Quite a mineral buildup in our toilet and drain. I have had our toilet off once before, and the lime or calcium deposits had blocked the actual drain hole in the floor by about 50%. What can I do to eliminate this blockage in an ongoing way, since the vinegar and baking soda, or chemicals in the toilet bowl itself will not reach that area? The snake will not work in the toilet - too sharp of a bend! New toilet? but then still will have the buildup
I use a Dremel Tool with a flexible extension and a small grinding rock to remove the deposits from the jet at the bottom of the bowl works great and lasts about 10 months flushes like new again, p.s. wear safety glasses.
I use muratic acid once a month on our porcelain toilet to clean up the calcium and lime, it is so bad at times. Very dangerous stuff. Open all windows and wear a mask. The fumes can kill you but it is done quickly. Our buildup is so bad you could chisel off the lime. But the muriatic acid takes about a minute to clean, very fast acting. I also use in the sinks but stay away from your faucets as it can do some damage to the metal. This works wonders on any porcelain. You must use extreme caution, very dangerous. I use gloves, a mask and turn on the ventilation and windows. But it does work very fast within a minute. I squirt around the inside rim and within a minute I flush away the deposits. CLR just does not do the job for me. With all the CLR I have bought I probably own stock in the company. Muratic acid can be bought at any hardware store and costs about $3-$4 for a quart bottle. Also used to clean concrete.
RE: Preventing Mineral Built Up In a Toilet - How to clean Jet?
By turlecurls (Guest Post)
I'm having trouble getting the toilet to flush because the jet at the bottom is clogged. Has anyone tried any products that helped open that up? The plumber picked at it a bit with a pick, and got a small opening, but it's not enough. I can't really scrub it, so it would have to be something safe to sit in there, but still effective.
My plumber also suggested using a wire coat hanger about once a year to clean out the buildup. To clean the deposits inside the toilet itself, I use a pumice stone. Remove it and keeps it looking like new.
I think that is CLR..calcium lime and rust and it works well, if you drain the toilet and let it sit right on the mineral build up for a few hours. Drain it by turning off the water shut off valve and flushing the toilet. I also use a container to scoop as much water out as I can. I still had to use something (plastic) to scrape the minerals off, but it did work for awhile..it is back again.
I learned this from a plumber. He uses an old fashioned wire clothes hanger. A larger one works better just for the reach. Grasp the hook end with one hand and the center of the long straight section with the other hand. Pull them apart to make a hook with a long handle. Straighten the hook end slightly and probe the rim holes with the hook. Flush the toilet as you are doing this helps wash out the holes at the same time. Also, use the same hook end and probe the one larger hole in the bottom of the bowl. This is the hole that the solid stream of water pushes the water down the toilet. The plumber said they clog from the lime, calcium, etc. in the water. He didn't have any preventative measure. It may just be that your water is high in these minerals. I would not recommend putting chemicals not designed for the porcelain. You can try the product SLR. I don't know how you would use it on a toilet though. I think the acromym stands for Salt, Lime, and Rust. I have seen the commercial on TV, but, haven't tried it. One last note!!! Be very careful not to chip or break the precelain. It can chip quite easily!!!!!
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