Failure to Flush: 3 Reasons Your Toilet Won't Flush Solid Waste

No one likes to flush their toilet only to discover that it has failed to carry away solid waste. It can be pretty embarrassing and disgusting. Below is a guide to 3 reasons your toilet might not be doing its job properly.

The toilet is clogged

If your toilet is clogged, this will restrict the amount of water which can exit the toilet with every flush. The means that the waste does not have sufficient force behind it in order to complete its journey to the sewer. You can carry out an easy test to check if your toilet is clogged. Without flushing the toilet, slowly begin to pour water from a large bucket into the toilet bowl. If the toilet is not clogged, the water level within the bowl will not rise. This is because of the syphon action of the bowl, which maintains a constant water level by drawing water away into the waste pipe at the same rate that it enters the bowl. However, if the toilet is clogged, you will notice that the water level within the bowl begins to rise as the water cannot exit into the waste pipe. If the water level does begin to rise, to avoid flooding your bathroom you should stop pouring from the bucket and immediately contact a local plumber.

The water level is set too low

Another possible cause of a weak flush is your toilet's water inlet valve. If the valve has been incorrectly adjusted, it may be cutting off the water supply before the cistern has fully refilled. Some people attempt to save water by making this adjustment. However, the lower water level in the cistern reduces the pressure of each flush. This can result in solid waste being left in the toilet bowl. You can check this by inspecting the water level of the cistern. If it appears low, manually fill it and then attempt to flush your toilet. If the solid waste is removed, you will need to adjust the inlet valve to allow more water to enter the cistern. 

The septic tank is full

If your property has drains which are connected to a septic tank rather than a sewer, this could be the cause of a reduced flushing action. Because the water has nowhere to go, it cannot carry the solid waste away. If this is the case, it is important you have the septic tank emptied before using the toilet again. If you do not, it could back up and overflow.

If you are experiencing problems with the flush on your toilet, you should contact a professional plumbing service. They will be able to inspect your toilet and the attached pipes before carrying out any necessary repair work. Failure to do so now could lead to expensive and messy problems later.