Any issue that you’re having in your house is very annoying because you live there and you’re used to a routine. However, one of the most unavoidable places in your house is the bathroom because everyone in your house has to use it. Although all bathroom issues are annoying, the ones that are related to your toilet are the worst. Having one less working toilet in your house can be very annoying, especially if you don’t have enough bathrooms in the house for everyone already.
One of the most common issues to have with your toilet is when the toilet water rises and then drains very slowly. This isn’t how a toilet is supposed to work, so you have to figure out what’s happening. This is an issue that can cause your toilet to flush incompletely or slowly, and it’s an issue that shouldn’t be ignored. Any issue attached to plumbing, such as your toilet, shouldn’t be pushed aside. Here’s how you fix the issue of your toilet water rising and draining slowly.
Why Your Toilet Water Rises Then Slowly Drains
1. Blockage In Your Toilet
A blockage is one of the most common causes of a slowly draining toilet. You’ll probably be able to deduce that you have a clogged toilet without any professional observations because it’s something that many people deal with. Sometimes, the blockage isn’t as simple as just some quick pumps with your plunger. A plunger is good for blockages that are close to the surface of the toilet, but sometimes blockages can occur further down into the system.
A system blockage is a lot harder to get rid of than a clogged toilet. If you have a system blockage, one way to know is to check the gallon of water attached to your toilet. All you have to do is take the top of the back of the toilet. It’s usually a heavy glass top. Then, get a bowl of water and fill the toilet bowl. If the water in the tank rises immediately, then this means that you have a clogged drain. If the water stays the same, however, this means the issue is in the toilet tank.
Some wild things can end up in your toilet. Common household items that might end up clogging your toilet include wipes, tissues, razors, or toothbrushes. And, if you have kids, then you might even find a toy or some clothes stuck in your toilet.
2. Low Water Levels In Tank
Another thing you want to check is the toilet tank when it comes to slow draining water. The first thing you have to do is remove the toilet tank lid from the back of the toilet, and you can usually just lift this off.
The first thing you have to look at is the toilet tank water level. If the water level looks slower than usual, then the issue that you’re having is probably in your water tank. If your toilet has low water power, then it doesn’t have a lot of force behind it, which is why it will drain slowly. Low water levels specifically can happen for a variety of reasons, but most of the time, you can’t control why it happened. It just causes you to have a slow flushing toilet and you can fix that.
While maintenance can help, toilet parts and systems eventually break down and you might have to do a few replacements to help with your low water pressure.
3. Buildup In Ports Along The Rim
This is likely to happen if you have a toilet bowl that still drains properly, just very slowly. If this is happening, then the issue is in the jet pools that are around the rim of the toilet bowl. These are the holes that shoot out the water when you flush your toilet. You’ll see the water running down the sides of the inside of the bowl and this is where the jet holes can be found. If sediment builds up along the sides of these holes, the pressure will be reduced because the holes are blocked. It’s like putting your hand halfway over the hole in a water hose, which prevents the full amount of water from coming out of the hose.
4. Damaged Flush Mechanism
If the mechanic that connects to the toilet’s handle which allows the flap to open is malfunctioning, then water won’t be able to move fast enough. This will cause your toilet water to drain slowly. To check this, you need to check the chain that connects the flap to the mechanism. If the handle feels weak when you push it down, then the force won’t be enough to lift the flap that allows the water to move. To fix this, you’ll need to remove a few links on the chain or make it taut. If it seems like the entire flap mechanism is broken, then you need to buy a new mechanism and replace it with a chain mechanism (view on Amazon). It’s easy to follow directions in order to install a new one.
How To Fix Toilet Water Rises Then Slowly Drains
There are a few ways to fix this issue. Some of them are easier than others. Here are some suggestions.
1. Hot Water and Dish Soap
This is a DIY solution that may or may not work, but it’s so easy that it’s worth a try. This will help you if your issue is clogged or blocked. If you want to remove the object from the passage in your toilet, then hot water and dish soap might help you clear the tube. You have to mix hot water and dishwashing liquid together and then pour it into the toilet bowl steadily.
Make sure the water is hot and that you have at least a gallon of water available. You’ll also have to make sure you can pour into the toilet safely. Usually, a large mixing bowl works best, and you want to make sure that you won’t burn your hand when you’re holding it.
You want to be careful not to make the water is boiling hot because it can crack your glass toilet bowl. Here’s what you have to do to use this method:
1. Heat up a gallon of water. You can do this in a pot. As you add more water to the pot, measure it so that you’re keeping track of how much you have. You don’t want it to be boiling hot, but you want it to be hot enough that you can’t stick your finger in it comfortably.
2. Transfer your hot water into a big bowl that will hold it. Make sure the bowl will not burn your hands and that you can hold it comfortably. If you can fit all of the water into a big pot, then that works well, but if not, then a large mixing bowl will be fine.
3. Then, get dish soap and pour one or two cups of it into the toilet. You’ll want to let the dish soap sit in the toilet for at least half an hour.
4. After a half-hour, then you’ll need to pour the hot water into the toilet. Now, you pour it in to fill the bowl, but make sure it doesn’t overflow. Let this sit for a while.
If you do this method, you’ll know that it works if the water level starts going down fast. This means the blockage is being pushed down into the drain and into the sewage.
2. Use A Toilet Augur
A toilet auger (View on Amazon) is also known as a snake or a closet auger, and it’s used to maneuver inside the toilet tube to pull up the clog. There are a ton of different toilet augurs you can use, but you want to get the most affordable one. The most affordable ones are around 3 feet long, but there are some longer options that are around 6 feet long. If you feel like you need a six feet long one, then buy it, but otherwise, you can buy a three feet long one and be fine.
Using this is super easy. What happens is that there’s a flexible cable that is pushed through the toilet drain using the hand crank on the auger. You position it in above the hole in the toilet and crank the handle around to extend the flexible cable. You should use gloves just in case so that you can stay sanitary. Here is a step-by-step process you can follow:
1. Pull the handle of the auger all the way up. The end of the cable is close to where there’s cream in the auger tube. This curved portion fixes the cable into the toilet easily and the rubber or plastic covering will make sure your toilet doesn’t get scratched.
2. Insert the cable into the toilet hole. If you inserted it properly, then you won’t be able to see the end of the cable.
3. Crank the auger handle around into a circle. The way that an auger works is that it rotates the cable so that it moves into their drain and reaches past the toilet into the tube so that it can reach the clog. Do this slowly and be patient, and if you force it too quickly, you can cause the cable to stop instead of moving through the drain.
4. Once you feel resistance from the auger while it’s moving forward, this means that you might have reached the clog. Pull the auger out of the toilet by rotating the handle the opposite way, which will cause the cable to move backward. Do this until the cable is out of the toilet with the clog.
5. Now, flush the toilet to see if it works well enough. Make sure to flush a few times to ensure that it’s cleared completely.
You might need to repeat this process several times until you have a clear toilet.
3. Clean Out Toilet Ports
If the toilet ports aren’t operating properly, it’ll cause the water in your bowl to drain slowly. The toilet ports are the holes in the upper sides of the toilet bowl that shoot out water into the toilet bowl to clean it. When the ports are too weak, it’ll cause the water to drain slowly when you flush it.
To make sure that ports are jetting out water with enough pressure, you need to grab a screwdriver or wire coat hanger and scrape around the holes in an attempt to get rid of hard sediment that’s blocking the ports. You’ll need some gloves to do this as it might get messy. Using household items like your hanger or a screwdriver are free options that’ll allow you to clean up the ports so that your water drains quickly.
If you don’t want to get hands-on with your toilet bowl, then you can use a cleaning solvent (view on Amazon). With cleaning solvents, they leave a bad fume in your toilet which is why you shouldn’t stay in the bathroom for too long when using them. It’s also another reason why you should still to the household items.
Once you’ve got the cleaning solvent, pour it into the overflow located at the bottom of the toilet tank. This will get rid of the mental deposits when you flush the toilet. The overflow tube is located at the bottom of the tank and it rises from the second hole to drain excess water. After a while of sitting, the solvent will clear and you should have ports that are clean enough which will give your toilet bowl a chance to drain quickly.
4. Remove the Damaged Fill Tube
The fill tube is a small, but important component in the interior of the toilet tank. The tube is usually black and made of flexible rubber. It leads into a wide vertical tube known as the overflow tube.
The fill tube is part of the toilet tank’s interior and it’s a small black tube that consists of flexible rubber. It leads into a wider verticle tube known as the overtime tube. The fill tube allows water to be transferred from the tank to the bowl each time you flush. Over time, the fill tube can damage from wear and tear and it’ll eventually become unclipped.
When the fill tube is damaged and it unclips, your tank will fill up with water and it’ll cause the valve to shut off which causes water to fill up your bowl slowly. To fix this problem, you’ll need to inspect your fill tube. If the fill tube is too damaged, you’ll need to get it replaced (view on Amazon). If the fill tube looks like it’s in good condition but it’s been unclipped, you need to attach it back to the cylinder.
5. Replace a Cracked Toilet Bowl
If the toilet bowl is cracked towards the lower part, this can cause water to leak and gradually drip out. You’ll know that your toilet bowl has cracked if you can see puddles of water around the base of your toilet. This water might be barely noticeable but you’ll notice water there.
If you try and apply a sealing agent to fill up the crack, then this isn’t going to last long as it’s a temporary fix and the water will end up seeping out after a while. If your toilet bowl has cracked, then you’ll need to install a new toilet bowl (view on Amazon). If you’re not comfortable replacing your toilet bowl yourself, you’ll need to get a plumber to replace it.
6. Blocked Sewer Line Vent
The sewer vent line is a pipe that goes from the bathroom wall to the roof of your house. Its job is to provide air that’ll move water through the drainage system. It also prevents toxic sewage gases from going into your bathroom. Sometimes the sewer line vent gets blocked. Anything can get clogged in the line vent from, leaves, to tree branches, or even dead animals.
If the line has been severely clogged, then the water level could be severely clogged. Because air can’t get through, it affects the water level and it can cause the water to drain slowly. If you’re a hands-on person, you can try and remove the blockage in the sewer line vent by gaining access to the roof. Before you try to remove anything, make sure to shine a flashlight down the pipe to check for any blockages. If you can reach the blockage, then you can use a plumber’s snake to dislodge it. If you’re not very hands on, you can call a plumber to do it for you.
7. Replace the Damaged Fill Valve
A damaged fill valve can cause both a slow draining toilet and water wastage. Toilets that run after you flush them can make water utility bills soar. If your fill valve is the problem, then you first need to turn off your toilet’s water supply.
A damaged fill valve can cause your water to drain slowly. If the’ers a problem with the valve, it can cause the water to run when you flush your toilet and this can cause your utility bill to soar. Before you try and replace the fill valve, you need to turn off your toilet’s water supply. Once this is off, you need to take the tank lid off and flush the toilet so that the water drains out. If there’s any remaining liquid, you need to wipe it out using a towel. Once all the water is out, you need to unscrew the nuts that connects the water hose to the bottom of the fill valve.
Once the screw is removed, up the valve from the base and put the new fill valve (view on Amazon) into the hole of the damaged model. With a wrench, secure the valve with a nut underneath the tank. Reattatch the refill tube and the water supply hose. Once done, turn the water supply back on and check if the toilet is flushing properly.
8. Use A Solid Plunger To Unclog the Stuck Up Substance In The Toilet
If you want to unblock a slowly draning toilet or stop the water from filling up to the brim, you should use a solid plunger (view on Amazon) and insert into the toilet bowl above the area that’s clogged. This’ll help to force any blockages towards the gutter or move out of the toilet. This’ll stop the water from draining slowly after filling up.
9. Use Substance Dissolvers or Toilet Cleaners
Rather than plunging your toilet, you can use a substance disolver (view on Amazon) to get rid of any blockages that could be causing your toilet to drain slowly. Substance dissolves contain commicals that will instalty disolve anything blocking your toilet. If you plan to use a substance dissolved, you need to be careful as they can be incredibly dangerous. Make sure to use gloves and glasses before using it to unblock your toilet.
10. Check Water Levels In Tank
If your toilet water rises then it drains slowly, you should check the toilet tank. If your toilet drains slowly after it’s filled up with water, the water may not be filling up the toilet tank. If the water isn’t filling up the tank, you should check the water supply as your toilet may not be getting enough water from the tank.
11. Call A Professional To Repair Your Toilet
If you’ve tried everything you can to fix the problem with your toilet water draining very slowly after filling up, the only thing you’re left to do is to call in the professionals. Drain companies know how to tack the trickiest blockages so if you’re not sure what you’re doing, it’s best that you leave it in their hands.
These people are trained in all aspects of toilet unblocking as well as toilets in general. They would’ve came across your exact situation plenty of times so you’ll be in good hands. If you notice that your toilet drains slow after filling up, it’s not something that you should leave untreeated as it can affect your health as well as damage your home.
