One of the most terrifying moments you can ever experience in a bathroom is the dreaded broken toilet. For Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and surrounding area residents, here’s what the experts at Affordable Service Heating, Plumbing and Cooling recommend you do to avoid this potential (and personal) problem!

First thing you should do if your toilet is overflowing is to reach down near the base of the toilet and shut the water off to your toilet. Your instincts may be to flush again or reach for a plunger at first, but if you remain calm and think quickly, the logical thing to do is to make sure there’s no more water for your toilet to overflow with. If you cannot find this, immediately call Affordable Service for further assistance.

Next, remove the tank cover off and lift the float ball just enough so the water in your toilet stops running. If your bowl is completely full, you should use an old bucket to remove some of the water. There might be a clog, so you’ll need the extra room in the toilet to work. Once the toilet is fixed, you can flush the excess bucket water.

If possible, use a shop vac to clean up water that has spilled on the floor. Towels will do just fine if that’s all you have, but either way, make sure you mop with a diluted bleach solution. Make sure you don’t put cleaning up off. Obviously, toilet water is exposed to bacteria and pathogens so make sure to clean all of that up in a hurry. If gray water is left to sit, it can become black water quickly, which is very bacteria laden. Get Affordable Service to come to look at it as soon as possible before it turns into a real hazard.

If needed and there is a solid mass clogging the bowl, unclog your toilet. Use a plunger to do this, do not use a store-bought chemical cleaner to unclog a toilet. Those chemicals can cause problems with your pipes or septic system. On the other hand, sometimes clogs are serious business. Serious clogs mean you need the serious professionals at Affordable Service Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling. Whether it’s minor flooding or the tougher jobs, you can call us anytime or visit us online to schedule an estimate.

If you’re dealing with toilet troubles or have any other questions, contact us at Affordable Service Plumbing, Heating and Cooling today. We are your plumbing professionals for Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and the surrounding area!