What to do when your toilet is overflowing

An overflowing toilet is something that no one wants to deal with, but most of us probably will encounter it at least once in our lives. Toilet maintenance isn’t exactly the most… sexy of topics of discussion. Because of this, some people miss out on the pertinent information they would otherwise be frantically googling with toilet water-soaked hands and water filling up around their feet. No, thank you. We’ll give you the info right here and now to save yourself the drama. 

You can do a handful of things to prevent your toilet from overflowing or address it when you start to see the bowl filling up. But first, let’s look at why your toilet may overflow. 

Common reasons you may experience a clogged and overflowing toilet in White plains

Children

Let us know if this sounds familiar; your sweet dear child has finally graduated from diapers. You’re so stoked to be rid of having to deal with that daily and proud of your child’s blossoming independence. Then you hear ‘Mom, the toilet won’t flush”. You come running in to see a mountain of toilet paper inside the toilet, and now starting to spill out (along with everything else that was in there a few moments ago.) Toilet-training little ones often overestimate just how much toilet paper they require and can accidentally end up clogging the toilet after several flushes.

Too much toilet paper

This situation most commonly happens with children, as we mentioned above, but that doesn’t mean that we, as adults, can’t make that same mistake from time to time. Particularly if we’ve had a large meal the night before…

Blocked or burst pipes in White plains

This is the more dire situation we all dread. If there is no apparent reason why your toilet isn’t operating as expected and is spewing out water, it can mean that there is a much larger issue present. But, don’t worry, we’ll give you all the steps you need to know to handle each situation. 

What to do when your toilet is overflowing

If water is spewing out of your toilet bowl, you should first shut the water off. You can do this by turning the valve at the side of your toilet that feeds into the wall. In some cases, toilets can get stuck on the “flush” feature; to remedy this, you can remove the tank lid and lift the mechanism to stop the flush. Many toilets even respond to simply being flushed again but depending on the current water level, that can be risky. You can also shut off the water supply to the house if this continues. 

Chances are that if you’ve had to turn off all of the water sources, there’s a deeper issue here. That could be a leak or even a burst in your pipes in white plains. In this case, you should contact a water removal professional in whaite plains for them to deal with the water removal and extraction and assess any burst pipes to start the burst pipes clean-up process.

Plunge away

First, you’re going to want to grab a set of rubber gloves and remove anything from the floor in the bathroom and nearby areas if you haven’t already done so. Next, you’re going to grab the good old plunger! In most day-to-day cases of a blocked toilet, you can handle it in-house (literally) with your plunger. 

Pro tip: Scoop out a few inches of water with a bucket if the bowl is particularly high. You don’t want that to come back at you with a splash when you put your weight into the plunger. 

Snake the drain

If the plunger isn’t doing the job, or you notice there’s still a clog built up somewhere, you should progress to snaking your drain. Snaking a drain essentially inserting a flexible snake-like rod (also known as an auger) into the drain to disrupt and break apart any deep clogs hiding in your pipes. This can be done by you or a trained professional. 

If you are unsure whether there’s a clog, leak, or burst pipe, it’s always best to hire a professional to assess the situation, not to make the issue worse. 

Use chemicals

There are many over-the-counter chemical products you can use to attempt to loosen up a clog in any of the drains and pipes in your home. But please note that this should only be used if the situation is very mild, say you notice a small gradual build-up of water in your sink before it drains down. It is in no way an emergency fix. 

Be wary of continual clogging and water overflowing in White plains. Even if you seem to be managing it fine with the methods above, but you have to maintain your toilet regularly, it may be a sign of a deeper issue. For example, your home may be prone to burst pipes if it is an older home or if you live in a particularly cold area. Always consult a professional if you’re unsure of the issue.