Plumbing emergencies are never fun to deal with, especially with their ability to inflict a large amount of water damage in a short amount of time. It can be pretty easy to panic when confronted with something like a toilet overflowing, water getting everywhere and soaking everything. Plunging isn’t a good idea, as it will just help pour more water out onto the floor. What, then, should you do? Read on to find out.
Close the Water Valve
The number one priority in almost any plumbing emergency is to stop the flow of water. The less water you have all over your floor, the less water damage you’ll have to deal with later. Most toilets have a valve, either on the wall or next to their base, that controls the flow of water into the tank. Find that valve and turn it to the right to close it. If you’re unlucky enough to have a toilet that doesn’t have a water valve, you’ll need to jury-rig a solution. Open the top of the tank and look for either a floating ball or some sort of plunger. These are the devices that measure how much water is in the tank, and determine when to cut off the flow of water. Lift the device in such a way that water stops flowing into the tank. You’ll have to find a way to secure it there, but for the moment it should keep more water from getting on the floor.
Clean Up
Once you’ve stopped the immediate problem, mop up the area around the toilet. This will help to limit water damage. You should also remove any rugs or other items in the immediate vicinity, both to preserve them and make it easier for your plumber to access the toilet to fix the problem.
If your toilet is in need of repair, call Roadrunner Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration. We offer emergency plumbing services throughout Rio Rancho, NM.
