Having problems with your toilet is always frustrating. After all, it’s not like you can stop using the toilet when it’s not working properly.
If yours is flushing slowly and seems to clog too often, you might be able to fix this issue alone. These tips will show you how to make a toilet flush faster so you can give it a little boost of flushing power.
Avoid using too much toilet paper
The first thing you can do to help your weak toilet is to avoid using too much toilet paper. The more toilet paper you use, the more difficult it will be for your toilet to make it all go down the drain.
If you need to use a lot of toilet paper for one reason or another, proceed in multiple steps. Use some paper, flush the toilet, and then use more paper. It might not flush your toilet faster, but it will help prevent clogs.
Try to unclog the toilet with a plumber’s snake
A clogged drain could cause your toilet’s weak flush problem. If the toilet is not draining or is extremely slow, you need to unclog it.
You can try using a plunger, but if you’re dealing with a serious clog, you should use a plumber’s snake. A plumber’s snake, or drain snake, is a device that consists of a handle, a long flexible pole, and a drill, which is a small metal spiral.
Simply insert that spiral inside the clogged drain and rotate the handle when it reaches the clog. The drill will either break out the clog or loosen it up. If you don’t feel confident doing this, use a plumber instead.
Clear the siphon jet and the rim jets of the bowl
You might need to clean up a few things to figure out how to make a toilet flush faster.
If your toilet is not clogged, the problem might be that the water has difficulty getting from the tank to the bowl. This can happen if the siphon jet and the rim jets get clogged by mineral build-ups.
To clear the siphon jet, which is the small hole at the bottom of the bowl, you first need to get rid of all the water in the bowl. Turn off the toilet’s shut-off valve and flush. You might also need a plunger to force water down the drainpipe.
When the bowl is empty, pour 2 or 3 cups of vinegar until it covers the clogged siphon jet. Open the toilet tank and pour more vinegar down the overflow tube.
Wait for at least an hour. You can then use a wire to remove mineral build-ups from the siphon jet and poke the rim jet holes to ensure they’re all clear. Flush the toilet and check if the problem is solved.
Adjust the water level of the toilet tank
The water level inside your toilet tank should be half an inch below the top of the overflow tube. If it’s lower than that, you need to adjust it.
To do so, use a screwdriver to adjust the height of the float ball’s arm. If you get it a bit higher, the water level inside the tank will rise, which should help your toilet flush faster.
Don’t try to save water with a brick or a bottle
Is there a brick or a bottle inside your toilet tank? If so, you probably put it there because someone told you it would help save some water.
The truth is that while it does save some water, it can also be responsible for a weak and slow flush. Remove that object from the tank, and check if your toilet flushes faster.
Adjust the chain of the flapper
While you’re looking inside the tank, make sure the flapper is well-adjusted and that it’s not damaged. If it is, replace it.
If the chain that allows the flapper to open when you flush is too long, it will not open fully. Less water will have time to flow down the bowl, which could be why you have trouble flushing properly.
To solve this problem, adjust the chain length until the toilet can flush with more power.
Decalcify the toilet pipes with an acidic cleaner
If nothing helps, you should try to decalcify your toilet with an acidic cleaner, such as muriatic acid. Calcium build-ups might have formed in the toilet pipes, making it more difficult for the water to go down.
If your toilet still has a weak flush after trying the acidic cleaner, you might need to call a plumber to the rescue. They will figure out what the problem is and fix it for you.