Overflowing toilets are embarrassing and gross. Who wants to admit they are the reason why their bathroom is flooding? No one! There is no hiding when it happens. The water flowing from your toilet is usually due to a clog and needs to be checked immediately. Toilet water is hazardous due to the waste matter in it. It can easily damage your home if left standing for extended periods. To avoid getting in the sticky situation of an overflowing toilet, follow these five tips!
Take Care With What You Flush
Your toilet is a powerful appliance, but it has its limits. The modern toilet bowl designed function is to discard human waste and light paper products. When confronted with something that doesn’t easily break down, it will inevitably clog. Clogged toilet pipes are a primary concern. Without water flowing normally, the flushed material will need to find another exit: back out the way it came. Avoid overflowing from happening, don’t dispose of anything other than what exits your body and toilet paper. Sanitary napkins, wet wipes, cat litter, and paper towels should never be flushed down a toilet bowl. Children’s toys are another likely culprit for overflowing toilets. Prevent this by keeping the toilet lid down at any time it is vacant. If you do get a clog, take care of it quickly. Use a plunger to try to break it up naturally. Call a plumber if you’re unable to remove it by yourself. Don’t hesitate to remove a clog! If left untouched, it will cause your toilet to overflow.
Not All Toilet Papers Are Created, Equally
Look, we get it, comfortable, super-soft toilet paper is just so pleasant to use! Unfortunately, the super plush paper options aren’t smart for your toilet. Municipal plumbing such as office or apartment complexes may be able to tolerate the thick stuff for a while, but not forever. Single homes with their septic system struggle. The ultra-cushioned toilet paper feels satisfying for you but is sort of like feeding your toilet porridge for every meal. Eventually, it won’t be able to break down the dense paper, and it will clog. Prevent this by purchasing a mid-tier paper. It doesn’t need to be single ply sandpaper to help your toilet! A double-ply that isn’t exceptionally padded is a vast, convenient option for both you and your plumbing.
Prevent Toilet Overflows By Regularly Checking Mechanics
Many homeowners fail to pay attention to their toilet until it’s too late. Noticing signs of wear and tear prevents an overflowing toilet from happening before it becomes an issue. The easiest to check is the toilet bowl itself. Your toilet bowl should not have cracks or build up. Open up the tank to check out the flapper, chain, and float balls. Since the flapper is usually plastic or rubber, it may start to crack as it ages. If you notice this happening, replace it! The chain should never be rusty. A healthy float ball is one fully inflated with no cracks. If everything looks good, you shouldn’t have any overflow issues!
Never Use Chemical Drain Cleaners
Chemical drain cleaners are bad news for any of your home’s pipes, including the toilet. Unclogging toilets manually using a plunger is gross but safe. Over the counter drain cleaners work by using highly corrosive chemicals to break up clog materials such as hair, waste, or food scraps. These chemicals don’t care what they break up, which makes them dangerous to your pipes. They’ll continue their onslaught through your pipes, ultimately wearing them down. May lead to bursting or leaking pipes down the line. Any issues with your toilet’s pipes easily translate into overflowing. Don’t let this happen! Use a snake or plunger to remove clogs instead.
Fix Running Toilets ASAP to Prevent Overflowing
The term, running toilet describes a toilet that doesn’t stop pumping water into the bowl after you flush caused by an issue in the tank. The flapper might not be sealing properly, or the tank is retaining too much water. Whatever the cause, you want to make sure it’s fixed promptly. When the toilet isn’t functioning, there’s a domino effect. One part breaks and puts a strain on another part now forced to overcompensate. In time you’ll end up with an overflowing toilet, which is a much bigger problem than a running toilet! Don’t hesitate to call a plumber if you suspect an issue.
Don’t worry too much if you do end up with your toilet spilling on the bathroom floor! The important thing is to act fast. Shut off the water supply valve and call an emergency plumber as soon as you notice the issue. A trusted local plumber will be able to assess and resolve the underlying cause for the toilet overflow in no time. Cleaning up the water should be handled with a strong disinfectant, such as diluted bleach, quickly. Make sure any areas the water touched are dried thoroughly after being disinfected!
For more common plumbing and other related tips, please contact Sin City Plumbing.
