Flush With Bucket

• A bucket flush will help you know whether a clog in the toilet's drain is the cause of the slow flushing problem or if you need to look elsewhere in the toilet. When you flush the toilet with a bucket of water, only use cold water to avoid cracking the toilet's porcelain, and pour the water into the bowl as fast as you can without sloshing or spilling any of the water out of the bowl. If the toilet still flushes slow, you know the toilet has a clog that you must remove.
  
  

Clear Any Clogs

• A plunger will clear out any clogs that sit toward the toilet's drain opening. Use a funnel-cup plunger, which has a rounded bottom, since regular plungers do not fit into the drain opening in the bottom of the toilet's bowl as well. A dozen pumps or more with the plunger should dislodge the clog unless it is severe or far down the drain. Turn to a toilet snake or auger if the plunger does not succeed since the snake can reach the clog and break it up, restoring the toilet's flushing power.
  
  

Adjust the Water Level

• If the bucket test flushes the toilet normally, you need to examine the water level inside the toilet's tank. Take care when you remove the tank's cover since the cover is fragile and difficult to replace. The top of the water in the tank should sit about an inch below the top of the overflow tube. If the water sits lower, adjust the float's level. With large ball floats, bend the metal arm up. With floats that travel up and down on a metal rod, twist the plastic screw on the top of the float so it moves up.
  
  

Clear the Ports

• If the toilet does not have a clog and the water level inside the tank is fine, the cause of the slow flushing is likely hard water deposit buildup in the ports in the toilet's bowl. The ports sit just below the rim in the bowl, delivering the water that comes out of the toilet's tank. You can clear out the ports using the sharp end of a wood skewer or a straightened wire hanger. If the toilet still flushes slow, mix 1 part muriatic acid with 10 parts water, and pour the solution down the overflow tube in the toilet's tank. The solution needs about half an hour to eat away at the buildup in the ports.