A siphon jet is an integral part of the toilet, which is responsible for the heavy force of water that churns down your toilet bowl every time you flush.
However, since the siphon jet is exposed to the water flow from the public line, it can get coated or even clogged with various minerals, dirt, iron, and even bacteria.
Hence it is crucial to clean the toilet siphon jet. But how to clean toilet siphon jet properly?
A Toilet Siphon Jet: What Is It?
The modern toilet is accompanied by a siphon jet to maximize the pressure exerted on the flush. The siphon jet is shaped like a small pocket filled with water and is placed in front of the toilet.
The use of siphonic jets from the gravity-fed toilet was due to the lack of pressure in the latter, and hence it is now deemed to be one of the best toilet types in terms of flushing.
Clogged Jet Hole in Toilet, Warning Signs
Once the jet hole is clogged, the flushing system will not function properly since either the water from the tank will take a long time to empty, or there will not be enough water for a proper flush since the water was not filled up properly.
Bacterial growth is also a sign that your flush is not working properly, maybe because your jet hole is clogged.
The Resources You Need, Including Tools
You need the correct combination of cleaning tools and chemicals to deal with your dirty toilet siphon jet. The main resources that you need to acquire are distilled white vinegar in a bottle, a wire, a package of baking soda, a toilet brush with hard nylon bristles, and hand gloves.
You might also want to have a handy water spray that can reach the difficult spots in your toilet.
How to Clean Toilet Siphon Jet
There are mainly two reasons why your toilet siphon jet may require cleaning. The first is mineral accumulation, and the second is bacteria formation. For both cases, if you adhere to the following list of instructions, you should be able to successfully clean your toilet siphon jet.
Cleaning Mineral Buildup From Siphon Jets
The first thing you have to do is heat one cup of vinegar until it is a little above lukewarm. Make sure you do not boil the vinegar.
Now that you have your heated vinegar, you have to pour it into the overflow tube. Before pouring the tube, you should flush the toilet once initially.
And you will find the overflow tube once you remove the cistern lid of your toilet. You will see a lid on a cylindrical object, which needs to be removed before finding the inner part of the overflow tube.
This is where you will pour the vinegar and let it rest for 30 mins before flushing your toilet.
Cleaning Bacteria from the Toilet Siphon
First, give your toilet an initial flush. Then, remove the cistern lid and pour a cup of bleach into the water tank.
You should wait at least five to ten minutes before flushing the toilet with bleach-infested water. Next, you should use your handy nylon bristled brush to scrub the insides of the bowl, and even the toilet siphon, to remove any unwanted bacteria.
Moreover, you can also use a wire to scrape away bacteria accumulated in the siphon. This is particularly more useful when there is still some bacterial presence after brushing the siphon.
Next, you should rinse the bowl and siphon properly with bleach water or disinfectant to remove any remaining bacteria. Then flush your toilet again to finally reveal a crystal clear toilet siphon!
Siphonic Jet Cleaning
To clean the siphonic jet, you have to either use an Allen wrench or a smaller wrench that can reach the water jet hole. Use any disinfectant or bleach and scrape off any scum or dirt from the water jet hole. Remember to periodically flush your toilet for optimal results.
How to Clean Toilet Bowl
You can clean your toilet bowl by putting vinegar in the toilet bowl, followed by baking soda. This will neutralize any unwanted acidic or alkaline substance that is causing your toilet bowl to become dirty.
You may also like this article: How to Adjust Water Level in Toilet Bowl (Easy Fix)
How Can I Keep My Toilet Siphon Jet Clean at All Times?
The easiest trick in the book is to regularly use your toilet because that means you will regularly flush your toilet. This cleans up your toilet siphon jet most of the time. Moreover, if your public water line consists of hard water containing calcium carbonate, you should install a water softener to ensure fewer mineral deposits.
Lastly, keep your toilet tank clean at all times to prevent clogging your toilet siphon jet. However, doing all these do not necessarily mean your toilet siphon jet will always be clean; hence make sure you follow the cleaning process if you think your flush is not working properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are siphon jets found in all toilets?
Not necessarily, even though most toilets have siphon jets.
2. The siphon jets are bubbling; why?
This can happen if any of the holes in the jet are blocked, creating a bubbling effect. Moreover, if the water level is too low, then some bubbling may arise in the siphon jets.
3. How can the toilet siphon jet be cleaned in the quickest and coziest way possible?
The quickest way to clean toilet siphon jets is to scrub them with a toilet brush. However, the easiest way is to just pour a gallon of vinegar and water solution and leave it for a day to clean your toilet siphon jet slowly.
4. How Does the Bathroom Siphon Operate?
Once the flush is pressed, the water is lowered through the siphon tube and into the bowl by the action of gravity. A seal is subsequently formed, preventing the water from being sucked back out and allowing the bowl to fill up with water after the flushing has ended.
Then, the water is propelled out of the bowl and down the drain when the handle is depressed, usually by the action of the flushing button.
5. Why won’t my siphon function?
At times, the toilet siphon stops functioning when there is the presence of an air leak. In such cases, you should try to install a different tube with no leak.
You may also read this article: 16 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Bathroom And Toilet
End Note
Even though the toilet siphon jet may seem like a very minute component of your toilet, it is responsible for one of the most crucial parts of your experience, properly flushing your fecal matter. Hence, it is extremely handy to learn how to clean toilet siphon jets in order to have the best toilet experience.
