Muriatic Acid

We had an old toilet that wasn't flushing properly.  The water would swirl around but it wouldn't do the final clear into the drain.  I figured out that it wasn't clogged.  The issue was that there are little holes where the water comes out at the top of the bowl.  When they get clogged by rust and grime over time, the water doesn't come out fast enough, and it doesn't get the whirlpool effect going that results in the final flush.

I had a plumber come out and he said I would need a new toilet, that he could install for $500.

I saw online that you can pour Muriatic Acid into the bowl and let it sit for a few hours to clear out the clogs in the holes.  Then you can use a coat hanger to push into the holes to clear them out.  I ordered a gallon of Muriatic Acid for about $10 on ebay.  This did work, and the toilet started flushing again.  It worked for about 6 months, but gradually the problem started again so I decided to just get the new toilet.

I got a toilet at Home Depot for $200 and installed it myself.  It is working fine now.