Did this help you? Let me know by leaving me a comment! Check out my Toilets 101 Playlist - kzfaq.info/sun/PLSpTuwsLqh7uAYWL-Zi_WEhsPMBCkWZQQ

There are a bunch of different videos out there basically explaining the same thing, but you definitely have put together the most comprehensive and concise explanation that I've seen so far. Thanks for this.

My toliet is less than 8 months old. Every drain in the house works fine. The other toliet flushes just fine. I ran a closet snake all the way through 4 times. Nothing was ever on it when I pulled the snake out. Cleaned all the jets, including the big ones in the front. There was hardly any mineral buildup. ones in the front of the bowl. I can't feel any mineral buildup in the siphon. It's very smooth. After cleaning all the jets, I poured hot water down through the flush side. It flushed twice perfectly. Then it's back to not flushing, and just staying full of water. I poured a huge pan full of warmed up vinegar into the fill side. None came out of the jets, it just came out of the siphon. We've never had to replace any showerheads, or aerators on faucets from minerals coming from hard water(12 years in the house). I'm baffled.

Thank you, Roger. The vinegar method fixed my problem of toilet not flushing. I never thought of the buildups of calcium and magnesium. First, I poured 1/2 gallon of vinegar and waited 4 hours. It improved a little, but no flush. Then, I poured 1 gallon of vinegar and waited overnight for about 10 hours. It worked. It saved me lots of money. And I learned something new. Thank you again for the video. God bless you.

Been struggling for months to figure out why wasn't flushing. Within a day you helped fix it. Thank you so much

Roger, I had NO idea that calcium could build up in the jet area of the toilet. I checked the jet on a toilet that wasn’t flushing and it was 100% blocked! San Diego water is harsh! Thanks so much for the easy (and free!!!) fix to my problem.

Wow the production on this video alone is amazing

I want to thank you so so much! We were about to buy a new toilet and spend $400. I watched your video and I cleaned out the hole in the bottom of the toilet that forces the water down. SO MUCH BUILT UP GUNK. You are a blessing for our wallets!

You are awesome!!!! I was about to replace my toilet and I cleaned the little hole thingy and it was full of mineral deposits...I broke it up and cleaned it out...now my toilet works! 🥰 thank you so much!

Holy crap, one of the best videos I’ve seen on KZfaq. Let’s take the context out, production is on point for a DIY. Bring the context back in, straight forward trouble shooting. Since I’m applying these principals I’ve learned from this video I might have a toilet that will flush again after just one flush lol ☝️

I’m to dumb to understand I’ll just wait till my mom comes home ✌️😗✌️

Love your work sir. Looks good Everytime and I enjoy learning from a person who doesn't cut corners on his work. You do everything your supposed to and you do it right. Hats off to you sir.

Good morning I tried the vinegar in the toilet and left it overnight it was awesome it worked very well thank you

Yess!! Thanks Roger! Toilet tank was flushing fine. No clog. Then you spoke of the siphon jet! I stuck my finger up there! So much hard water scaling it ripped my glove! Scraped it down. Flushes like new!! Thanks again!! ❤

i don't know too much but that ending go hard tho

Boy Roger you are a genius the hard water was so hard in the hole I thought it was the toilet bowl itself until I pushed and brushed it out. WOW the bowl works like a charm. Thank you very much. By the way a plumber was by and he didnt know what was causing it, that’s why I bought the flapper and fill I really didnt need them after all. Great job

Thank you! I used a pick and small screwdriver to clean my siphon jet. Huge difference! Was ready to buy a new toilet. You saved me hundreds! Thank you for your time!

Thanks, Roger. The siphon jets were clogged on both of my toilets and were causing them to not fully empty when flushed. This was the variable I was looking for and your video does a great job of explaining the possible problems.

Thanks Roger your video was helpful. Turns out my siphon/bowl jet had a lot of mineral buildup. I put CLR down the overflow tube and let it sit for 10 minutes. Thought it would dissolve the minerals more than it did. Ended up chipping it out with a carpenter’s nail set. Got out about a half a golf ball’s worth of calcium etc. Tested and works good again.

You’re a genius! I changed out the fill valve, Based on advice from a different video, and the toilet would still not flush. I started to watch your video, and when you talked about hard water, I knew that was our problem! I did what you said, put on a rubber glove and cleaned out that little hole in the toilet and BAM, the toilet flushes!!! Thanks so much!!! 💕 Melissa

Thank you soooo much Roger! It was the calcium buildup in the 2nd hole, the one actually in the toilet. I poured Vinegar in, left it for 40 minutes, and broke up the buildup using a paper clip that I stretched out. This problem was driving me crazy! Thank you thank you!!!!!! -Jen

😂😂😂😂😂 im dealing with this right now LOL I'll let you know if I find a fix. Toilet is 28 years old has new hardware. But I live or calcium buildup is bad. ATM im pouring works down the pipe and just gonna wait and see

I thought the issue was more severe, but just putting some gloves on and breaking up the buildup worked like a charm and now my toilet is flushing properly again. Fantastic video!

I cleaned the siphon jet as you suggested. It worked and the toilet now flushes fine. Thank you.

Roger, I took your advice. We have a well. Lots of hard water. Gonna replace the guts of the tank. When flushing, we were not getting the power we needed. Great video. Stand by for results after a trip to Lowes.

Thanks for this video. I have a toilet that doesn’t flush unless you pour water in the bowl. I cleaned out sludge in the water closet and took it off to clean it and replace all the innerds (float, refill, everything). I am trying to pour water into the bottom half where the water tank pours into. None of the liquid plumber with hot water or vinegar seem to work. So my last try will be to take the lower part off of the floor and rinse it. We found a baby tooth brush in a toilet like this in the past. In fact a few months ago I replaced the faucet in this guest bathroom and discovered a toothbrush in the p trap for the sink. Incidentally we had our grand babies over in thanksgiving so it could be whatever they did. Who knows. Anyway, sorry so long winded. If removing the bottom part doesn’t shake anything loose, I will go pick up a replacement. These were put in about 33 years ago. I don’t mind replacing them but wanted to go cheap if I could. Thanks for all your videos if you are still reading this long note. God Bless!

Great video! Spent an hour scraping out those jets, replaced the floater stuff inside the tank and the flapper in a 4 year old toilet and it still won’t flush all the way… water level is as high as it goes. Bucket pour into toilet makes everything go down no problems. Help?!

Roger your right on.In my circumstance the jet hole was plugged with Iron Bacteria from my private well.I used a screw driver to work out the material as hard as rock.I have annually shocked my well but chlorine does not all ways work.I don't have any filters or treatment utilities connected to my well and probably will never have.I was aware of the material from iron bacteria for ever and do have inline water filters on my washing machine to keep the water mixing solenoids from plugging I never gave a thought to the toilet until you mentioned it on your excellent video.PS. for any one reading this comment Iron Bacteria is not a health hazard just a nuisance.

Thank you very much, I had no idea that it could get clogged up and keep the toilet from being able to flush. I was focused on a blockage and wasted two days. I could have fixed it in 3 minutes. Thank you very much.

Thank you. this totally helped me. Stuck my finger in the hole, and it was like a rock cavern. Not sure about using my finger though. I had to bust out a small screwdriver and chunk off a few pieces. Worked! I feel like it will just come back in a few years, but for today, I worked. Thank you

This was great. I have an American Standard 4500 self cleaning newer unit that wouldn’t flush consistently. The water would swirl it only occasionally fully flush. Following your advice I put my finger into the opening located towards the front. I felt just a bit of buildup. I took an 18”piece of hollow 1/2” flexible rubber tubing and allowed it to follow the opening and flushed. Water came out of the tube but still no luck. Finally, this toilet has an opening on the top inside in which I put another 24” piece of tubing and ran it in as far as possible- Bingo! Toilet flushes great. There must have been some buildup in that area. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

I did the vinegar trick and it worked!!! Amazing. I had no idea I had hard water. I'll pour vinegar in that overflow tube on a regular basis now and let it sit over night. Thank you!!!

Just cleaned the jets with vinger down the pipe and grabbed a metal ceiling stringer from work, bent the tip 90 degrees an cleaned it. Didn’t have to get my hands dirty at all.👍🏽🍻

Soooo... you're saying that I should probably replace a 60 year old toilet that's in a house in the hard water capital of the nation Oklahoma 😊👍 now to convince the homeowner.... wish me luck! I get to go toilet shopping Side note- the "guts" were replaced about 10 years ago and have tried the vinegar trick (using Lime Away because I couldnt find CLR) with no joy. It's gotten to the point after using a closet auger, Liquid Fire (sulfuric acid), and plungers at various times, even two buckets of water won't push everything through. I know it's not my main line because all other sinks and drains work perfectly fine. Thank you for the info, will be bingeing on other vids for upcoming projects! Much love from Oklahoma!❤

Rodger, Thanks for a well done video explanation. 1/2 gallon of white Vinegar worked as the solution for the water retention issue with the toilet. Thanks! Have a great day.

After trying all these fixes this simple solution worked 100% It is most likely your chain is too short if that doesn't fix it then remove flapper and see if there adjustments on it, if so adjust to highest setting. Problem solved

The bucket test was very slow to drain, but after multiple buckets (5-6) of hot water the bowl drained normally. Thanks.

Such a Dope setup just to talk about toilets. Freaking awesome. Toilet podcast series.

Hi Roger.....love your channel. An update for you. Our toilet has not been flushing and cleaning out like it should. I've done the plunger thing but it didn't really help. Last night I watched this vid and got the situation fixed, for now. I shut off the supply, cleared the bowl and put 1/2 gallon of WHITE vinegar down the fill tube. I let it sit for a half hour and flushed. It's now working like it's supposed to and I have a happy wife again. This toilet is original to the house and is over 30 years old. It's in good enough shape, but I see new toilets out on the market that use 1.28 gallons or so, per flush. We're on a septic system, so if we can use less than half the current amount per flush, it looks like there are 2 toilets on my "honey-do" list. Reid Brogue, Pennsylvania

Have a toilet about 4 years old sits next to tub/shower. Sometimes will flush quickly it’s a water saver. But sometimes water just swirls yet the shower drains fine and even if used right after toilet flushed. Parts look still new but I’m gonna use the vinegar trick because the shower head has to be unstopped about every 2-3 months with either chemicals or using a straight needed. If this don’t work I can buy all the parts to rebuild the toilet for about $40 at Home Depot. Great video and will help me alot!❤

Well, I actually pulled the toilet because it was having the swirling water but weak, incomplete flush issue. I did discover that the Cast iron flange was broken which was the cause of the slight rocking but I knew it was not the cause of the flush issue. The drain stack looked clear also so I knew it was the actual toilet that had the problem. That's when I discovered the calcium build up in the siphon jet. I never heard of this problem before so I searched KZfaq and found you. I cleaned it mechanically and then soaked it in CLR. Toilet flushes like new! Thanks for the confirmation. I will periodically soak it in M Acid or vinegar to keep it clean.

Thanks to you my toilet flushed completely for the first time in weeks! I told my family they can call me a plumber and give me a raise now 😉😆 (It was mineral build up in the jet)

Theres a third issue that can cause this. The round plastic flapper float clip comes off and plugs the shoot hole. Took a lot of finessing with 90* needle nose pliers to get it through a hole smaller than the clip. I recommend cutting this clip down to a size that will fit through the shoot hole in the case it comes off.

Thanks!

Roger Wakefield, you changed my life. Hard water deposit in the bowl channel. Got a screw driver and a finger in there and cleaned'er right out. Wow!

Thanks for the video. Yes, toilets made before the early 1990s (Jan 1, 1994 to be exact) typically used around 3.5 gallons per flush, while very old models before the 1970s can used as much as 7 gpf and a new 1.28 or less gpf toilet can pay for itself very quickly just in water bills when replacing a pre- 1970s toilet. While it is true that the first gen 1.6 gpf water saving models from the mid to late 90s were notorious for sluggish performance often requiring more than one flush and even using more total water than a 1980s 3.5 gpf model, the latest pressure assisted toilets offer superior performance compared to older water wasting models while using a fraction of the water.

I literally JUST did this with the vinegar, and it worked! Thank you!

Fixed my problem in 3 seconds thank you!

Good man, straight to the point for ever situation! Thank you very much man!

Hey Roger thanks for the great video. I definitely learned something new today lol. I usually just try my best to get the toilets replaced.

Love what you’re doing my Plumber

I did exactly what you said regarding the vinegar and it worked! Thanks.

Thank you thank you so much, I couldn’t stick my finger inside of that siphoned jet hole and even with a rubber glove I couldn’t do it, so I did the second option of pouring vinegar inside the overflow tube and worked and the water is now funneling down!Thank you again!

Thank you for this. I watched and read way too many things about a weak toilet flush. This was the first place where the siphon key was even mentioned. My problem was a clogged siphon jet. Seems like the inside of the bowl is coming apart, and it actually clogged with pieces of itself. (?!) Probably need a new toilet, but at least for now I have a strong flush again!

Yes! This video fixed both of my toilets. There was calcium buildup in the jets.Thanks! I did let the vinegar sit for two hours and scrapped the inside of the bottom jet with a small tool.

Thanks for info! My issue was a clogged siphon jet hole. Broke up calcium and alls well again!

Thank You so much!! Our toilet is flushing now! It was hard water buildup. Awesome video...thank you!!

This is amaaaazing. You've savéd me at least €200. Thank so much

While I appreciate the information I would be so very grateful if you could give a visual presentation on the process

Had to make sure I watch your vid before anybody else's... I guess I'm a plumber today

What if my toilet is a little over a year and we have used the toilet cleaner from Lowe’s and we get mixed results sometimes we get it to flush right sometimes it just swirls and dumps some water but not all?

Thanks for the great video. I was able to fix my issue with your help. Calcium build up in the siphon jet.

Thanks!! I just did the siphon thing and I unclogged the siphon jet!!

Thanks very much the hot water alone with the plunger worked perfectly. Thanks so much . It’s working great ‼️😂😂

Thank you sir

if your tank isnt filling fast enough its either from a bad o ring in the fill v alve, clog in the fill valve, clogged in the section of pipe before your angle stop, rust or other stuff plugging your supply hose, bad flapper that doesnt close all the way and lets water seep down into the drain potentially. personaly if you do the easy check wit the diafram and that doesnt work just replace the whole thing and solve potentially all issues with the fill valve. also be sure to check if your hose is plugged by disconnecting it from the toilet and spraying it into a bucket to see if the pressure is good.

Hi You made me to choose my choice! Replace or buy!

Thank you Sir it was my jet and I cleaned it out and works great 👍

Never even thought about calcium deposits building up. My jet was completely blocked SOLID. Thank you!

Damn! that info was something new, calcium and magnesium, thank you so much Roger.

You're a genius! Cleared out the calcification build up and works great now

My toilet is brand new. Paid a handyman to install it. The water goes down with plenty of force, but sometimes it fills and drains slowly. I noticed the sink doing that recently, too. I will try the vinegar. Old place, old pipes.

It works! Thank you

Thank you, the Calcium build up was the problem, I added Baking Soda with the Vinegar and it work very well, with no more issues. Thanks,

Just fixed my toilet bowl in 20 seconds because of the build-up in the Siphon Jet hole. Thank you!!!!!!

Thanks Roger...great video.

Why does he look like the prime plumber lol

OMG!! My toilet hasn't fully flushed in MONTHS! I had tried and bought EVERYTHING!! I have watched a dozen of videos. Yours is the one that has finally helped! The siphon jet was soooo clogged. Thank-you thank-you thank-you!!! You are a life saver!!! You've saved me hundreds of dollars I was about to call a plumber or buy a whole new toilet.

I’ll have to try this. My kids toilet don’t flush at all water goes up a little then drains back down to where it should be. Taking a plunger to it will make it drain down below where it should be but then fills back up to were it should be, but even dumping water into it just fills it up then goes back to where it needs to be. The back of the toilet is also taking a bit longer to fill up than it normally does, not sure if this will fix that or not, but when I flush I noticed the water doesn’t do the swirl like it should, just kinda fills up. Also noticed that when I flush it only empties like maybe 1/2 the tank into the bowl if that, I have to hold the handle down for it to send the amount needed into bowl but it comes out slow. So might be a combo of multiple things wrong with it

Plumbers don’t get enough love and not damn near enough pay god bless

Thanks

love your set up

So mine seems to release too much water and the syphon jet had a big air bubble release which prevents the water to flow smoothly. Thoughts on how to fix that?

Trying to fix one toilet in my house that has a power assisted flush. Flushmate, I think. Great job with your videos. They're well done,

Muratic Acid works well for a lot of things but care must be exorcised with it`s use especially in a small space as the fumes can very quickly overcome a person and drop them to the floor much like ammonia can. So be safe !

What are the best new toilets to purchase?

My toilet is about 10 years old and it isn’t flushing properly unless i hold the handle down for a while. I replaced my flapper and fill valve and the water seems to be flowing strong filling the tank. However even with all that it still does the same thing, as if the flapper is staying up long enough to allow the water to flush. Help or should my toilet just be replaced

Thanks for the video the vinegar worked good.

*** Could I ask my ? First please ? I have a Mansfield toilet . I replaced the flush handle twice and now zi have STEAL & COPPER BY KORKY but ,it too just cant lift that plunger up When I do manually , it works fine . Flushes great . ( smart toilet) Giggle giggle . It' really hard to pull up ! This was the most Informative Calmest East Video to watch ever . Could I please have a very close close up of the hole you said to pour the vinegar in?

Excellent video, sir

I was using the toilet started flushing my toilet but it didn’t make a sound after flushing the toilet. I found it weird also it doesn’t refill the water, so I have to touch a tube to refill the water of the toilet and then flush the toilet. What could be the issue?

great vid thank you

I was ready to buy a new toilet until I found your you tube video!!! Thank you very much. I guess we have hard water, the vinegar did the trick.

Here I am sitting on the toilet at 3 am watching this video

Grateful for this channel!

We have very hard water, i have tried with vinegar so many times, changed the flapper, adjusted the flapper and chain, flush is anemic. its not a clog and vent stand pipe is clear. sometimes it flushes great, other times requires 2-3 flushes. The water bubbles up the overflow during a flush so sounds to me its a blockage in the jets restricting flow. Toilet has a 3" flush valve so should be plenty of water flow. toilet is just over 3yrs old. Any suggestions on where to find muriatic acid? haven't had much luck.

Can I use something else besides vinegar or acid to pour down overflow valve ??? Rust out products maybe ?

Ilove everything about this but i have to say the handle bar mustache and cartoon character intro was my favorite

I subscribed because your videos are very helpful and professional

On the acid, straight or pre-mixed?