Do you have an overflowing toilet that’s threatening to spoil your family or guests’ stay? Well, that’s no laughing matter.
An overflowing toilet can cause untold hygiene chaos in our homes. If left unchecked, you could end up having a serious sewer problem back-flowing into your house.
Toilets have to be one of the most used amenities in our homes. But they are also sturdy and don’t tend to malfunction easily. That is why you have to react as fast as you can when you suspect there’s a problem with your toilet. A simple call to the professionals will sort you out in a breeze.
But if it’s something minor, then this guide will show you how you can handle it without breaking a sweat.
Let’s plunge right in!
What Causes an Overflow in Toilets?
A toilet overflow may be a result of one of many things. These may include a blocked toilet bowl, blocked drain pipe, broken sewer lines, low-flow toilet, or even broken plumbing.
Ensuring that you know the exact cause of the overflow will help you decide on the best way to approach the problem. It will also help you assess whether you can solve the matter by yourself or you will need professional help.
Let’s take a look at six main reasons why your toilet may overflow:
1. A clogged or blocked toilet bowl
Now, you will find that many toilet overflows are a result of a clog in your toilet bowl. Almost too often, it is because of stuff jammed up the bowl’s drain hole.
The most common causes of a clogged up toilet bowl include:
- Disposing diapers, flushable wipes, Q-tips, and other sanitary products down your toilet.
- When you use too much toilet paper. Switch to single-ply toilet papers if your toilet clogs a lot.
- Frequently disposing of your doggy or kitty litter’s mess in your toilet
- Children’s toys or other solid items getting thrown into the bowl.
If any of these happens, then you might have an imminent overflow when you attempt to flush the toilet.
Take care that you do not fall victim to any unhealthy toilet use.
2. A clogged drain pipe
Diagnosing a blocked drain pipe is an easy task. It will show when you notice the backflow of toilet water fill up and spill out the bowl. This, in the end, may cause a big mess in your bathroom.
You can use a simple plunger or a drain snake (also called an auger) to undo the mess. If either of the two methods won’t seem to have solved the problem, then call in a trusted plumbing service provider.
3. Broken sewer lines
A sewer line is the mainline connecting your house to the municipal sewer network. Your house’s sewer line can break down due to several reasons; Top of the list is when the blockage in your drainage pipes extends over to the sewer line.
The resulting stress may prevent the release of the toilet water into the municipality’s sewer grid. Inevitably, this water will come back up your bowl as overflow and may spill over.
The main indicator that could help you point out a sewer line problem is a gurgling sound in the drain. The other is when you start noticing backflow coming from your sink.
Improper usage of any of your drain pipes will ultimately lead to a broken sewer line. So watch out.
4. Low-flow toilets
Low-flow toilets were, in the beginning, designed to conserve the use of water in our washrooms. “So how is this a problem?” you might ask.
Well, as efficient as they are, the low-flow feature in some toilets may not succeed in flushing everything into the drain. This is especially true of low-flow toilet models made before 1997.
5. An obstructed vent pipe
A vent pipe works by allowing external air to get into your plumbing system. The external air then replaces the pumped-out air from every flush and keeps the system working.
If a vent pipe gets blocked, then a flushing malfunction may arise, causing overflow in your toilet.
Fixing a blocked vent pipe requires great expertise from a professional plumber.
If your toilet clogs more frequently, then a blocked drain pipe may be the reason.
6. Broken plumbing
The most common plumbing problem in toilets is a filler float malfunction. It affects the tank’s water-filling mechanism.
When the lever starts floating too high, the water input into the tank becomes overwhelming. As a consequence, the water will start leaking out through the sides of the tank.
Most of the time you don’t need a plumber to fix this. You can solve it yourself. Just adjust the floating mechanism to keep the lever at the required water level inside the tank.
As you can see, this is the only kind of overflow that does not come from inside the bowl.
What Tools Will You Need?
Since you are about to interact with a possible sea of muck, I cannot stress enough the importance of wearing the correct protective gear. This gear will help protect you from accidental splashes when going about this exercise.
For these, you’ll need:
- a. Rubber gloves – These will help you protect your hands from touching the overflow. Make sure they are the right size. Also, handle them carefully so as not to perforate them with your nails or other sharp objects. This could lead to leakages into the gloves.
- b. Toilet plunger – A plunger helps a lot in clearing blockages in most domestic drains.
- c. Toilet snake – It is also referred to as an auger. You can get one for about 20 – 50$ or even rent one from your local hardware. An auger has a built-in cable that works well around bends down inside the toilet bowl. The cable hooks onto the solid matter blocking your pipes and pulls or pushes them out.
Steps to Fixing an Overflowing Toilet:
Below, I’ve highlighted a quick, surefire step-by-step walkthrough that will help you fix an overflowing toilet. Take some notes and the overflows will run next time they see you coming.
Very quickly, here’s how to fix an overflowing toilet:
A. Turn off the water supply
The first step is to stop water from further running into your toilet bowl. Doing this prevents water from filling the bowl and overflowing onto the floor. That is one mess you should avoid if you can.
To go about it:
1) Close off the flapper inside your toilet’s tank.
Open your toilet’s tank by removing the lid on top. You will notice a flapper at the base covering an opening that leads into the bowl. To stop water from moving down into the bowl, press the flapper down against the hole.
2) Lift the float to prevent further flow into the tank.
You need to cut the water supply into the tank. To do this, you have to lift the floating lever up to shut the water off.
3) Turn off the valve to cut the water supply into your bathroom.
There is likely to be a valve controlling water that’s moving into your bathroom. You have to locate it and turn it off altogether to stop the water supply into the bathroom.
Tip: If you cannot locate your bathroom’s water valve, turn off the main valve that controls the whole house’s water supply.
B. Use a plunger
As mentioned earlier, a plunger is always the primary weapon when unclogging a toilet. Ideally, you should invest in one that has a flange at the base that extends into the drain hole. They create a very tight seal that’s best for clearing drain clogs.
Steps:
- Put on the rubber gloves.
- Using a small container, scoop a few inches of the overflow water into an empty bucket. Doing this helps prevent spilling and splashing onto the floor when you begin plunging.
- At the commode’s base, throw down some old towels to soak up any accidental water spills.
- Insert the plunger into the bowl, ensuring the flange has entered the drain hole.
- With the handle upright, vigorously pump the plunger into the drain hole for 15 – 20 seconds. Keep the movement vertical for the best results. If done right, the plunge will force the water and air trapped in the drain to push out the clog.
- Confirm whether you have solved the problem by performing a test flush.
Tip: Coat the flange’s rim with petroleum jelly to give it a tight seal.
C. Use a toilet auger
Using a toilet auger is the next best alternative should the plunger not work.
Steps:
- Wear your rubber gloves and scoop out excess overflow water as in the first step above.
- Insert the hooked end of the auger into the drain and start turning it clockwise. Keep turning the auger until it won’t move further. It will mean you have reached the blockage.
- Pull the auger gently back. If you feel some resistance, then it means you’ve hooked on the clog.
- Turn the auger counter-clockwise to begin pulling back the clog back into the bowl.
- Discard the retrieved waste material into the nearby bucket then return the auger into the bowl.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 above until you have completely cleared all of the blockages.
- Flush your toilet, dumping the waste in small amounts back into the toilet to prevent another clog.
- Repeat step 7 until you get the desired results.
Is the Problem Persisting?
A professional plumber will help settle the matter if the problem persists. They come equipped with industrial augers having 100+ feet of cable. This type of augers reaches deeper into the drain with ease. They have the right length to reach as far as the main sewer line when clearing out a blockage.
But all in all, if you feel competent enough, follow the steps below for a more drastic solution:
a. Remove the bowl
Removing the bowl adds more reach to your auger. This means that you will assess clogs located deeper along the pipe.
Steps:
I. Disconnect your water supply.
II. Use a shop vacuum to clear any excess water flowing out.
III. Locate and unscrew the two bolts pinning the bowl onto the floor at the base.
IV. Lift and slide the toilet forward.
V. Insert the auger and repeat the steps above.
VI. Run water through the drain for a few minutes to ensure you’ve cleared the clog.
Hint: Make sure that you replace the wax seal placed between the toilet’s base and the floor. Use a new wax seal when reinstalling the toilet to prevent leaking afterward.
b. Place the toilet back on
After going through the above step, you can now put back your toilet in place.
Steps:
I. Start by refitting a new wax seal below the toilet’s base.
II. Screw back in the bolts and reattach your water supply line.
III. Flush the toilet several times to ensure the drainage works properly.
How to Prevent Future Toilet Overflows
Toilet clogs and repairs could come with a lot of expenses. Hence, the need to avoid such inconvenience when possible.
Here’s what you can do to prevent future toilet overflows:
- Use the toilet as intended. Flush only human waste and toilet paper.
- Introduce a trash can in your bathroom. This will help in disposing of diapers, wet wipes, paper towels, Q-tips, and other solid wastes capable of causing a clog.
- Check your low-flow toilets. Ensure that you buy your low-flow toilet from a reputable brand. You should also ensure that its flushing system works effectively.
Final thoughts
As you have seen, multiple factors could be the cause of an overflowing toilet in your house. Before fixing the problem, it is important that you try to find and out the cause of the overflow.
Worth mentioning too is that you have to wear protective clothing to protect your body and clothes from accidental splashes. Also, if using the plunge fails, you can resort to the drain snake or seek a professional.
Note: Do not stay in areas having sewage contamination. It’s highly unhygienic and could lead to serious health problems.
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