What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[saysfaa]

The cap is behind the siphon jet rather than in the rim channel. That probably doesn't affect the options but in case it does there is that.

This picture is a diagram of the model we have. The cap is where I put red and where we think the water goes is green. We think it goes around the right side of the bowl and the picture shows"The water also goes to the rim channel.

A minute and ten seconds into this video is the best animation that we could find of the water path in model we have.

This Old House has a good video of how a siphon toilet works.

The only shop vac I have is the smallest one they made. Do you think that might work?

I can try it in the blow mode. Dh has a thing about vacuuming water into it even though it is made for that so we won't be using it wet.

 

[saysfaa]

The next best alternative we'd thought of so far is to run a garden hose through the house to the toilet. Then plug the side jets, and the drain hole, around the end of the hose. And take the flapper off. Then turn the hose on up siphon jet.

Or run a flexible tube down the flapper hole, through the toilet, past the cap and out the siphon hole. Drain the toilet. Wait until everything is dry, dab super glue on the end of the tubing. Then try to hit the cap with the glue spot. Let that cure. Then pull the tubing out through the flapper hole.

 

[saysfaa]

I like the grabber thing if the stick part is long enough and flexible enough to reach the cap through the flapper opening.

Edit to add - the longest grabber I saw is about 19" but I don't know if that is long enough.

 

[gtaus]

Again, I am not a plumber and I don't have your model of toilet. But there are few things I think I can answer.

I like the shop vac idea

That sounded promising. I agree. Depends on where that cap is stuck and how it's stuck.

The only shop vac I have is the smallest one they made. Do you think that might work?

I have shop vacs as small as 1 gallon. It is pretty strong. It would not hurt to try.

I can try it in the blow mode. Dh has a thing about vacuuming water into it even though it is made for that so we won't be using it wet.

I have used wet/dry shop vacs for ~40 years. They are made to handle vacuuming up water with no damage to the shop vac. However, most of my vacs have a dry screen around the main filter that needs to be removed before you use it to suck up water. If you still have the owner's manual for your wet/dry vac, that should tell you how to prep it for wet vacuuming. Or, you could probably look up the manual online. It's really not a big deal.

Edit to add - the longest grabber I saw is about 19" but I don't know if that is long enough.

Yeah, the Harbor Freight pickup grabber is 24 inches long. If that is not long enough, I found this 63 inch long pickup grabber on Amazon....

Although I'm sure you can't stick your head down into the toilet, can you empty it of all water and get a mirror down there to see? There are inspections mirrors that might help you see what's going on....

I have an inspection mirror (without a light) and found it quite useful in a limited number of repairs. I certainly like the idea of it with a light built in.

Another option to help see what's going on might be an inspection scope. You stick it down the pipe and just look around for the obstruction...

Is it possible for you to go to a store where they sell your model and check out the flow of water on a dry toilet? I'm just trying to imagine if you need to suck or blow that cap out.

I wish I could be more helpful, but I have never had your type of toilet and it's just hard for me to understand how that cap got into the water path and why it cannot clear itself. Seems like some kind of design flaw to me.

I hope you can fix it yourself. Where I live, it's about $200.00 for a plumber to show up at the door.

I see the tornado toilets can range from $200.00 to over $1000.00. It's not a really big deal to replace a toilet, but maybe it is a little intimidating if you have never done it. If you can't clear that cap without completely removing your toilet, I was thinking that maybe you could temporarily install an inexpensive toilet while you try to fix your tornado flush toilet...

Or, if you have multiple toilets in the house, maybe just disconnect the one with the problem, remove it, and put it on the workbench to see if you can find a way to clear the cap. Best wishes.