory was a place for washing. Later it became a euphemism for a certain room. On board a ship the toilets are called the heads. Originally they were just wooden boards with holes cut in them hanging over the sides of the ships. They were placed at the head of the ship. On land there are many euphemisms for toilets. One is 'the smallest room in the house'. An old euphemism for going to the toilet was 'going to spend a penny' because public lavatories used to cost one penny to use.