Have you ever had that feeling of horror or dread that quickly crops up when you watch your toilet bowl fill up without receding back down again? Toilet clogs are a pretty normal part of life for any homeowner, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a hassle to deal with, nor an urgent problem. A toilet overflow is usually the cause of a blockage in the drain pipe that leads out to the sewer, and over time these clogs can develop for many different reasons. Want to know how to handle the situation when a blockage causes your toilet to fill up or overflow? Here is how to fix an overflowing toilet quickly.
Most people know the primary tool needed to unclog a toilet’s drain line: a rubber plunger. This device works by creating a vacuum in the drain line. This vacuum can jar any clogs or blockages in the pipe loose, causing them to become dislodged and open a path for water and waste to escape and your toilet to flush as normal.
Plunging Your Toilet
The first thing you should when your toilet starts to overflow is quickly take the lid off your toilet and lift the float cup or ball valve up to stop the flow of water into the bowl and tank. Second, if you have not done so already, turn off the water valve that feeds your toilet, which can be found on the wall behind your toilet.
Put on some rubber or latex disposable gloves at this point, especially if your toilet was not waste-free when it overflowed. If the water has overflowed your toilet bowl, you may want to take a bucket and scoop some of the water out so you have a little bit of breathing room to work without causing even more water to spill out onto your floor. If the water is clean, you can simply dispose of it by emptying it into the sink.
Now, take your plunger and place it over the hole in the bottom of your bowl, covering it completely with as few gaps as possible. Press down on the plunger, until it has fully contracted and then quickly yank upwards. Repeat this process several times, starting slowly, but then increasing in frequency. You should find that within a few minutes the clog has loosened up and your toilet bowl has drained.
Using an Auger
Great, so the imminent danger is out of the way. However, the job is only half done. Just because you’ve freed the water doesn’t mean you’ve gotten rid of the clog. In fact, if the bowl finally drains but it does so slowly, it’s almost certain the clog is still present.
At this point, you’ll want to switch tools to a toilet auger, which is essentially a snaking tube that you can use to dislodge clogs and remove them. Feed the auger tube down the toilet hole into the “trap” and then push down on the other end of the auger to start feeding the snaking portion of the tool down into the line. Once you feel pressure or resistance, turn the auger handle to spin the line while slowly pulling the auger back out. You may need to repeat this a few times.
Eventually, the resistance should be mostly gone, and your toilet should flow smoothly once again, indicating that the clog has been dislodged and removed or washed away down the drain.
Contact a Glendale Plumber
This is a good method to remove most toilet clogs, which usually occur in the toilet drains. However, clogs that are deeper in your home’s piping system can be much more difficult to take care of, and may even result in damage or clogs in other plumbing fixtures as well, such as your bathtub or shower, your dishwasher, or your washing machine. When you experience one of these clogs, it’s strongly advised you let a professional inspect your system and use their experience and specialized tools to dislodge the clog and get your home running smoothly again.
To receive a plumbing estimate or schedule a drain clearing service, call Moe Plumbing Services now at (818) 396-8002!