Overflowing Toilet? Here’s What to Do

A plumber uses a plunger to unclog a toilet.

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Water rising up to your toilet’s brim is never a welcome sight. In fact, this situation causes anxiety to every homeowner who experiences it. But you don’t have to panic when this happens to you. Knowing how to deal with an overflowing toilet is the key.

An overflowing toilet is most likely the result of a problem with a tank float mechanism or more commonly, a blockage. Of course, it is important that once the immediate overflow is stopped that you check the underlying cause so it won’t happen again in the future.

What you need to do first is turn the toilet’s water supply off. Most toilets have a supply line at the bottom side of the bowl. Look for a valve and turn it counter-clockwise. This should stop water flow to your toilet. If you can’t find this valve, just move on to the next step.

Remove the cover of the tank. Lift the float ball high enough that it stops the water running. If there’s still water running even after you’ve done that, you have to turn off your house’s water supply. It is usually located in the basement near a water heater and looks like a knob or a valve. Turn it until the water stops running. to eliminate the current problem of the overflow of water it a clog is causing the problem and not a sewer backup.

Make sure that you put a pair of rubber gloves on.. With a small bucket or cup, remove excess water at the bowl’s brim and pour the water you removed into a sink (but only if it’s clean). Once you have addressed the flood, pour all the dirty water back into the toilet and flush it!

Take a toilet plunger and position it over the hole of the toilet bowl. Use a steady downward pressure, and slowly increase the speed. If the overflow is caused by a clog, the plunger will dislodge it and let water escape through the plumbing.

You can also try resetting the float mechanism. Having it sit lower in the tank can prevent the tank from overflowing. Also, make sure that the chain is attached properly to the float and is not tangled in any way.

If what you’re dealing with is a recurring overflow of soiled water, contact Hayes Plumbing as it may be an indication of a sewer backup. Our expert plumbers can also examine your external plumbing vents. Give us a call today!

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