Toilet Overflowing? Here’s What to Do!
One of the worst sights to see is your toilet overflowing, water (usually with some unsavory additions) is flooding your bathroom floor. This is when your brain freezes, what do you do? How do you stop a toilet from overflowing? Luckily, the answer is simple and anybody can do it.
First Things First
One thing you should never do when there is a toilet overflowing is to flush your toilet. That will just cause even more water to flow out of your toilet.
Stopping the Flow
On every single toilet, there is a stop valve. This stop valve will temporarily stop the water from flowing to your toilet. This should stop the water from pouring all over your bathroom floor. This stop valve is generally located behind the toilet towards the floor. All you need to do is turn it clockwise; make sure you make sure it is tight.
Your toilet stop valve rarely, if ever, gets turned and can become stuck and maybe even rusted. If you are reading this while you aren’t experiencing your toilet overflowing, make sure you turn all the stop valves in your home regularly. This will ensure that it can be turned when you need it to. These stop valves are located under every sink and behind every toilet.
Flapper and Float
If your stop valve just won’t turn, you can either cut water to the whole house, which isn’t really that convenient. You’ll also have to wait until the cause is resolved to use any water in your home. So, the next best thing to try is adjusting the flapper.
Your flapper is located at the bottom of the tank, it seals the opening between the toilet bowl and tank. This can also help your overflowing toilet. If you can push the flapper to stay closed then water should stop flowing. We recommend you take a second put a glove on, and wash your hands when you are done.
Even if you can stop your toilet overflowing from the stop valve we recommend doing this and rigging up your float. There is no recommended way to tie up or rig your float so it stops moving. As long as you don’t break it, and it stops moving you should be good to go.
Clear the Clog
There are a million reasons why your toilet is overflowing, but the main reason is because there is a clog. While the water is still stopped, you then want to start to plunge your toilet. Your plunger should have a flange on it, that will create a better seal.
After you’ve plunged the toilet, undo anything you did to stop the overflowing toilet. Now is when you want to flush it again. Before you flush, you want to be prepared so that it may start overflowing again. If it does start to overflow again, shut the water back off. There is probably another reason why your toilet is overflowing, or the clog may be further back in the line.
At this point, you will need to call a plumber and have them try to determine what the issue is.
Clean Up
After stopping your toilet overflowing, you are going to want to clean up the water. Do your best to dry it all out. If there is an extensive amount of water, you may want to consider calling a water restoration company to help dry it out. They will dry it out properly so you don’t end up with mold or damage to your home. They are also great at sanitizing after to make sure your bathroom stays safe to use.
Causes of Overflowing Toilets
The first, and main reason you experienced a toilet overflowing is a clog. These clogs can be close in the pipe to the toilet or pretty far back. The first line of defense is using your plunger. If that doesn’t take care of it usually a plumber will use a drain snake to clear it. Clogs way deep in the sewer line may also cause this issue, but more than one toilet would be overflowing.
Overflowing toilets can happen due to broken toilet parts. If something breaks inside the toilet, it can cause water to continually try to fill the toilet up. If you are handy you may notice the float or flapper is broken. This can be a DIY fix, however, if you are uncomfortable or don’t want to handle it, call your plumber!
Another cause is a blocked vent pipe. Your vent pipe is extremely important in your drain-waste-vent system. This is the open pipe you see on your roof. It can get blocked with dirt and leaves. This prevents the air needed to make sure everything drains properly. This is not a DIY job if you suspect this is the cause. You will need to call a plumber to fix this issue.
Final Thoughts
While the sight of your toilet overflowing is a scary one, now you will know what to do when it happens to you. It is also one you may not even need to call a plumber for!
Call 1-Tom-Plumber
Don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237) if you need help with any plumbing, drain cleaning, water damage, or excavation services. 1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain cleaning, or water damage problem. We also handle the excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.
