Step by Step Guide for Cleaning Toilet Siphon & Rim Jets

A poorly working flush system in your toilet means trouble. The first thought in your mind is about replacing your toilet. But before you consider it, try cleaning your toilet’s siphon and rim jets.

In this article, we will walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to clean your toilet’s siphon and rim jets. As these terms are not common, check out a brief description before we move to our main discussion.

Toilet Siphon

A toilet siphon is an opening at the bottom of the toilet bowl. This is the point where most of the water enters the toilet bowl.

Toilet Rim Jets

The rim jets are located at the inner side of the toilet rim. The rims are designed to swirl water that cleans and rinses the bowl.

Together the siphon and the rims are responsible for emptying the toilet bowl contents after a flush. The water pressure also takes along deposits and minerals.

Step by Step Guide for Cleaning Toilet Siphon and Rim Jets

The toilet siphon and rim jets get clogged over time. The main reason behind this is improper cleaning and high mineral content in water. Most people focus more on cleaning the toilet bowl. A few clean rim jets, but the majority leaves siphon uncleaned. This is the reason why these two develop deposits and mold.

Here we will discuss how you can clean both.

Things Needed

• Baking soda & Vinegar
• Bucket
• Funnel
• Sponge
• L-shaped Allen wrench
• Gloves
• Toilet Brush
• Small mirror

Procedure

Step 1: Emptying Toilet Bowl and Tank

• Flush your toilet to replace the bowl’s water with fresh water.
• Turn off the water supply to your toilet and flush again.
• Empty bowl water using a cup and absorbent sponge. Make sure you wear gloves and a face mask while doing it.
• Remove the tank’s lid and use a sponge to remove the leftover water.

Step 2: Prepare Rim Jets

• Use a mirror to locate rim jets under the rim.
• Cover them with duct tape, so the cleaning liquid doesn’t flow in the bowl.

Step 3: Add Vinegar

• Clogged rim jets and siphon mean that the toilet’s tank has mineral deposits on the inside. You must also clean the tank because a dirty tank will again block rim jets and siphon.
• Clean the inside of the toilet tank using vinegar and a sponge. You may need to let the vinegar sit for a while in the tank if the stains are stubborn. Please don’t use bleach or corrosive cleaner in the toilet tank.
• Proceed to the next step once the tank is clean.
• Pour vinegar inside the overflow tube using a funnel. An overflow tube is a large tube inside the tank with a small water pipe connected to it.
• Keep pouring vinegar inside this tube until the vinegar reaches the usual water level in your toilet bowl. Pouring large quantity is necessary to trap vinegar in rim jets and cover siphon.
• Let the vinegar sit for at least a couple of hours; overnight is recommended if the rim jets are fully blocked.

Just a Pro Tip: Never use bleach, muriatic acid, or commercial cleaners with bleach while cleaning the toilet tank. These cleaners are corrosive and can damage rubber seals and valves inside the tank.

Step 4: Cleaning Rim Jets

• Remove the duct tape; this will allow the trapped vinegar to flow in the bowl. You will see small particles in vinegar, confirming that the deposits have been broken,
• Use the L-shaped Allen wrench to clean each rim jet. Rotate it, so any leftover deposits are removed. You can also turn a steel wire turned into L-shaped to clean the rim jets.
• Flush the toilet to force the remaining vinegar in the tank into the toilet bowl. It will flush any leftover deposit inside the rim jets.DO NOT OPEN WATER.

Step 5: Add Baking Soda

• Pour one cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl. It will start fizzing
• Swish the mixture in the bowl with a toilet brush. Don’t forget to scrub the rim jets.
• You will need a special brush for this task. Use Oxo’s brush as its design makes rim cleaning easy. Moreover, it has an oval-shaped grip for comfortable grip.

Step 6: Clean Toilet Tank

• Use a sponge to clean the toilet tank.
• Make sure you clean the bottom because water from the bottom also flows into the bowl.

Step 7: Clean Siphon

• Use your fingers to clean the siphon jet (don’t forget your gloves).
• Give it a good scrub with your finger. You can also use a soft scrubbing brush or steel wool to clean the siphon.

Step 8: Test

• Turn on the water supply. Don’t place the tank lid as cleaning may disturb some settings in the tank.
• Make sure the water fills to its normal level.
• Flush the toilet to see how fast the water flows.
• Repeat the process 2-3 times to ensure that the water level in the bowl reaches its normal level.

Siphon & Rim Jets Maintenance

Regular cleaning & maintenance of these items won’t force you to perform a deep clean. Here’s what you can do to ensure the good health of your toilet’s most crucial parts.

• Keep rim jets clean; make it your habit to scrub the insides of the rim every time you clean the toilet.
• Keep the toilet tank clean. Use cleaning tablets to ensure good health.
• Use specialized hard water cleaners if you live in an area with hard water. Iron Out tablets are recommended for homes using well water or hard water.
• Use liquid cleaners and a toilet brush to clean toilets for a deep clean. Deep cleaning unblocks rim jets and clears siphon.
• Pour hot vinegar into the overflow tube after a couple of months. Don’t flush your toilet for a few hours when you do so.
• Add some vinegar to the toilet bowl after 1-2 months to remove deposits along the siphon. Let it sit overnight.
• Pour a bucket of slightly hot water into the toilet bowl to wash away any blockages in the toilet trap.

Why do toilet jets clog?

There are two main reasons behind clogged toilet jets and siphon.

1. Minerals in water and rust particles block these holes.
2. Homeowners rely on automatic cleaners and don’t scrub toilet rim and siphon as often as they should.

Can I use CLR to clean rim jets?

You can use any cleaner to clean rim jets as long as it doesn’t have bleach. CLR is highly effective in removing calcium, lime, and rust. It will pretty much give excellent results in rim jets cleaning.

The cleaning procedure will be the same as explained above, but CLR is costly compared to vinegar and baking soda. Moreover, these items are usually found in every home, so you won’t have to spend a dime using household items.

How can I remove bacteria and mold growth on siphon jets or rim jets?

You can use any toilet cleaner with bleach for this task. These cleaners kill the bacteria and mold spores and disinfect the toilet bowl for 2-3 weeks. You can add an automatic cleaning tablet or gel to keep the toilet bacteria and mold-free even longer.

Final Words

Cleaning siphon and rim jets is an easy but gross task. This is the reason many homeowners skip cleaning them during regular cleaning. However, cleaning them at least once a month is vital to ensure smooth functionality.