What To Do When a Toilet Overflows

4/18/2018 (Permalink)

Most buildings have bathrooms available for both workers and customers. However, there is a chance that the toilets in these bathrooms can overflow and cause a lot of water damage. Toilet overflow can happen when the fixture is clogged or mechanically damaged, but it can be quickly stopped before things get drastic. Here are a few tips that can help you know how to stop a toilet from overflowing and what to do about the water that has already spilled.

How To Stop the Overflow

If the tank won’t stop releasing water into the bowl, locate the toilet’s water valve and shut the water off. The valve is usually directly behind the fixture. After that, try doing the following things:

• Clean up as much water as you can with towels or a wet vacuum.
• Remove any items that were exposed to the water.
• Open the windows to help dry out the area.

You can reduce water damage by acting immediately and efficiently.

Inspect the Damage

After cleaning up as much as you can, try to figure out what happened. It might have been a clog, or maybe a pipe is damaged. If you are inexperienced with plumbing, call the professionals in Norman, OK, to help you out. If the toilet flood was especially bad, call a water damage company to help you prevent mold and further damage.

Be Careful Around Sewage

If the toilet overflow involves sewage, use protective clothing such as gloves or watertight boots to clean up the water. Sewage is potentially harmful and should not come into direct contact with your skin. Be sure to properly disinfect the entire area once the water is removed.

With these tips in mind, you can handle this situation with control. Prevent future toilet overflow problems by cleaning your building’s bathrooms often and by doing frequent plumbing inspections. It doesn’t hurt to have a plunger nearby, too. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROnorman.com/.