My toilet flushes only halfway? I think there is a clog and i will have to snake it out. How much does?

Question

a toilet snake cost usually i wonder. Also since it flushes partially then it cant' be too clogged can it?

Update: I tried pipejets suggestion and although it is a fine suggestion that is not the problem. I have held up on the chain which makes the tiolet flush and i have kept it from closing when it wants to and still not all the water goes down the drain.

Someone just mentioned the floater being on a tube or whatever and that is the kind of operation i have in the back of my toilet, i don't have the floaty balloon type thing like i have seen before.

My theory is that there is an obstruction which is causing it not to get enough suction and that is why all the water is not going down.

I put some drano in it and one time it flushed completely then the next time i flushed it only flushed halfway again.
i think that supports the obstruction theory.
I don't know whether it is a low flow toilet or not i don't think it is but i do know that it used to flush completely and i also know that my other toilet is not having this problem.
My brother is a plumber and he will be here soon

Answer 1

In my experience, the obstruction is in the toilet. You need to remove the toilet and inspect it for toys. Once found a giant LEGO. Another time a half of a L'Eggs egg (old pantyhose package). Another time found a 3 inch action figure. Each of these was flushed by a child.

If there is not obstruction in the toilet....

Go to Home Depot and rent a motorized snake. Get up on the roof and run it down the vent pipe until you hit the obstruction. Keep going until it's gone.

NOTE: If the obstruction was in the pipes, not the toilet, the toilet would be overflowing often. Or overflowing into the bath/shower. If the bowl is running slow, it's probably in the toilet.

Answer 2

I like pipejette's answer, but I would caution you. If you plunge any obstruction down it may continue to obstruct even the drain pipe. best to try pipejette's suggestion. Then if that does not produce results you are satisfied with, remove the toilet as there may be a left over over-sized sanitary naplin from a house guest (or who knows what) crossing up the snake-type flush channel in the toilet itself. This can be removed by fishing a wire with a severe hook & keeping your eyes closed (yuck) then replace toilet. You don't want to have this insdie a bend or elbow in the drain. A lot of plumbing costs can be produced from going under house of digging up your yard. Let's hope this is a simple problem but just in case it's not a difficult thing to remove & replace the toilet, just be sure you replace the wax ring.

Answer 3

Try a simple test...Take the tank lid off and hold the flush handle down until the water starts to "spin" and go down. If the water goes down your flapper chain needs to be adjusted because it is closing prematurely and not allowing the waste to vacate the bowl which will cause a blockage in the trap. If you hold the handle and the water starts to come up to the toilet bowl rim, it means you have a blockage in the trap and it needs to be "augered" with a closet auger. Make sure if it does start to rise up that you push the flapper closed with your hand so it doesn't overflow onto the floor. Toilets are actually called "Water Closets" by those of us in the plumbing trade.
Good Luck,
Joe The Plumber!

Answer 4

Pipejette is spot-on. I'd add to his answer that there is another adjustment in the tank: the water level or float ajustment. If the float is adjusted to turn off the water valve before a sufficient volume is stored, you will be continually flushing too little water down the drain. vlaves that use a float on an arm can be adjusted either with the adjuster screw on top, or by simply giving a gentle bend so that the float is positioned higher. The valves that have the float that rides vertically on their shaft must be adjusted with the adjuster screw. Either way, a higher float will allow for more water volume to flush down through the bowl. I could come bend the arm for $2500. ;-)

20 years of penny-pinching home repairs

Answer 5

if you are saying it only flushes half way then i think you have a energy saver toilet that one press of the handle will only give you a half of a tank flush hence the energy saver, so to get a full flush you will have to hold the handle down a bit longer. on the older style toilets when you press the handle it flushed a full tank. PIPE'S answer is the next answer if you really have a blockage or a obstruction.

Answer 6

I have had this happen to me this time of year!!! POOR A BUCKET OF HOT WATER DOWN IT & Leave it for a minute - then flush. It may need the warmeth of the water to stop the cold water from freezing!

Worked like a charm for me!

Answer 7

I'm assuming that your fixtures are OK and toilet was plugged by a large load that got stuck.

Did you already try using a toilet plunger to vigorously push the blockage past the bends in your toilet?

Some low flow toilets are easily plugged.

Answer 8

inside your flush tank there is a ball- valve
which gets automatically closed after the water is flushed
I Think that this valve is punctured and therefore it aint gettig flushed complety

Answer 9

I saw a manual auger at 99 cent store. It cost 99 cents.

lightpulse

Answer 10

Hope you get it fixed, because a FLUSH beats a FULL HOUSE.