Please help me -- I just bought a house and the water level in the toilet bowl is very low. I need to raise it -- not a lot, but definitely more than it is now. Is there a simple way to make sure the water bowl fills with more water after a flush? Thanks so much!

 

hollylooya, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
The water level is dictated by the toilets trap. Picture a "U" shape built into the toilet. This U is the trap. It makes a water seal to keep sewer gases from entering the house. When the water gets any higher than needed the rest goes over the back side of the trap and down the drain leaving just enough to seal.
Pour water slowly into the bowl. See if the level gets higher than it originally was. Mark it with a pencil on the side of the bowl. See if it goes back down. Also, run the tub and/or sinks and see if the water in the bowl moves (ripples). If it does, then you have a clogged vent. The vent allows air into the plumbing system to facilitate drainage. If the vent is plugged, then when other fixtures drain, it pulls a vacuum on the toilet to get air. Good luck and reply back with any other questions.

 

Could also depend on the toilet, some newer toilets don't use much water, and hence the water level in the bowl is low as well. Is there a lip or form in the bowl near the bottom, if so, that is probably the water level. In mine, there is maybe 5" from the very bottom to the water line. Not a lot of water (compared to the older toilets where water came almost to the rim), but it works. I believe they are rated at 1.6 gallons per flush.

 

Dragon I just noticed when my wife flushed the guest room toilet ours
did that ripple affect you just spoke of. The water moved just slightly, what
should I do about this. I will say this the drain in our sink and the tub is somewhat clogged. The guest bathroom's sink and tub drains fine.

 

Lastwarrior,
Welcome to the DIY Forums.
This sounds like a clogged or partially clogged vent line.
To remove a clog from a vent line you will need to go on the roof and inspect it. Vent lines can become clogged by spider webs, leaves, birds..etc.
If you live in an area that has reiceved a lot of snow and it is covering the vent pipe, you will have a clog. Do not attempt to inspect the vent line until it is safe to do so. If you do not feel comfortable walking and working on your roof, please find someone who does.

Find the vent pipe and look into it with a flashlight. Remove anything you can reach by hand and use a garden hose to flush the rest down to the sewer line. If you find balls, or other small toys or SOLID objects, do not flush them down to the drain. These must be removed by hand.

As far as the drains that are partially clogged. You might try an enzyme drain cleaner. Drain Care is but one such brand. Its available at Home Centers, Walmart and Ace. Its around $8 for a multi-use bottle. This cleaner clings to the clog and "eats" it rather than passing by as most caustic drain openers do. This takes overnight to work and may require several applications depending on the severity of the clog.

Good luck with your projects.

 

Are you talking about the white pipe that sticks out from the top of the roof?
If you are I never knew what that was for. The house was built in 89 and I have been in it since 1998. If you don't mind me asking I checked inside
of the toilet (where the ball/arm are) and noticed a lot of gunk from cheap
toilet cleaners (blue pucks). What is good to clean inside with and do you suggest any other kinds of pucks to use. I'm not talking about inside the
bowl but the casing (if called that).


One last question all my piping tub, sinks etc... run from under my house I
can see all the pipes in basement. I've never had them flushed out, should
I. Or should I go with the old saying" If it's not broke don't fix it".

Thanks for all your help!

 

They make a device, sold at wal mart in the home section, it connects inline with the small water return line and uses an insert. Whenever the toilet is flush and water comes through this line, it runs water into a chamber with the insert and then into the bowl. Nothing ever gets 'lost' and there is no residue left on the bottom of the tank.

I've been using them for months and they WORK, don't smell like chlorine or turn your water blue.

 

The "blue pucks" type of toilet cleaners are a toilets nightmare. These have chemicals that eat the plastic and rubber workings of the toilet. This does happen over time and not an instant danger. To clean it out, it needs to be scrubbed by hand. If you are having trouble with the fill or flush valves they will need to be replaced. If you wish to use a toilet cleaner please use one that hangs in the bowl under the rim.

Yes the white pipe sticking out of the roof is the drainage vent. Do not feel bad, many homeowners do not realize what this pipe is for.

As for flushing the drain lines. Use an enzyme type drain cleaner once a month to keep the drains free flowing after you solve the initial clog problem. The Drain Care I mentioned will work for both problems( clearing the clog and keeping the drain clear). There is no reason to have this done professionally unless there are severe clogs that can not be removed by any other DIY means and are further down than you can get to. Even some of these clogs can be done by a DIY'er.

Good luck with your projects.

 

Thanks guy once again you have come through. I will keep you posted
this week on the outcome.