Saturday 4 April 2009

And the Toilet Runneth Over…tips on Stopping an Overflow

As a valued Apartmentite, I wanted to give you a quick tip on what to do if the toilet in your apartment seems to be overflowing.

We've all been there. You flush the handle and watch in anxiety as the water rises higher and higher with no recession in sight. Your breathing gets quicker and the panicky feeling sets in as you utter the words, "Oh! Crap!" (No pun intended.)

Sure it feels like the natural reaction to freak out and run around the apartment screaming for help as the water rises over the tip of the bowl and begins to cascade down the sides onto the bathroom floor. Although natural, this reaction pretty much does no good except disturb the neighbors and add time for more water to run out and get closer to your carpet and other things that just shouldn't get wet.

The key, however, is not to panic. Don't let this situation get the best of you.

Most of you know this, but I have found that a surprising number of Apartmentites out there don't. There is a brass knob behind the toilet that actually shuts off the water going to the toilet. This knob turns clockwise to shut off the amount of water going to the toilet and counterclockwise to let more water run through.

So as soon as you see that the toilet may be backed up and may overflow...reach behind the toilet and turn this knob clockwise to turn off the water. You will find that the water stops filling the bowl and now you have an easier opportunity to plunge your way to freedom.

This is where keeping a plunger by the toilet at all times comes in handy. Make sure that when you first stock your apartment with all of the apartment necessities, that this is included.

After you are plunged...be sure to turn the water back on and give it a flush to see if all is working right.

Remember that a backed up toilet isn't always your fault and could in fact be something within the apartment building's plumbing, so its always a good idea to contact your apartment manager and let them know of your unfortunate incident.

Good luck!

For more tips on apartment living check out ApartmentHomeLiving.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/and-the-toilet-runneth-overtips-on-stopping-an-overflow-368831.html

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