Overflowing toilet, but it isn't clogged, HELP!

11/29/2022 (Permalink)

Plumbing and water removal problems can be costly and could occur anytime. The most important thing to do is get a regular check-up on your plumbing.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night anxious to go to the bathroom and find the water in your toilet overflowing? Automatically, you reach out for the plunger and get in there to stop the water from flooding the whole bathroom. After minutes of painstakingly unclogging the toilet, the water continues to overflow onto the floor. This is probably the best time to call an emergency plumber as this is beyond the ability of you and your plunger. Plungers can only handle small clogs and cannot go deeper into the pipe. Since the plumbing system is intricate, it can be bothersome to fix it yourself. Water removal is particularly hard at this point since it has already flooded your whole bathroom.

There are several reasons why the water in your toilet is overflowing and cannot be unclogged by using a plunger. One particular reason would be the plumbing vent may be the one that is clogged and not your toilet. Did you know that your plumbing system is composed of both drainage and vent systems? Yes! They work together to efficiently move water through the pipes. The plumbing vent pipe is a vertical pipe that runs from the drain line to the roof of your home. It provides fresh air to all the plumbing fixtures so that water can efficiently run throughout the whole system. 

There are signs that your vent is clogged, and you have probably noticed these before experiencing the overflow in your toilet. If you smelled a strong sewage smell, that is the first sign that your vent is clogged. Since the vent’s primary purpose is to get rid of the bad smell from the toilet, smelling it means that the gases cannot escape properly outside the vent. 

Another sign would be hearing gurgling sounds in your toilet and drains. It is not actually normal to hear strange gurgling sounds after flushing. This may be an indication that air cannot escape properly from the vents thus it finds its way to escape to the nearest exit which is in the drains and toilet. 

Lastly, if you notice that your drains are sluggish and slow down, it may be a sign that the air pressure within your plumbing system is not flowing properly. The baking soda and vinegar solution would probably not work for this one so you should already call for an emergency plumber.

There are actually a lot of reasons why your toilet vent is clogged. Debris from the outside could have gotten inside the system and accumulated causing it to clog. You think that going to the roof and getting this debris out would solve the problem. You’re probably right but it could be dangerous doing it by yourself, and it may not also be the main problem. Therefore, hiring a professional plumber like SERVPRO of Sanford would be best for you since they could check for other possible reasons why the vent is clogged.

Plumbing and water removal problems can be costly and could occur anytime. The most important thing to do is get a regular check-up on your plumbing system so you could address potential problems before they could become a bigger issue and would cost you a lot more money. SERVPRO of Sanford are experts in all plumbing-related issues and we have professional plumbers available for you 24/7.