Fixing a sluggish toilet

Q: The second-floor toilets in our home are flushing without much power, even though the usual amount of water is in the tanks. The water drains sluggishly. I think the toilet drain lines need cleaning; my wife disagrees. What do you think?

A: A drainage problem definitely exists, and since it’s happening to both toilets, the trouble may be located farther down the pipe, where a chemical drain cleaner can’t reach. However, dealing with clogs in the larger drain lines of your home is time-consuming and, to put it mildly, messy. So it doesn’t hurt to try and resolve the problem with smaller steps at first.

Weapon No. 1 in the “sluggish toilet war” is that $2 wonder, the plunger. Deft manipulation of this tool will slightly increase the vacuum in the drain pipe directly behind the bowl, creating more negative pressure to whisk away clogs. Try plunging and flushing each toilet a few times to see if the drain rate perks up. If that doesn’t do it, try a chemical drain cleaner made specifically for toilets. Pour the recommended amount into each bowl and let it sit for several minutes before flushing. Repeat if necessary, then flush several times to clear the chemical away and open up the drainpipe.

Third, if weapons one and two don’t do the trick, get a closet auger and carefully thread it down the toilet drain and through the trap. Once you meet an obstruction or the auger reaches its full length, begin cranking the handle clockwise — the auger will catch obstructing material and dislodge it.

So, what if you try all these methods and nothing improves? It’s time to clean the main waste and vent stack. Again, this can be messy, so if you decide to leave it to a professional plumber, no one will blame you. But if you want to tackle the job, put on protective gear: gloves, goggles, dust mask and long-sleeved shirt and trousers.

Access to the main waste stack is through the roof vent, so locate it and run a hand auger all the way down the stack, cranking it clockwise to wind back up. Run the auger a few times to get as much debris as possible. Other possible problems could also be affecting drain flow from your home.

If these methods don’t resolve the sluggishness, call a plumber to check for clogs.