Toilet clogged, overflowing or running
How to stop an overflowing toilet, clear a clog with a plunger, and fix a running toilet, safely.
About 5 minutes · no tools needed
Safety first. If water is spreading toward outlets or the floor below, turn the toilet's water off first and keep away from electrical outlets.
- 1
About to overflow? Turn the water off
Turn the small valve on the wall behind the toilet clockwise until it stops. Do not flush again.
- 2
Clear a clog with a plunger
Use a flange plunger (the kind with a rubber sleeve). Seal it over the hole and push and pull firmly 10 to 15 times.
- 3
Running toilet
Jiggle the handle. If it keeps running, lift the tank lid and check that the flapper chain isn't tangled and the flapper closes.
Stop and contact maintenance if
- · Water comes up in the shower or other drains
- · The plunger doesn't clear it after a few tries
- · Water leaks from the base of the toilet
What to tell them: Tell them whether it is clogged, overflowing or running, that the water is turned off, and whether other drains are backing up.
For property managers
FixRoute walks your residents through this by text, at 2am, and only sends a vendor when it's really needed.
Every fix like this one is a truck roll you don't pay for. See it handle a real request in the live demo.