How To Clean Toilet Bowl Water Holes

If your toilet has been flushing more slowly, it may be time for you to make clean its rim jet holes. We have a safe alternative for unclogging them.

What are Toilet Rim Jets?

Toilet rim jets (also called siphon holes or rim holes) are literally tiny holes under the rim of your toilet bowl.

When you flush, water siphons down from the tank through the rim jet holes. This creates a swirling motion that adds to your toilet'due south flushing power. The holes likewise help clean your toilet after every use.

Sometimes, the siphon holes get chock-full. Less water swirling into the bowl means less flushing power. That's why your toilet flushes more slowly and appears less clean.

PRO TIP: The toilet rim jets are different than the siphon jet, which is one larger hole at the bottom of the basin. The siphon jet hole allows a larger rush of water to propel the swirling water from the rim jets downward the drain.

clean toilet rim jets - diagram of toilet siphon jet holes — The toilet rim jets are unlike than the siphon jet. All the same, they work together to create an efficient swirling motion and affluent.

Tabular array of Contents

What are Toilet Rim Jets?
How Do Toilet Rim Jets Go Clogged?
What You Need to Clean Toilet Rim Jets
How to Clean Toilet Rim Jets with White Vinegar
- Cleaning Instructions
- What if That Doesn't Piece of work?
Final Thoughts
Telephone call 1-Tom-Plumber

How Do Toilet Rim Jets Get Clogged?

The well-nigh mutual reason is hard water.

If your drinking glasses are cloudy or filmy, you probably live in an area with hard water, which contains dissolved minerals. The same mineral buildup y'all run into on those glasses volition build up on and clog the small rinse holes under the rim of your toilet bowl.

Dissolving those hard h2o minerals is a simple task.

clean toilet rim jets - inset photo on toilet that shows dirty rim jet holes — Toilet rim jets are tiny and located under the rim where we can't hands see them. When they tin can get clogged by calcium buildup (from difficult water), they need to be cleaned to ensure an efficient affluent.

What You Need to Clean Toilet Rim Jets

This solution for cleaning out the jet holes is easy. It only requires the following materials and tools:

Paper towels
Plumber's putty
one gallon of white vinegar
Wire glaze hanger
Safe gloves
Cut pliers (for the coat hanger)
Mirror (optional)

How to Clean Toilet Rim Jets with White Vinegar

Before you get started, consider these two items.

Idue south information technology really clogged rim jets that are slowing your flush? You can check this by pouring a 5-gallon bucket into your toilet basin. Start slowly, so chop-chop add the balance. The toilet will flush on its own. If it does so slowly, and then the problem is not your rim jets.
Exercise you utilise hard h2o in your home? Information technology's likely if you lot're not using a whole-house water softener. Most areas of the country supply hard water to residences. Information technology leaves calcium buildup on your pipes and other fixtures, including glassware from your dishwasher. If yous take hard water, it'south a inkling that your toilet rim jets might be chock-full.

Cleaning Instructions

Plow off the water supply shutoff valve under the toilet.
Flush the tank to empty it.
Curl single sheets of newspaper towel into tight, half-inch-diameter rolls. Press the paper towel rolls up under the rim of the bowl and stick them there with plumber's putty.
Remove the tank cover, lift the stopper by the lift wire or chain, and cascade a gallon of white vinegar downward the affluent valve outlet in the tank.
Wait nigh 8 hours.
Put on your rubber gloves and remove the plumber's putty and paper towels from under the toilet bowl rim.
Throw them away and launder your hands immediately. Although the white vinegar that poured out of the now clean toilet rim jet holes is natural, information technology is acidic enough to burn the skin if left at that place for as well long.
Turn the water supply valve back on and flush the toilet.

clean toilet rim jets - pour white vinegar into flush outlet tube in tank — Using a funnel tin can assistance you cascade white vinegar into the tank's outlet tube without splashing information technology everywhere. But don't worry if y'all get some in the water tank. It won't exist a problem.

What if That Doesn't Piece of work?

Here's one last instruction for how to clean toilet rim jets if the above did not solve the trouble.

Use a tool like the cutting pliers to cut a six-inch length from a wire coat hanger. Effort cutting the wire hanger at an bending then the end you stick into the holes is pointy.

Piece of work the wire hanger in and around each of the rinse holes to articulate them. If you need to see what you lot're doing, hold a mirror under the rim. This will be like how a dentist uses a mirror to await behind your teeth.

Once done cleaning out all the holes, affluent again and yous should be all set.

clean toilet jet rims - pouring white vinegar into inlet tube of toilet tank — Place the stop of your cut wire hanger into each hole. Move in and out and all around until you lot feel information technology has been cleaned of harder-to-dissolve debris.

Final Thoughts

Making sure you accept clean toilet rim jets is a simple process.

Though it takes time for the white vinegar to exercise its chore, information technology's a small price to pay for non having to supercede your toilet with a plush new ane.

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

Don't hesitate to contact us here or call us at ane-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need help with any toilet repair, replacement, or new installation.

1-Tom-Plumber'south certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain, or water impairment problem, including excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every twenty-four hours and nighttime of the year, even on holidays.