The water is slowly rising again? For the umpteenth time, you’re worried about cleaning up all that water?

Tired of getting flooded? Then it’s time to fix your overflowing toilet.

When flooding is an ongoing problem there’s probably a clog somewhere. There might also be some other reasons why your toilet is overflowing.

If you are trying to figure out what to do when your toilet overflows, its time to get answers. Read on because you are about to learn how to stop the overflow.

What to Do When Your Toilet Overflows

Once your toilet is overflowing, several steps can be taken to stop the water from continuously running and to get to the source of the problem.

Your toilet is clogged if it begins to overflow right after flushing it. The first thing you need to do is, stop the flow of water. For most bathrooms, this means turning off the toilet’s main valve.

If your toilet is like most, you’ll probably see a water line coming from your bathroom walls to your toilet. There’s also a hand-crank valve present, turn it off to stop the flow of water.

Turning off the valve during an overflow of water will stop your bowl from filling up and gives you time to unclog. Do expect that in some cases, it’s challenging to turn the valve due to years of not being turned.

It might even be rusty. In this case, apply some lubricant liberally all over the valve and then begin to turn it gently.

The Alternative

Say your toilet is really overflowing and to make matters worse, you can’t turn off the valve, then it’s time to go into the toilet tank. Remove its lid carefully and place it aside.

First, check the flapper. If you don’t know what this is, it’s a hinged disc made of rubber that covers a hole at the bottom of the tank. If it’s open, go ahead and use your hand to close it.

This normally stops the flow of water. If it’s not open, or won’t remain closed, search for the float ball. By lifting it with your hands to the top of the tank, the water will stop.

Unclogging the Toilet

Once you’ve stopped the overflow, it’s time to unclog. The first tool to use is a standard plunger especially one with a flange in the bottom. Invest in one now, if you don’t have one already.

The flange extends into the toilet’s drain hole and creates a seal that’s tight enough to clear the clog efficiently. Before using your plunger, get your rubber gloves and remove some of the water from the toilet bowl with a small container.

You can place this water in a bucket. Get some old towels and put them around your toilet’s base to soak up any water that may spill

Place some petroleum jelly on the flange’s rim. Then place the plunger in the toilet making sure to insert the flange directly in the drain hole.

Keep the handle upright then push the plunger up and down for about 15 to 20 seconds vigourously. This should do the trick.

Snaking Your Drain

A toilet snake or auger is the next go-to tool if your plunger failed to work. The toilet snake comes fixed in a rubber hose with a crank on one of its ends.

It has a coiled hook at the other end. The cable grabs stubborn material found deep in the toilet’s drain.

Get your rubber gloves and get rid of any excess water in the toilet. Place the end of the cable with the hook into your toilet bowl, then go ahead and turn the crank clockwise. This lets the cable go down into the drain.

Keep turning the cable until its stuck. Pull-on the snake gently, if it feels stuck, you’ve hooked your clog.

Crank it counter-clockwise to pull out the clogged material. Dump this in a bucket and repeat until the clog is totally cleared. Flush your toilet.

Next, you are going to dump the waste material back into your toilet, do so in small amounts. Flush each time to prevent a new clog or overflowing.

Call in the Professionals

If you think that your overflowing toilet is a chronic problem then get a plumber to assess your external plumbing vents. Also, if your toilet keeps overflowing it means that your sewer is backed up and the system needs to be flushed.

In general, contact a professional for clogs that just won’t clear. A toilet that keeps overflowing can become very unhygienic especially when it overflows after use. You could find yourself cleaning up a lot of waste.

If things seem to be spirally out of control, trying to fix it yourself can make things worse. It's best to call in a plumber.

Goodbye to Your Problems!

An overflowing toilet, especially one leaking soiled water can be challenging and frustrating. So knowing what to do when your toilet overflows is a must.

Flooding can be avoided with the right tools and knowledge. The best place to start is to target the source of the overflowing. To do so turn off your toilet’s flow of water.

Remember you can do so by shutting off the main valve. However, if that fails then simply pull the flapper ball to the top of your tank with your hand.

It’s now time to unclog. Be sure to invest in a standard plunger with a flange. Rubber gloves, a bucket, a small container, and some towels are also needed.

If that fails it’s on to snaking your drain using a toilet snake or auger. This goes into the drain and grabs a hold of the clog. Finally, if all your efforts fail, don't feel bad about it, just call in a professional.

If you would like plumbing help, don't hesitate to contact us. We have professionals standing by to assist you with all your plumbing needs.