Few things in life can cause more panic than an overflowing toilet. This common plumbing problem can create a big mess and cause a lot of aggravation, especially if you only have one toilet in your business or home. Park Ridge plumbers are here to help if your toilet is acting up, but there are a few things you should do immediately if your toilet starts to overflow. Do you know what they are?
The first thing a Park Ridge plumber will advise you to do if your toilet overflows is to locate your water shut off valve. You can likely find this small metal valve near the base of your toilet. Turning it to the right will stop the flow of water to your toilet and prevent additional overflow. If you can’t find it, your toilet might not have one. In this case, you should open the tank and lift the float in order to prevent more water from entering the tank.
The second thing a Park Ridge plumber will advise you to do if your toilet overflows is to clean up any water that has flooded your bathroom. If towels are not enough to remove it, you might need to employ a Shop-Vac or the help of a professional to get the job done. Once the moisture is gone, you should be sure to disinfect any surfaces that have been contaminated by the dirty toilet water.
The third thing a Park Ridge plumber will advise you to do if your toilet overflows is to locate and remove whatever is preventing your toilet from flushing. If you suspect that your toilet is clogged, grab a plunger and get to work. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can try putting on rubber gloves and using your hands to clear the way. Of course, if you are unable to resolve the issue on your own or you simply don’t want to try, you can call a plumber to do so for you.