The toilet siphon jet is one of the most important parts of your toilet. This jet is responsible for the flow of water into the bowl.
It helps to scrub away anything stuck to the bowl, removing waste effectively. But if the siphon jet becomes clogged, your toilet may suffer.
There are multiple reasons that the siphon jet might become clogged. Some common ones include mineral deposits from hard water, as well as debris.
If the clog builds up over time, it will restrict the flow of water. This leads to waste being stuck to the bowl.
Fortunately, cleaning your siphon jet is a relatively simple process.
About Your Siphon Jet
It helps to understand what the siphon jet is and why it’s important.
This component is a type of valve in your water closet. After you flush your toilet, the jet releases the pressure.
The jet funnels fresh water through the bowl and down the pipes so that the waste in the bowl can be cleared.
There are two main types of jet.
Rim jets are set around the rim of the toilet bowl. With these designs, there are multiple jets that allow water to flow through the bowl.
Siphon jets are positioned on the bottom of the bowl. This jet points at the trapway. It pushes waste and water around the toilet and down.
You’ll need to know which type of jet you have to ascertain the location. But you’ll generally follow the same steps to clean any model.
How to Clean the Siphon Jet
There are simple steps to follow to clean the jet. It’s important to follow all of these to avoid damaging any equipment or making a mess.
1. Cut off the water supply.
As with many aspects of toilet maintenance, your first step will be to cut off the water supply. The supply line should connect to the toilet tank.
There will be a valve that you can turn clockwise with your fingers. If the valve is rusty, you might need a wrench to turn it.
This prevents water from entering the toilet tank. From here, you can drain the toilet.
2. Drain the toilet.
You should flush the toilet to empty the water in the tank. Then use a rag or sponge to soak up the remaining drops in the tank and the bowl.
You might also put a towel down around the base of the toilet to catch any remaining droplets.
If you don’t want to soak up the materials yourself, your other option is to allow the toilet to dry normally. Just turn on the fan, wait an hour or so, and let evaporation run its course.
The toilet needs to be totally dry before you continue.
3. Inspect the siphon jet(s).
Depending on whether you have a rim design or not, there may be multiple siphon jets. You’ll need to look at each jet on the toilet and determine how dirty it is.
Some of the jets might be clogged.
Usually the best cleaner to use will be a combination of baking soda and vinegar. However, if bacteria is playing a role in the clog, you might need a different approach.
Bacteria is involved when the clogs are orange or dark in color. In these cases, you’ll need to use a strong product that can kill bacteria.
4. Seal the jets with duct tape.
You’re going to cover every hole with a wide piece of duct tape. The vast majority of duct tape solutions are waterproof.
Make sure that you get a type that’s rated for durability.
Cover each siphon jet, using multiple strips if you need to. You should also cover every hole around the toilet rim.
Make sure there aren’t any cracks around the edges of the duct tape. The tape will be responsible for holding the cleaning solution in place.
As an extra precaution, you can put several layers of duct tape down. Alternate how they’re positioned to get the most security possible.
5. Pour vinegar and baking soda into your toilet tank.
You’ll pour a mixture of vinegar and baking soda into the tank itself. The components will react with each other and create a froth.
Allow the solution to soak for an hour, as this will clear the tank equipment of any hard water mineral deposits.
While cleaning the tank isn’t strictly necessary, it’s a good thing to do while you’re here. Otherwise, debris from the tank might clog the siphon jets again as soon as you’re done.
6. Pour vinegar and baking soda into the overflow tube.
The overflow tube in your toilet tank is usually black. This tube is responsible for siphoning water into the bowl when the tank gets too full.
It will pour liquid directly into the siphon jet.
You’ll pour a solution of two-thirds vinegar and one-third baking soda into the tube. It will be funneled to the jet and the holes around the rim.
The cleaning solution should dissolve mineral deposits, grime, and dirt. Make sure that it remains there for an hour.
Keep in mind that you’ll need something stronger if there’s bacteria in your toilet. You might want to get a heavy-duty commercial cleaner that’s safe for toilet use.
7. Take off the duct tape.
Now you’ll take the duct tape off of the holes, allowing the cleaning solution to drain. If there are any sticky tracks stuck to the bowl, you can scrape them away with a screwdriver.
It’s a good idea to wear gloves during this process. That way, you won’t get any cleaning chemicals on your skin.
You also won’t touch anything unpleasant in the toilet bowl.
Take your toilet brush and scrub the debris out of the jet and the holes around the toilet rim. The materials should easily dissolve now that they’ve had time to soak.
8. Turn the water supply line back on.
Now that the cleaning is finished, you can turn the water back on. Simply rotate the knob counterclockwise.
Then flush the toilet a few times. This will allow water to flow through the siphon jet, into the bowl, and down the pipes.
It will also help you refill the toilet tank.
9. Scrub the jet one more time for good measure.
Now that you’ve flushed the debris out of the toilet, you can scrub it one more time. This is a final pass that should take care of any remaining grit.
You don’t technically need to do this. But it is a good way of assuring yourself that the jets are totally clear.
Final Thoughts
Toilet siphon jets are prone to clogging over time. That’s especially true if you live in an area with hard water.
Mineral deposits and dirt can build up, restricting the flow of water.
Cleaning the siphon jet is relatively simple. The most time-consuming part of it is just leaving the solution to sit for an hour.
Aside from draining the toilet of water, you don’t do much differently from cleaning your toilet bowl.