Toilet doesn't like large "donations"

[Steve_K2]

Asking for advice and guidance, please.

Downstairs toilet fills almost to overflowing when I make an extra- large "donation."

A plunger clears the clog. Has never (yet) overflowed.

This has been going on about three months.

What I've tried:
1) Diluted muriatic acid per YouTube instructions.
2) Replacing the fill valve with a new Fluidmaster.

Background info that might be useful:
-- San Antonio TX, 14-year-old house in 200-house subdivision.
-- No children in the house, so no chance of toys, handi-wipes, etc, ever placed in the toilet.
-- No other plumbing problems. Other two toilets work fine (though, now I think of it, the upstairs one hardly gets used).
-- Slab foundation.
-- It's been exceptionally hot this summer, and has rained hard only once in the past eight months or so.
-- Over the years our subdivision has had many homes needing foundation repair, but none around us.
-- Once a week I turn on the sprinklers to keep the foundation from drying out.
-- No tree in the front yard, ie, no roots in sewer line. Maybe. We took a 20-ft oak out about five years ago, and shoots still come up from its stump, so roots might in fact be an issue.

If there's nothing wrong with the toilet, is all that's left the foundation moving and cracking the sewer line?

Yes, I could hire a plumber to put a camera down the line but am hoping to hear a cheaper solution to try first.

Thanks much.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I’d probably replace the toilet as a first step, if I did anything at all.

 

[havasu]

What kind of toilet do you have?

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Downstairs toilet fills almost to overflowing when I make an extra- large "donation."

What would you describe as "extra-large"? I was having similar problems and my wife told me to drink more water and eat more fiber, much more fiber, and it cured 99 and 44/100s percent of my issues with a stopped up toilet. She also instructed me to not use a quarter of a roll of TP at a time.

 

[Steve_K2]

What would you describe as "extra-large"? I was having similar problems and my wife told me to drink more water and eat more fiber, much more fiber, and it cured 99 and 44/100s percent of my issues with a stopped up toilet. She also instructed me to not use a quarter of a roll of TP at a time.

You're right about water. I often have to remind myself to drink more of it. I'm not guilty of TP overuse, though.
But your toilet also stopped up at times like mine?
Is this normal then?

 

[Steve_K2]

What kind of toilet do you have?

Here are the markings inside the tank: Vortens SASA 3464.

 

[Steve_K2]

I’d probably replace the toilet as a first step, if I did anything at all.

Toilet life spans are about 50 years, no? Before I replaced mine at 14 (and at some cost), I'd want to be sure it would fix the blockage.
I'm curious about "if I did anything at all." Is this situation normal?

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Is this normal then?

Steve, it is normal for me. I've learned to live with it but it's been going on for years here. I have some cheap, contractor-grade toilets that I just keep putting Korky parts into them to keep them alive.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Toilet life spans are about 50 years, no? Before I replaced mine at 14 (and at some cost), I'd want to be sure it would fix the blockage.
I'm curious about "if I did anything at all." Is this situation normal?

Toilets can last over 50 years, easy.

Could be a toilet problem.

Or it could be a problem with your diet/medication. I don’t know you.

Or it could be a pipe problem.

Ever tried flushing twice ?

All toilets can clog…..

Where would you like to start ?

 

[havasu]

You may want to look at this video...

 

[Steve_K2]

You may want to look at this video...

Holy cow! My toilet, model 3464.
Wish I could get a refund, but the deadline for claiming was two years ago.
Still, the recall is due to the tank cracking, not a failing in flushing. My tank isn't cracked.
Am still looking for a reason the toilet can't handle a heavy load, as it used to in past years.
Many thanks for the link.

 

[Steve_K2]

Could be a toilet problem.

Or it could be a problem with your diet/medication. I don’t know you.

Or it could be a pipe problem.

Ever tried flushing twice ?

All toilets can clog…..

"Could be a toilet problem. Or it could be a pipe problem."
With all due respect, that's not helpful.

"Ever tried flushing twice ?" Sure. It's never helped. Only the plunger.

"could be a problem with your diet/medication." At 75, I'm the same weight I was in basic training. My wife is a great cook, who makes sure I eat healthy. I take no medications.

"All toilets can clog….." Sure, if loaded with diapers or similar items. That's not the case in our empty-nest house. I'm looking for reasons MY toilet is clogging, things I can try before calling for a plumber.

 

[Twowaxhack]

"Could be a toilet problem. Or it could be a pipe problem."
With all due respect, that's not helpful.

"Ever tried flushing twice ?" Sure. It's never helped. Only the plunger.

"could be a problem with your diet/medication." At 75, I'm the same weight I was in basic training. My wife is a great cook, who makes sure I eat healthy. I take no medications.

"All toilets can clog….." Sure, if loaded with diapers or similar items. That's not the case in our empty-nest house. I'm looking for reasons MY toilet is clogging, things I can try before calling for a plumber

It may not be helpful but they are true statements.

You could check the water level in the tank. It needs to be at the water line mark.

Make sure the flapper is staying up long enough to flush the toilet. It could be closing too fast.

The refill hose from the ballcock needs to be directed into the flushvalve tube. Water output needs to be verified upon flush.

Any water flush jets in the bowl need to be clean and flowing water upon flush.

Snake the bowl with an auger

Remove the toilet and check for obstructions at the junction between the toilet and the piping.

Use another toilet and see if the problem could be just you……..

Replace the toilet with one that has the best flush reviews.

Pick the order in which you’d like to proceed.

Good luck to you……

 

[havasu]

When I typed in your toilet, the first Google search labeled it as a "cheap toilet." Usually cheap toilets have thin casting (as confirmed with the buyback program from cracked porcelain) and small throats, unable to handle "large loads." I personally would do some research on a newer toilet with great flush reviews, as that two whacker guy says.

 

[Zanne]

May be an odd comment, but do you think it is clogging because of the volume or the size? I've heard of people keeping a "poop knife" in the bathroom that they use to cut up excrement to make it flush better.

A few suggestions: A bidet seat for rinsing after leaving a large "deposit" can cut back on the amount of toilet paper you use.

It is possible that the toilet trap still has something stuck in it and its also possible that your toilet just sucks.

You want a toilet with at least 900 MaP score. If you decide to replace it, the Toto Entrada is a decent one. It comes in chair height and has a 1000 MaP score. We got one for my friend's house when his 50+ yr old toilet he pulled out of the trash got clogged beyond repair.

Another thought: Is it possible that the drain for the toilet isn't vented properly?

 

[havasu]

A true "turd cutter!"

Ok, you've topped the gross scale for today Z!

 

[Zanne]

A true "turd cutter!"

Ok, you've topped the gross scale for today Z!

I blame reddit. That is where I first heard of the "poop knife". I never knew that was a thing. Must have been for people who had crappy toilets though.

 

[humbolt]

For what it is worth...My toilet would not flush properly and would fill with water rather than flushing the waste. It did flush but slowly. This is what I did and these procedures can be located on You Tube videos. I cleaned each and every hole located under the rim of the toilet. I also scraped the calcium deposits that form at the bottom of the toilet...where the hole is where the water comes from the tank to flush the waste. I used just about every small tool in the book to clean the holes. I used tape to plub the holes after cleaning and then poured vinegar into the tank and let it stand for awhile. Again you can see the videos on YOU TUBE. Folowing all that, he toilet flushed properly no matter what the size of the waste was because the toilet worked propery and was not preventing the gush of water to properly flush the waste. Again for what it is worth.

 

[Zanne]

Humbolt, how long was "awhile" on leaving the vinegar in the tank? Was it mixed with water or just straight up vinegar? I think this is something I should try at some point for maintenance on my toilet (assuming vinegar won't harm anything in the tank).

Still hoping Steve gets his issues with the toilet clogging resolved.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

Humbolt, how long was "awhile" on leaving the vinegar in the tank? Was it mixed with water or just straight up vinegar? I think this is something I should try at some point for maintenance on my toilet (assuming vinegar won't harm anything in the tank).

Still hoping Steve gets his issues with the toilet clogging resolved.

If it were me I'd use CLR at nearly full strength if I were going to the trouble of taping the holes shut. Not cheap but it is very effective at dissolving lime scale.