Why is the Toilet Draining Slow?
A toilet draining slow is a sure sign that something is wrong. Even if the water does eventually drain away, you shouldn’t ignore this warning sign – there is an issue somewhere in the system that needs to be solved. Let’s take a closer look at why your toilet might drain slowly and what can be done about it.
Do you need professional help to get your toilet back in proper working order or other plumbing needs? No problem – Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric would love to serve you. Don’t hesitate to reach out for more information or to schedule an appointment. We have served countless customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and we’ll be happy to solve this problem for you right away.
Obvious Reasons for The Toilet Draining Slow
For most people, there is an obvious reason that will come to mind when trying to figure out why their toilet is draining slowly – the toilet is partially clogged. If there is a partial clog in the drain, the water may still eventually get out, but it is going to take a while. This is a common cause of a slow-draining toilet, so it’s a logical place to start.
To attempt to resolve this issue, reach for your plunger and a pair of rubber gloves. Carefully put the rubber end of the plunger down into the toilet and create a seal around the drain. Work the plunger up and down to create suction and see if anything unclogs. If you see the remaining water in the bowl quickly evacuate and drain away, you’ve solved the problem and should be all set. Flush the toilet a couple of times after you are done to make sure it is back to flushing at the correct speed.
Another Potential Issue for The Toilet Draining Slow
If there is no clog in place in the toilet, it will be necessary to explore other options. For this, you’ll want to carefully remove the top of the tank on the back of the toilet and set it to the side. Now, examine the level of the water in the tank. If there is not enough water, the force of the flushing action will be lackluster, and the bowl may drain slowly as a result.
To determine if you need to add water, find the overflow pipe somewhere near the middle of the tank. This is a round tube that is open on the top and will allow any extra water in the tank to fall in and drain away. When your toilet is not in use, the water level in the tank should be roughly a half-inch below the top of this pipe. If you find that your water level is much lower than that, add some water until you come up to that point. With the added water, you’ll now have more flushing power and those slow draining issues should be a thing of the past.
One More Thing to Try
In most cases, one of the first two options we have presented – unclogging the toilet and filling up the tank – will do the job. If you have addressed both of those points and still aren’t getting good performance, there is one more thing you can try.
Around the top of your toilet bowl, on the inside, there are small little holes that let the water come into the tank and flush the toilet. You don’t think about these holes at all when using the toilet normally, but they are important and can gradually get clogged with mineral deposits. This is more likely in an older toilet that has been in use for many years. When these holes start to clog, the flow of water will be slowed, and the toilet may drain quite slowly.
Use a toilet cleaning product on these holes to loosen up the deposits that are getting in the way of clear water flow. Then, take something like a small brush to gently clean these areas and remove as much of the buildup as possible. If this was the problem, you should now be able to flush the toilet and have the water drain out as quickly as you would like.
Enjoying your home is much easier when all the various systems are working correctly. Plumbing is near the top of that list, considering how important the toilets and sinks in your home are to the overall comfort of the space. Bring in the experienced pros at Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric right away to solve your plumbing issues as quickly as possible. Thank you for visiting!
