Water damage is an average homeowner’s worst nightmare. One of the most common causes of water damage in homes is overflowing toilets. An overflowing toilet can be caused by a clogged or blocked drain, sewage problems, or blocked vents.

An overflowing toilet can lead to raw sewage coming back into your home. To prevent this from happening, you need to act fast when a toilet overflow occurs.

Here are some tips to prevent an overflowing toilet from causing water damage.

Locate the Shutoff Valve

The shut off valve is usually located in the toilet’s water supply line. If your toilet overflows, you can prevent water damage by stopping the water flow at the source.

To find your shutoff valve, follow the pipe leading running from your bathroom wall to the toilet.

You will find a hand crank along this line. It is usually located close to the ceiling. When you close the valve, your toilet will stop receiving water. This will afford you some time to clear the clog.

To ensure your clog is easy to turn in an emergency, keep it clean and well lubricated so it does not jam.

Check Inside the Tank

If you are unable to locate your shut off valve, you need to check inside the tank of your toilet. Remove the lid on the back of the toilet. Check the flapper; a rubber part located at the bottom of the tank.

If the flapper is open, close it to stop the flow of water to your tank. If the flapper is closed and water is still flowing, check whether your toilet has a float ball.

A float ball floats on the surface of the water in the tank. It moves with the height of the water surface. When the water level rises too high, the float ball turns the water off to prevent overflowing. Manually lifting your float ball may shut off the water supply to your toilet.

Clear the Clog Away

Many plumbers in Santa Rosa remove toilet clogs manually. Do not pour a harsh chemical drain cleaner down your toilet as it can damage your pipes. Instead, use a toilet plunger to remove clogs.

Toilet plungers look nearly identical to classic plungers, however, if you look closely inside the cup section of a toilet plunger you will find a rubber flap or flange running around the rim.

The flange allows the plunger to be used on uneven surfaces. To remove a clog, place your toilet plunger over the drain and move it up and down slowly.

The Holman Plumbing team consists of experienced plumbers in Santa Rosa. No matter how serious your plumbing nightmare, you can count on us to deliver exceptional work. To consult one of our plumbing professionals, call 707-495-5002.