Blocked toilet rim holes

[lngrid]

Hi. I live in an apartment that's 30 years old. The toilet flushes slowly because of blocked rim holes, but the manager hasn't done anything about it. With the economy the way it is, the management company has bigger problems than my toilet. I saved all the letters I've been written as proof of their nonresponse and I'm willing to fix it myself.

Looking under the rim of the toilet, 17 of the 21 rim holes are blocked. I've tried to open them with a bent coat hanger but they seem to angle sharply toward the front of the bowl. I've read that you can pour muriatic acid down the overflow pipe to clear them, but would someone please explain clearly how to do that? Do I block all the holes with something to hold back the acid while it clears all the debris? How long do I let it sit? How much do I use?

Luckily this bathroom has both a window and a fan, so I can get good ventilation going.

 

[havasu]

Before using muriatic acid, which is extremely caustic, I'd recommend using C-L-R, let it sit, scrub it, and them more C-L-R. I use it all the time to eliminate calcium build up in all the little holes on my shower sprayer, and it works great!

 

[lngrid]

But we're talking three decades -- 30 years -- worth of buildup here. This toilet was new when Apple first released Macintosh computers. John Lennon was still alive. No one had even dreamed of AIDS yet.

I don't mean to be rude, but we aren't talking about the buildup on the little holes in your showerhead, here.

In using the acid, I would use the same caution I use in the chemistry lab and also when I make soap, which I do using highly caustic lye: heavy rubber gloves, safety glasses, large shirt (no lab coat at home) for catching spatters, neutralizing solution within reach, windows open and fan on.

 

[johnjh2o]

All havasu is saying is that C-L-R may give you the same results as the acid with less of a chance of causing damage to the toilet or to you. Also keep in mind that there is a gasket between the tank and the bowl that may be compromised by the acid.

John

 

[DFBonnett]

OP,
We had the same problem with the upstairs commode because the Mrs insisted on using those blue tabs that make the water "pretty". Eventually the blue guck clogged those holes. I shut off the supply valve and flushed then filled the tank all the way up with hot water from the tub. Flushed again. Repeated this a few times. The hot water seemed to have dissolved whatever was clogging those holes. Turned supply back on. The problem has not recurred. The blue tabs aren't being used any more either.
FWIW
YMMV

 

[johnjh2o]

OP,
We had the same problem with the upstairs commode because the Mrs insisted on using those blue tabs that make the water "pretty". Eventually the blue guck clogged those holes. I shut off the supply valve and flushed then filled the tank all the way up with hot water from the tub. Flushed again. Repeated this a few times. The hot water seemed to have dissolved whatever was clogging those holes. Turned supply back on. The problem has not recurred. The blue tabs aren't being used any more either.
FWIW
YMMV

Good bye to the blue tabs. Those things have been a huge problem for may plumbers. You get that stuff on your hands and it stays with you for quite some time. Many of the toilet manufactures say the use of them will void there warranty. Hooray for the manufactures.

John

 

[Draindit]

Calcisolve down the overflow or the flush valve inlet will be safe and will disolve the gunk. Just got to make sure the water shuts off all the way to the tank and get as much out of the tank and toilet insides with a shop vac.

 

[pasadena_commut]

I know this is an old thread, but Calci-Solve does not look all that safe to me.

https://www.nucalgon.com/media/4458/4134_sds_eng_v21.pdf
It is just a fancy form of hydrochloric acid at a concentration similar to muriatic acid (exact concentration is not shown on the safety sheet) with a corrosion inhibitor (propargyl alcohol) mixed in, and it looks like some dye and maybe a bit of perfume. Apparently the idea is that the inhibitor somehow gets between the acid and any metal, so that the acid can work on calcium buildup without corroding that metal, all the while NOT getting between the sediment and the acid. That would be an awfully tricky bit of chemistry to get right. Maybe they did, or maybe they didn't.

For use in a toilet bowl the magic chemistry isn't needed, just use muriatic acid (readily available, has to be cheaper) and flush the drain system thoroughly when it is released from the bowl. If you were really worried about chewing up downstream iron pipes add baking soda slowly until the fluid is neutralized, then flush.

 

[arctic bill]

I used to use 50/50 roll of solder , I would cut off a price and clean out all the holes manually