# Toilet is not flushing properly, any idea why **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089 "2017-10-16T22:48:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/41 "2017-10-19T02:50:24Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > If the landlord is not responsive, I would just call a plumber myself, and either have him send the bill to the landlord, or pay it myself and deduct it from the next month’s rent (with a copy of the invoice and receipt attached). This is the correct answer/. You should have evidence of previous complaints to the landlord about this. Written, not phone calls (unless you’ve recorded them). Many plumber won’t agree to send the bill to anybody except the person who called them. Maybe if you guarantee to pay it if the landlord doesn’t do so in a month. Or just go the 2nd way, and deduct it from next month’s rent. (Landlord may complain that “my handyman would have done it cheaper than that licensed plumber”. Proper response is: “then you should have called him months ago when I first notified you of the problem”.) Some leases now have clauses claiming to forbid tenants from deducting such repair bills from their rent. Ignore that; no court if going to honor that if you have been complaining about it for weeks or months. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/42 "2017-10-19T03:35:25Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Not to my knowledge. > > Part of the issue is sometimes when the toilet is full it’ll flush fine. But if I flush it, then flush it again when there is just water in it it’ll fill up. > > So in the second flush, shouldn’t it just be water going through since the first flush (which had material in it) went through fine? In that case would a toothbrush really cause an obstruction, wouldn’t the toothbrush have caused water to rise on the first flush, not the second when it is just water? The first flush likely did not drain just fine. It is probably mostly still in the pipe as it dribbles slowly past the blockage. It’s just that the space between the toilet and blockage is long enough that a full flush worth of water will fit in the sewer pipe. Then when you try a 2nd flush, all that water can’t fit in the pipe and it backs up. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/43 "2017-10-19T12:45:15Z")
So today I decided to flush the toilet twice before taking a shower. Both flushes went down fine. However the shower didn’t drain too well afterwards. It drained slowly. Also, I noticed that when I ran the water in the sink after the shower, that air would bubble out of the toilet water. Does that imply the vent is the issue? You run the sink and air bubbles out of the toilet. I may hire a plumber if the landlord refuses to fix this in a timely fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2017, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/44 "2017-10-19T12:56:19Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > It’s not difficult to collapse the bell, create a seal, and pull up, no check valve required. I already explained exactly why you don’t want to forcibly push a blockage further down the pipe. Just to be clear, you are suggesting: 1. collapse the bell 2. create a seal 3. pull up 4. break the seal 5. repeat steps 1-4 until item(s) causing blockage appears in toilet bowl/sink As opposed to creating the seal and actually “plunging” (the word literally means “push or thrust vigorously”)? To be sure, there are specialized drain clearing pumps that work by suction, but I’m talking about a run-of-the-mill, bell and stick plunger. > [@Sparky812](#): > > Of course, f you choose not to accept advice from an experienced professional, you’re welcome to go with the on-line “handyman” Thanks. Since it’s actually the advice of every online handyman site, every plumber I’ve ever seen use one and the way that’s been successful for me for years, I believe I will. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/45 "2017-10-23T11:57:54Z")
I suppose my first post wasn’t very clear. I’m not saying you only pull with the plunger, I’m actually warning against the opposite and not pushing the blockage further in. Once you have a seal, you want to start with a pull, then back and forth to get the column of water moving to break up and/or dislodge the blockage. Finally, end with a strong pull to break the seal. The net effect is pulling the blockage back and hopefully clearing the pipe without creating a bigger problem. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/46 "2017-10-23T13:25:26Z")
Thanks for the clarification, **Sparky** , that makes sense! I was a bit confused… ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/47 "2017-11-10T02:33:54Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > If the landlord is not responsive, I would just call a plumber myself, and either have him send the bill to the landlord, or pay it myself and deduct it from the next month’s rent (with a copy of the invoice and receipt attached). I asked the landlord about that and they said they wouldn’t reimburse me. Maintenance kept dragging their feet and refusing to fix it. A mix of understaffing and severe incompetence. So after the toilet got completely clogged and maintenance refused to fix it, I called the county health department. They were amazing. The county sent someone out to my apartment within an hour, and they then threatened my landlord with legal action if they didn’t fix the clog in 24 hours. I contacted the state attorney general too, but tomorrow I’ll have to contact them to cancel my complaint since the health dept. fixed it. After a month of the landlord dragging their feet, after I contacted the health department and they threatened the landlord, I had a plumber out here within 3 hours. He ran a snake (I think a 100 ft one) in the pipe outside the building, and got it unclogged. I love my county health department. I love paying taxes for stuff like this. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/48 "2017-11-10T12:43:50Z")
How long is your lease? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/49 "2017-11-10T14:02:00Z")
Expires next year. I think I’ll get a condo when it does. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/50 "2017-11-10T15:01:49Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I contacted the state attorney general too, but tomorrow I’ll have to contact them to cancel my complaint since the health dept. fixed it. Don’t. Maybe update it to state that another gov’t agency stepped in & resolved it. If the guy is that bad maybe he should have this complaint on file as one of many. Cancel it? No. Close it? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089/51 "2017-11-10T15:04:59Z")
That’s what I did. I contacted the state ag and told them that the county health department pressured my landlord into fixing the issue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toilet-is-not-flushing-properly-any-idea-why/799089.md?page=2)