Six Things To Do When Your Toilet Backs Up

No one wants to deal with a backed-up toilet. However, toilet backups do happen once in a while and need to be addressed properly to minimize the inconvenience they cause.

The following are six things to do when a toilet in your home becomes backed up. 

Try to unclog the toilet yourself with a toilet bowl plunger

The first step to responding to a toilet backup is to try to get rid of it yourself with a plunger. It's not uncommon for a toilet to become clogged, and many clogs can easily be removed with a simple plunger. Try plunging the toilet vigorously a few times to see if it flushes. 

Consider trying some alternative unclogging methods

When it comes to DIY remedies, it's important to be extremely careful. You shouldn't try to use DIY remedies if the toilet is on the verge of overflowing. You also probably shouldn't bother with these remedies if your toilet is clogging repeatedly even after you unclog it. It's best to just have a professional look at it at this point. 

Nevertheless, there are a few other remedies you can try if your toilet is not overflowing or is chronically backed up. A backed up toilet can sometimes be unclogged if baking soda, hot water, and vinegar are poured down. You can try this and see if it gets rid of the backup. 

Contact a toilet backup repair service

If you still can't get rid of a backup, it's time to call a backup repair service, such as Rob's Septic Tanks Inc, near you. A toilet backup repair service will know how to safely get rid of backups and also prevent future recurrences of backups. 

Shut off the water supply to the toilet in question

It's best to shut off the water supply valve at the base of a toilet that's backed up while you're waiting for the repair service to arrive. This can help prevent the toilet from overflowing and causing a big mess in your bathroom or the rest of your home. 

Let everyone in your home know that the toilet is not working

While waiting for your repair service to arrive, make sure everyone in the house knows that the toilet is not working. A backed-up toilet could end up overflowing if someone in your household unknowingly uses the toilet and flushes it. 

Try to figure out what caused the backup

You should figure out why your toilet is backing up so that you don't have to deal with this issue again in the near future. Perhaps you've put some items down your toilet that you shouldn't. Another possibility is that some of your plumbing equipment is old and needs to be replaced.

Discuss the cause of backups with your toilet backup repair service to hopefully avoid a recurrence of this pesky problem down the road.