From flushing improper objects down the toilet to filling the pipes with wads of toilet paper, there are many ways to make your toilet overflow. Dealing with an overflowing toilet is never pleasant, and it’s one of the most frequent emergency calls people make for Henderson plumbing. Having raw sewage seeping onto your bathroom floor is disgusting, and it can also cause water damage to other parts of the bathroom. If your toilet appears to be overflowing, follow these steps to fix it.

 

Seal the Toilet Valve

The toilet valve stops water from flowing into the toilet bowl. Usually, the valve is located beneath the tank and near the back. You will have to turn the valve to get it to close. But be aware that unless you’ve had to shut off the water supply recently, the valve may be stuck. To keep this from happening, make a note to turn the valve a few times periodically, such as when you clean the bathroom, to make sure it functions properly in an emergency.

 

Stop Water Flowing from Inside the Tank

If you can’t get the valve to close, try shutting off water flow from inside the tank. If you’re trying this step, remove the tank lid and check the flapper, which is the rubber disc covering the hole in the floor of the tank. If the flapper is open, push it closed. If you can’t get it to close, try lifting the toilet float (the ball that sits on the water at the top of the tank). You might need to turn off the water supply first.

 

Try Unclogging the Toilet

Once you’ve turned off the water, it’s time to address the physical clog. Sometimes a plunger is enough to get the pipes moving again. But if not, you’ll have to get a more advanced plumbing tool like an auger or a plumbing snake. If you don’t have these tools on hand, squirt a bit of dish soap into the toilet, followed by about a gallon of hot (but not boiling) water. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck water out of the toilet bowl and remove the clog.

 

Call for Help

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you just can’t get the toilet to stop overflowing. If that’s the case, don’t worry – help is here! We offer 24-hour plumbing Henderson NV just for tough cases like this. If you have tried home remedies to undo a clog and stop an overflow without success, we will quickly come to your aid. If your toilet overflows consistently, it may be a sign of a deeper clog down the sewer line.

Toilets are like technology – great when they are working, but a nightmare when they don’t. Overflowing toilets are one of the primary reasons we get called out for emergency plumbing services. If your at-home techniques to fix a clog don’t work, it’s time to call a professional like us to help out.