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sounds like you might have something lodged past the trap that a plunger is just pushing around. grab a closet auger, you can get one at any hardware store. shut the water off at the valve behind the toilet first, just to be safe, then feed the auger in and crank it slowly. when you feel resistance, keep turning, don't just jab it. you'll probably hear a pop or feel it break through. then turn the water back on and test flush a couple times. if it's still slow after that, the blockage might be further down the drain, but start with the auger before you call anyone.

i had the exact same scenario and it turned out to be a kids toy jammed in the trap. a plunger wouldn't dislodge it because it was caught on the curve. the auger hooked it and i pulled it right out. just don't use any chemicals down there, they won't dissolve plastic or rubber and you'll just have a caustic mess to work around. if you don't see improvement after augering, you might have a partial blockage in the main drain, but one thing at a time.

update: grabbed an auger like you both said and you were right, pulled out a toothbrush that had been in there who knows how long. flushes perfect now, thanks!

Pretty easy job. Turn off the supply at the shutoff valve first and flush to relieve pressure. The kit tees off between the shutoff and the tank fill valve. Hand tighten the connections then just a nudge with a wrench, these fittings are plastic and crack if you crank them. Turn the water back on slowly and watch every joint for a minute or two for drips before you call it done. If your shutoff valve is old and crusty and will not fully close, replace that first.

The shutoff was a little stiff but held. Installed fine, no leaks after watching it a while. Thanks.

Sewer smell at a toilet usually comes from one of a few places. A dried out or failing wax ring letting gas up around the base, a loose tank to bowl connection, or a dried out trap in a nearby floor drain. Start by checking if the toilet rocks at all and run a tissue around the base after a flush to check for seepage. If the base is solid and dry, look for other drains that might have dried out and pour a cup of water down them. If the smell is strong or persistent it can be a venting issue and that is worth a plumber.

There is a floor drain in the laundry we never use. Poured water down it and the smell is fading. Might have been that. Thank you.

Please do not put chemical drain cleaner in a toilet. It rarely works on toilet clogs, which are usually paper or waste not grease, and it leaves caustic liquid sitting in the trap that can splash back and burn you if you plunge afterward. Get a closet auger (toilet auger), the kind with a rubber sleeve so it does not scratch the bowl. Feed it in, crank through the clog, and it should clear what the plunger cannot.

Good call, that stuff scares me anyway. Picked up a closet auger and it broke through on the second pass. Draining normal now.

This right here. A closet auger is the single most useful tool a homeowner can own for the bathroom. Way more useful than any chemical.

If water is going into the overflow tube, your fill valve is set too high or the shutoff seal is worn. First try lowering the float so it shuts off about an inch below the top of the overflow. If it still will not stop, the valve seal is shot. Turn off the supply, flush to drain the tank, unscrew the old one and drop in a new fill valve. Fifteen minute job.

Lowering the float did not do it, still trickling. Ordered a new valve. Thanks for the steps.

Classic tank sweating. Cold water in the tank, warm humid bathroom air, condensation forms on the outside of the tank and drips down. The tell is exactly what you said, only on humid days and the water is clean. Better ventilation helps, a bathroom exhaust fan, or you can install an insulating tank liner kit.

A rocking toilet will eventually break the wax seal and then you get a hidden leak into the subfloor, so do not ignore it. If the flange is solid and the toilet only rocks slightly, you can level it with plastic toilet shims and then caulk around the base. But if it rocks a lot or you smell anything, pull it and inspect the flange and wax ring. Shims do not fix a bad flange.

It is just a slight rock on a tile floor that is not perfectly flat. I will shim and caulk. Appreciate it.

When you caulk, a lot of folks leave a small gap at the back so if it ever does leak you will see it on the floor instead of it hiding under the base. Both ways are fine, just know the tradeoff.

First thing to check is the water level in the tank. If it dropped, the flush loses power. Adjust the fill valve to bring the level up to about an inch below the top of the overflow tube. Second thing: mineral buildup in the rim jets under the bowl rim. Those clog over the years and kill the swirl. Clear them with a small mirror and a piece of wire, and soak with white vinegar.

Water level was low. Adjusted it up and the swirl is way better already. Will do the jet cleaning this weekend.

Phantom refills like that are almost always the flapper not sealing, or the chain too tight holding it cracked open a hair. Before you buy anything, drop a little food coloring in the tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. If color shows up in the bowl, water is leaking past the flapper. Also check the flapper seat for mineral crust and wipe it clean.

Food coloring test showed color in the bowl within 10 min. So it is the flapper seal. Thanks, grabbing a universal one.

If the new flapper still leaks, run your finger around the seat rim. A pitted or scaled seat will chew through flappers. A seat repair kit is cheaper than replacing the whole valve.