dirty toilet bowl

[keithtt]

In our half bath the toilet bowl gets real dirty for no apparent reason. It just looks like dirt to me but my wife thinks it is backed up sewage. Any ideas what is causing it?

[kactuskid]

I wonder if it's not iron from the water. Is it a brownish/reddish color? Are you on a well? It's also possible that the porcelyn has been scratched and worn away in the bowl by using an abrasive brush. If it is then the bowl will be hard to keep clean cause it's now more pourous. No way to fix that besides replacement. They sell toilet brushes at the grocery store that are a teflon pad and won't scratch the finish.

[keithtt]

It isn't iron, we have city water and sewer and it iss only this toilet... It is more like something you might find on the inside of a pipe, like soot or grime.

[kactuskid]

Is the water in the tank portion clean? If it is then it may be possible that the drain line is partially clogged or the toilets trap. May have to pull the toilet and snake out the drain line.

[LazyPup]

Try flushing the toilet then apply a 1/2 cup of laundry bleach to the bowl and let is sit overnite. There is a type of airborne microbe that can breed in any standing water and cause that type of problem, the bleach would kill it.

[keithtt]

This toilet has always been a problem. We have always had to flush it often when in use. Otherwise it clogs and i have to snake it out. I have snaked and snaked and it always works but it never seems to get any less likely to clog. This dirty bowl thing is new, the tank water looks clean.

[kactuskid]

Hopefully the bleach will fix the dirt ring, but if you're tired of snaking then it may be time for a new toilet. If this is one of the first 1.6 gallon toilets that came out on the market, like around the early 90's, the throats were made more narrow and clogged easily. Look on the bottom side of your tank cover to see what date is stamped in. They've done alot of design changes since then and opened the throats back up a bit. You can buy a Kohler Wellworth light toilet at Home Depot for $100.00 and replace your problem one. These toilets are a great buy for the money. I have 2 in my own home and have had no problems. Would prolly please the wife as well.

[LazyPup]

Last spring I worked on a large HUD subsidized apartment complex rehab. The complex was supplying all the fixtures and we were just doing the installation.

When it came time to begin installing the water closets a 45ft trailer from Lowes showed up with 300 American Standard Cadets which Lowes normally retails at $49.95. Needless to say, I was a bit skeptical of those units for fear that we would never get away from this job with all the follow up problems those "cheapies" would create, but to my amazement we have not had a single call back on any of them.

Recently I happened to see the complex maintenance supervisor at the Plumbing supply store so I asked him how those units were working out. He says they have not had any problems with the exception of one unit which they had to replace because a tenant got drunk and kicked a tank and broke it.

[keithtt]

This builder was the cheapest man on the planet. I was thinking about replacing it with one of those American Standard Power Towers. I hear they cost about 3C but it would be worth it, I think... Can you forsee any problems with the replacement?

[LazyPup]

In the USA all floor mounted water closets are all manufactured to the same set of installation standards therefore you should have no problem changing your existing water closet with another one regardless of what brand or style you choose, however there are a couple of points you must consider before making your purchase.

Water closets are commonly made to fit a 12" setback, however there are also 10" and 14" setbacks. The setback is determined by measuring from the center of the closet flange to the surface of the finished wall behind the watercloset. You can also check the setback by measuring from the top of the watercloset mount bolts on the base of the bowl to the finished wall. In this manner you can check the size of your installation without pulling the watercloset.

Watercloset bowels are made in both elongated bowls and round bowls. For commercial applications we are required to install elongated bowls with open front toilet seats, but for residential application the choice is up to the homeowner. (The specific requirement to use elongated bowls in a publicly accessible restroom is for hygene. Having an elongated bowl and open front toilet seat reduces the potential of genitalia or soiled toilet tissue from contacting the front of the bowl or seat.)

There is one other consideration that you should be aware of. The International Residential Code requires a frontal clearance of 21" from the front lip of the bowl to any adjacent wall, fixture or appurtenance. (The Uniform Plumbing Code requires 24" frontal clearance). This can be an important consideration when confronted with a very small bathroom.