Making a house a home can take a lot of work; especially when it comes to your bathroom. Having a clean and tidy bathroom space for your daily routines can make a world of difference.
Toilet maintenance is something that a lot of homeowners overlook when it comes to their bathrooms. If you leave your toilet unchecked for long periods, you risk it overflowing and causing you a massive headache.
Knowing how to avoid and fix an overflowing toilet can save you from some very stressful situations. That’s why we’ve outlined what causes an overflowing toilet and what you can do to stop and fix one in an emergency.
What causes an overflowing toilet
There are three main problems that will cause your toilet to overflow with water.
The most common cause of an overflowing toilet is a blockage within the wastewater disposal system. The tell-tale sign for a blockage such as this is an overflowing toilet bowl.
These are usually the result of material and debris blocking water from leaving the system. To avoid this situation make sure not to flush sanitary products, nappies, solid items and large amounts of paper towels down your toilet.
These blockages can occur in these areas within your wastewater disposal system:
- Bottom of toilet bowl
- Toilet Trap
- Drain pipes
- Sanitary sewer
A blocked vent pipe can also lead to an overflowing toilet. A vent pipe allows external air to enter your plumbing system to replace the air lost when you flush your toilet. If this vent is blocked your toilet won’t flush properly and your toilet bowl will overflow.
The last potential cause of an overflowing toilet is a high-set filler float. A filler float controls the amount of water that is drawn into the toilet’s basin. If the float is set too high the water will leak from the side of the basin, rather than the bowl for the other two causes.
How to stop an overflowing toilet
You should always take immediate action when you realise that your toilet is overflowing. This prevents further damage to your toilet, your wastewater disposal system, and your bathroom. It will also limit the amount of cleaning up you have to do once the problem is solved.
Turn off toilet shut-off valves
Before attempting to tackle the cause of the overflowing toilet you need to limit the amount of water entering your toilet. To ensure this is the case you need to turn off the water valves that supply the toilet.
These valves are found on the pipes connected to your toilet. To close them make sure the handle on the valve is perpendicular to the pipe.
Lift the toilet float
Your toilet float controls when water enters and leaves your basin. By setting your toilet float to high after closing your water valves you prevent any automatic flushes. This will prevent any more water from entering the bowl and overflowing.
How to fix an overflowing toilet
Once you’ve stopped any additional flooding and overflowing you can look at solving the cause of the problem.
For a broken vent pipe you will need to contact a plumbing engineer and may need to buy a new part. We don’t recommend trying to tackle this problem on your own.
With a high filler float you may be able to fix the problem by setting it at a different level. If this doesn’t work you will need a new float. They are usually inexpensive and fairly easy to fit.
Blockages and clogs can be solved in numerous ways. We’ve listed the three most effective ones below. We recommend wearing gloves and placing protective floor coverings for all three of these solutions, due to the nature of toilet blockages.
Plunge the toilet
For minor toilet bowl blockages you should be able to solve the problem with a plunger alone. A plunger creates pressure when you move it up and down. This pressure helps to dislodge any materials and debris that are blocking the bottom of your toilet bowl.
Once dislodged the water level will drop and the debris will flow out into your drainage system. If this doesn’t work we recommend attempting the next two steps before contacting a plumbing engineer.
Use a toilet snake
Toilet snakes are metal cables which can be fed down toilets to dislodge blockages. They are much more effective for significant blockages than plungers.
To use a toilet snake you slowly feed it down your toilet’s drain while cranking it clockwise, this allows it to move through the drain’s bends.
If you feel the snake stop or slow down it may be encountering the blockage. When this happens, continue turning the snake as well as jostling it slightly. Once the snake begins moving again the blockage should be cleared.
Dish soap, bleach, hot water
Sometimes the best solution to a blocked toilet is the easiest. A combination of hot water, washing up liquid and bleach can dislodge a lot of blockages.
All you have to do is put some bleach and washing up liquid in your toilet bowl and fill it with hot water. Leave it for a few hours and it should eat away at the blockage and clear the toilet bowl.
If these solutions don’t work you may be dealing with a serious blockage, potentially one in the sewer line. To see if this is the case you should contact a plumbing engineer as soon as possible.
Dealing with an overflowing toilet can be daunting and stressful. Knowing how to deal with one in an emergency is great but if you don’t feel confident in dealing with the situation it is always better to contact an expert.
