How a Toilet Flushes
It took me a couple of years as a service plumber before I completely understood that toilets are an exact science (Thanks Boss). We all take it for granted that our toilets will always flush properly when need, though there are times when it doesn’t. When a toilet doesn’t flush properly you may have one of the following three (3) conditions that affect the flush; (1) poor water conditions (Hard Water), (2) the age of the toilet and then there’s (3) the chemicals we put into the toilet tank to keep the bowl clean that can, essentially, shorten the life of a toilet. Cleaning the bowl manually with a cleaning agent is always the best way to clean a toilet.
Before a toilet can flush properly, there are three (3) different functions in the operation and every one of them must work in unison with the others for a perfect flush. (1) the tank must be filled to the proper level (Usually marked inside the tank), (2) the bowl has a level and that is at the height of the trap (Usually there is a mark left by the water on the inside of the bowl), last but not least is (3) which are the flushing ports of which there are about twenty (20) under the rim that need to be clean and in good working order for the toilet to flush properly and do its job!! If the toilet tank or the bowl is not filling to the proper levels, check the fill valve first inside the tank to make certain its doing its job, it should not only be filling the tank but putting water into the flush valve that fills the bowl, if not replace it. If you feel that you’re in need of assistance to repair your toilet, you should contact Advanced Plumbing, were always here to help.
For the consumer, there are many different brands of toilets that can be found on the market these days, yet there are only three (3) basic types; (1) is the round bowl, (2) is the elongated bowl and (3) is the comfort height (ADA) which is two inches taller than a regular toilet. There are also three (3) different types of flushes, (1) gravity flush (2) dual flush & (3) the pressure assisted flush, the latter of the three being the best flush by far. Not only is the pressure assisted the best flushing, but also consumes less water, at or near 1.0 gallons per flush. In many states such as California the pressure assisted may qualify for a rebate, just contact your local water provider for more information.
Should you begin to encounter problems with one of the toilets in your home not functioning properly or you start to have an occasional problem with a toilet stoppage, it may be time to consider either installing a new toilet or doing a complete rebuild of the existing toilet tank, Advanced Plumbing will know upon inspection what the best option is but the decision is always yours. Should you decide that going with a new toilet is your best option, my personal recommendation as a plumber would be a Kohler pressure assisted comfort height toilet. Our company has been installing Kohler for over 20 years, the reason being is that we have had fewer problems with this brand.
Our trucks are stocked like moving warehouses and carry both the elongated and the round bowls, when our plumber arrives at your home he will have all the parts necessary to repair your toilet or install a new one if you decide this is the better choice. If it is decided that you are looking more towards the gravity flush comfort height or a pressure assisted, we can have one delivered to your Bakersfield, Ca residence.
