toilet flushing problem

[shan]

I have 2 bathrooms in my house in which I installed identical elger brand toilets. In one I have a 4" cast iron drain line in the other I have a retrofitted 3" ABS flange that goes about 2-3' to the main 4" cast iron line. The 4" line seems to flush WAY better than does the 3" ABS line. Is this common? Should I pull the whole bugger out and reinstall a 4" line? Seems kinda silly to get a low flush toilet that I need to flush 2-3 times to get all the doo doo to go away. What say you all?

[DUNBAR]

Check the operation of the fill valve and flush valve/flapper inside this toilet that's malfunctioning.


It could be a setting that's not allowing the toilet to operate properly.


All toilets are designed to operate on the minimum, 3" waste line.

[shan]

Ok checked the operation. The tank is filled right up to the water line mark on the plastic tube in the center of the tank. When I operate the handle the flapper stays up only long enough for about half the water to go into the bowl then closes. If I hold the handle down obviously the whole tank drains and the toilet flushes better but that happens on the other toilet as well and it seems to flush better without holding the handle down.

[PLUMBER RICK]

shan, does it plug?, or just require a second flush?

it might be a toilet or vent issue. is the pipe accessible to look at or take pictures?

rick.

[shan]

Mostly it just requires second flush but sometimes it plugs up. I am very amateur plumber and installed the drain line as well as the vent. It is a 2" vent line dedicated to only the toilet. I just went and looked and it is more like 6' before the 3" feeds into the main 4" line and I installed it with a pitch in between 1/8" and 1/4" per ft. I can take pictures but not tonight I am studying for my contractors exam (very UNstimulating material I might add)

[PLUMBER RICK]

Mostly it just requires second flush but sometimes it plugs up. I am very amateur plumber and installed the drain line as well as the vent. It is a 2" vent line dedicated to only the toilet. I just went and looked and it is more like 6' before the 3" feeds into the main 4" line and I installed it with a pitch in between 1/8" and 1/4" per ft. I can take pictures but not tonight I am studying for my contractors exam (very UNstimulating material I might add)

actually it's better to take the contractors crash course than trying to make heads and tails over all the legal mumble jumble:rolleyes:

you should already know the trade. it's the business law that needs the help;)

is the flapper adjustable. is there a foam float on the chain? eljer is not very common here, unless you go to home depot. so i'm not familiar with its flapper assembly.

there are plenty of adjustable flappers that will allow you to fine tune your flush.

rick.

[JCsPlumbing]

Flappers, floats, flushvalves are often out of adjustment right out of the box. Identical toilets can be different. Sounds like the chain(sometimes rubber or plastic molded into the flapper) handle, or flushvalve might just need a little adjustment. Can be aggravating at times. Look in the tank of the one that operates correctly at how it flushes/the mechanics going on. (Amount of water, how long the flapper floats, position of chain) The other should be very close to this. If not, there's your problem and adjust it 'til it matches.

Based on what you've stated, it should not be your rough in plumbing.

J.C.

[Devine Plumbing]

You simply have a severe case of toilet-in-a-box syndrome. The only way to cure this problem is a couple of whacks with a good framing hammer. Time for a Mansfield or Kohler.

[shan]

They have a plastic ball float. The assembly is almost identical although I did replace the plastic handle on the one that functions better. They both seem to use about the same amount of water from the tank when flushed. I am perturbed. It is a home depot toilet and I like Devines advice although I dont think my wife would be best pleased with me if I told her "thats what the plumbing guy online told me to do to fix it" as I put the shattered remains in its plastic garbage bag tomb.

[Devine Plumbing]

HAHAHAHA. 2" does seem a little small for a vent, but I am by no means an expert.

[Masterplumb]

HAHAHAHA. 2" does seem a little small for a vent, but I am by no means an expert.

2" is small for a toilet vent?

[Devine Plumbing]

I have never seen a new-installation toilet without a proper 3" vent. I have seen many toilets work with 1 1/2", 2", and even with no vent at all.

[JCsPlumbing]

2" is small for a toilet vent?

Careful, you're about to expose the unlicensed-person-argument again.

J.C.

[JCsPlumbing]

I have never seen a new-installation toilet without a proper 3" vent. I have seen many toilets work with 1 1/2", 2", and even with no vent at all.

Believe it or not, there are DWV sizing tables in codebooks. ;):p

J.C.

[shan]

2" was what my plumbing book told me to install. Am I an idiot? It is dedicated vent. It seems adequate to me but like I said I am an amateur so I am just following code and the recomendations of my plumbing book.

[Devine Plumbing]

Careful, you're about to expose the unlicensed-person-argument again.

J.C.

Hence, the disclaimer. Maybe I should add it to my signature. If 2" will work, I guess you learn something new every day, just never seen or done it.

[Masterplumb]

I have never seen a new-installation toilet without a proper 3" vent. I have seen many toilets work with 1 1/2", 2", and even with no vent at all.

Oh yeah, you're right:eek:

[shan]

By the way, I submitted plans, pulled permits and had it inspected.

[JCsPlumbing]

They have a plastic ball float. The assembly is almost identical although I did replace the plastic handle on the one that functions better. They both seem to use about the same amount of water from the tank when flushed. I am perturbed. It is a home depot toilet and I like Devines advice although I dont think my wife would be best pleased with me if I told her "thats what the plumbing guy online told me to do to fix it" as I put the shattered remains in its plastic garbage bag tomb.

I'm not looking at your tank function, but it sounds like an adjustment.
Also not looking at your DWV, but based on your description it's not that.
Lastly, I have had a bad casting in a bowl (only a couple of times out of I don't know how many) that you could not make flush. Even took them outside, assembled them level on blocks, still wouldn't flush right. Replaced the bowl and.... WALLA! Worked.

But that's been rare in my experience. Sounds like an adjustment.

You might even be better off getting another flapper (OEM) or a universal one that may float better. Easier than yanking the toilet.

J.C.

[JCsPlumbing]

Wanna' experiment? Switch the flappers and report back. :D

J.C.

[ridgidpipe]

By our code in Ohio a 2 inch vent should be all you need . Our vents only have to be 1/2 of the size of the drain being served. Im just curious how long the toilets have been in and if something was flused down that should not have been . You might want to pull the toilet and make sure there is not something in there that might be causing a partial blockage. If you had this job inspected did you knock out the test cap going through the roof ?

[NHMaster3015]

You guys all missed it. He said it was a Home depot toilet in a bag. They NEVER flus worth a crap (ha ha) You could have a 20' verticle drop with a 12" vent and it still wouldn't flush.

By the way, the IPC code for wet venting toilets allows and unlimited distance from the toilet connection to the available vent and the vent size can be as small as 1 1/2". That's because theoretically, a toilet being a s trap fixture needs no vent at all to function.

[NHMaster3015]

By the way, those H.D. toilets are pure wash down action, no siphon at all and they ahve a narrowed 2" water way and a real crappy trap design and what do you want for 49 bucks?