Scale build-up in toilet bowl...HELP!
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive June 2006:
Scale build-up in toilet bowl...HELP!
We have well water that has a lot of rust and calcium in it. We have lived in this house thirty one years (bought it brand new). We still have all of the original plumbing fixtures. A few years ago, it was like our water "changed" or something. All of a sudden, the part of the toilet bowl that is always under water started turning a disgusting brown colour. No toilet bowl cleaner or any amount of brushing removed it. I even tried letting bleach sit in the bowl overnight. I have always used Comet and Pinesol to clean the bowl.
Recently, I bought Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner. It is thick like a gel. Your pour it all over the inside of the bowl, including under the rim, let it sit ten minutes, then brush and flush. Well, I noticed that the brown scale was starting to fall off in pieces, revealing the porcelain underneath. I took a screw driver and started flaking more of it away.
Is there anything that will totally remove it? I've used Bar Keepers Friend with no luck. It looks AWFUL even though the toilet is sanitized.
I ordered a new toilet about six weeks ago. It has to come from somewhere in the midwest because I had to order harvest gold to match my tub and sink. (My house was built in the '70's). It hasn't come in yet, and I'm thinking if I can get this one sparkling again, I can cancel the new one. It's going to cost me over $600.00 installed! I'd appreciate any advice.
While my toilet doesn't get like yours, I have found LimeAway does very well in removing the line left by having hard water. You could also try CLR.
I would think that if you have this problem, you'll have it with a new toilet also. Have you thought about having a water filtering system installed to either "soften" the water or remove at least some of the minerals in the water?
You want to be very careful when using chemicals in the toilet. Don't combine them, for one thing, as the mixture could create hazardous fumes. And, never use any "pipe cleaner" chemicals in a toilet because when you flush them into the trap that keeps the toilet from backing up they can create gases that expand. I remember a co-worker's husband used a pipe cleaner on a clogged toilet once and the pipe burst.
And, I would never use metal (screwdriver) on anything porcelain, because if you scratch the finish you provide a spot for more buildup and more damage. I have used wooden scrapers for similar purposes to avoid scratches. I also would avoid any gritty cleansers like Comet for the same reason. Porcelain is a baked on finish and if you damage or break the hard surface of the finish, it becomes porous and holds stains.
Has there been any blasting in your area? Or building going on?
Has there been change in water patterns in your area? Drought?
It might just be the inside fixtures in the tank of the toilet.
We had blasting from a quarry a mile away from our house, caused the same thing. It 'shakes' your well from the aftershocks.
We also had a brown slimy stuff in the tank and had to change the tank fixtures that helped.
Ditto Ginny. We have a well and had similar problems until we installed a water filtering system. It has made a huge difference.
Do you have a septic tank? We do, and we were told not to use bleach because it will kill the necessary bacteria in the septic system.
CLR or Lime Away would be my recommendation as well. The Lime Away gel is pretty thick, and works well.
Yes, we have a septic system, too. My washing machine flushes into it, so it gets bleach in there. However, the guy who pumps it for us every four years says that chlorine coverts into an inert substance by the time it reaches the solids tank, since chlorine is a natural element.
As far as blasting..no, that didn't happen, but about a year ago, our well pipe was hit with lightning. It lit up our whole back yard. The next day, we had to let all the taps run to clear out the rust that was coming out of them. It looked like iced tea! It must have shaken the ground violently. That is about the time we started having problems with staining in the toilet.
I bought some CLR this morning and used it. That took a lot of the scaling away. Maybe if I just keep using it. It is supposed to be safe for septic systems. The guy in the hardware store also said that "The Works" and "Lime Away" work really well. I hate to spend so much money on a toilet if I don't have to. The only thing I like about the new one is, beside using less water, it is what is called "comfort height". It's higher than the one we have now. The lowness wasn't a problem thirty years ago, but now I have arthritic knees. The higher one makes it easier to get off of it. :-)
Hol, I had to get a new toilet and, because of state law, had to get one that uses less water. Well, it uses less water, but, I can tell you it tends to clog more often. On the whole, I would rather not have it. As for the height, you can get a "booster" for toilet seats. I had one for my mom because of her bad knees. My knees are not so great either, but because of Mom we had a number of grab bars around the tub and bathroom, and there is one I can comfortably reach when I am ready to stand up. It really helps.
Glad the CLR is working. If it were me, I'd keep on using it. What I would do is turn off the water to the toilet, flush it, wat a couple of minutes, and then pour CLR all around the toilet walls - with no water to dilute it, it should work even better. About every 3 months I take my shower heads off and soak them for the day in CLR to remove the hard water minerals, and see a major improvement in shower water flow for the next couple of months.
Use a pumice stone on it, you should be able to get one at any local hardware store.
Ginny, I was afraid that the low water volume toilet would clog more easily, and you confirmed it. It's state law here, too. I guess the concept is admirable, but I have three males in the house that do a good job of clogging it now. Thanks for the warning. 
Emily, with respect, I would never use a pumice stone or anything else on porcelain that could damage the hard surface finish.
I used a pumice stone on mine and it worked wonders and the stains haven't returned.
I have managed both apartments & motels & on tough stains that is all I will use on toilets, it has never damaged any that I have used it on. It really does work wonders & the brand I get states that it is safe for porcelain.
what about a cap full of tang. I find it works on my very old toilet.
My parents' house was also built in 1972 and they (actually we- I was 7) moved in 4 years later. They have hard well water and use a water softner, but only for the sinks and clotheswasher. The toilet in one bathroom is green and in the other light blue. When the toilets get really bad, my dad uses a (GASP) SOS pad to clean them. (He's the neat freak )
They eventually had to have their well replaced about 4 years ago. If you started having the problems when your well pipe was hit, then it could have something to do with the well itself. I would have it inspected.
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