New toilet solves problem ... Slow hot water

Q: I am a fellow contractor and I always look forward to reading your articles. I have a real stumper. A client called me to check out a slow-flushing toilet. I tried a plunger and auger, to no avail. Then, out of desperation, I removed the old toilet and replaced it with a new one. Guess what? The new toilet worked perfectly! I broke apart the old toilet hoping to find some kind of clog, but the trap was clear and the flush valve worked fine. Why did the old toilet not work, while the new toilet works fine on the same piping? -- Randy in Massachusetts

A: I agree with your approach to fixing this problem. You did everything you could to the old toilet, and when you ran out of options, you did not waste anymore time and you installed a new toilet. I have seen homeowners and contractors waste days trying to fix broken fixtures, to no avail. Good troubleshooting!

Now, back to your question. Since you could not find a clog in the old trap and the flushing system on the toilet was in working order, my theory is that your old toilet had lost the ability to create a syphon. When most toilets flush, they depend on the syphon jet hole (located at the base of the toilet bowl, just before the trap opening) to push out a heavy flow of water into the trap. This strong flow of water, combined with the jet-flow velocity, creates a syphon in the trap and that action pulls the debris and water from the toilet's bowl.

Yes, you heard right. When flushed, most toilets "pull" the water out of the bowl. So contrary to popular belief, it's usually not pushed out. If the syphon jet hole becomes blocked or broken, the trap can fail to produce a siphon, and that may result in a weak flush. Sometimes you may be able to clear or clean the jet hole, but in most cases when a toilet loses the ability to produce a syphon, the best bet is to replace the toilet, in my opinion. Bottom line, you solved the problem and your clients are lucky to have a contractor who cares and is always looking to learn. That should make you flush with pride.

Q: I am a single mother, and we watch every penny to stay on our budget. I hate to waste anything and in our upstairs bathroom it takes over five minutes to get hot water from our standard 40-gallon water heater to our faucets and shower. This wastes a lot of cold water. A friend told me that installing a tankless heater will heat the water instantly and get the hot water up to the bathroom a lot quicker. Is this true? -- Betty in Mississippi

A: Unfortunately, your friend is a little confused. Yes, a tankless hot-water heater does heat up water quickly as it passes through the unit. However, just like a standard tank water heater, it still has to make the same journey through your house piping before it gets to your second-floor fixtures. So, you will still have to run the water a bit to clear out any cooler water that is still in your hot-water lines.

A licensed plumber can install a domestic re-circulating hot-water system to your present tank-type water heater, and this could be a better option for you. Re-circulating systems constantly move hot water from the tank to the fixtures, giving you quick access to hot water for sinks and showers. But, it can be a little pricey to install and run this type of system. I would meet with a plumber for an estimate. Who knows? You may warm up to the idea of adding a hot-water circulator system to your home.

(Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information, visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande(at)hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.)