Backed-Up Toilet? You Can Fix It Yourself in 3 Easy Steps

Backed-Up Toilet? You can fix it yourself in 3 easy steps.

You know the signs of a backed-up toilet: The water in the bowl is rising and threatens to overflow.

Your natural inclination is probably to get as far away as possible from the germs and gunk within and to reach for the phone.

Be brave: You can fix the problem yourself and stem the rising tide by following these 3 easy steps.

1 Remove the top of the tank.

Flip the rubber stopper in the bottom of the tank back over the drain hole. This will stop the flow of water into the bowl.

2 Place the plunger cup snugly over the bowl's drain opening.

Give it a few vigorous pumps. The idea is to force the obstruction beyond a U-shaped section of toilet pipe (called the "trap") and into the straighter (and wider) drainpipe. The blockage should then flow away, and take with it any backed up water.

3 If your efforts don't stop the rising tide, the problem may lie elsewhere in the drainage system.

Now that you've ruled out a simple clog, it's probably time to call in a professional plumber.

While you wait:

-- Don't pour caustic liquid plumbing products into the bowl. That way, the plumber doesn't have to deal with harsh chemicals when making the repair.

-- Make clear to your family (children especially) that human waste and toilet paper are the only things allowed in the bowl.

-- Keep a small wastebasket near the toilet for disposal of all other items.

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