Unclogging a Toilet

Comments OffWritten by KellyFiled Under: Edmonton Plumbing

Today I got a call to unclog a toilet in an office building.  I was told this particular toilet was plugging every month or two which made me think that it was time for a new one.  When I got to the job I had to auger the toilet three times to get the rid of the clog.  But we had success.

I then took a handful of toilet paper and placed in the bowl of the toilet and flushed.  There was a strong flush, which is generally the case with the first one after unplugging a toilet.  I took a second handful of toilet paper and threw it in and flushed again.  Again we had success.  I did this twice more and the flush was the same each time.

This tells me there is nothing that is in the toilet and everything is working well.  If there was something like a pen or stir stick or something that doesn’t quite make it around the S-trap doing this test would have quickly told me that.  I know I have said in my other posts or in some of my articles that s-traps are illegal, but in a toilet or urinal or any self filling fixture an s-trap is ok in Alberta.  I am guessing since we changed to the Canadian plumbing code back in 1990 that this is true for other provinces as well.

The toilet was Kohler, which I am not fond of.  These toilets are much more expensive than a regular toilet like an American Standard or Crane.  But this is not why I do not like these toilets.  I had a client once with a crack in their toilet in a house that was only three years old.  After calling the service department for Kohler I had quickly learned that these toilets only have a one year warranty.  This is odd as most toilets that I have installed have between a ten and twenty year warranty.   Why buy a more expensive toilet that might crack in two years and you have to go and buy another one at that time?

Back to the clogged toilet I fixed.  I thought since the toilet was older that maybe the reason the toilet was clogging so much because the rim holes or the siphon hole was plugged.  I have seen many times that a toilet does not flush as well if the rim holes and or the siphon hole is starting to clog up with calcium or or mineral deposits.  I have seen many toilets clog because of this reason or because someone uses those pucks that are meant for keeping your toilet clean.  Instead of cleaning your toilet small particles break off over time and clog your rim holes.  This causes the toilet not to break the seal for the s-trap and will not siphon out the water and waste in the bowl.

If you have this problem simply take a coat hanger and gently scrape away inside each one of the rim holes and the siphon hole.  Careful not to be to rough as you could break the holes and then you will need a new toilet.  Which may not be a bad idea as by the time your rim holes are filled with calcium your toilet is most likely over 20 years in age.

If you need a plumber in Edmonton for any plumbing or gas fitting needs please give us a call at 780-264-0878

Thanks,

Kelly

Kramer Plumbing and Radiant Heat

There are no comments - Add Your Comment!

Comments are closed.