In the scheme of home disasters, overflowing toilets are fairly low on the scale, but on the “ick” scale, they are easily in the top three. So what should you do if your bathroom plumbing suddenly becomes disagreeable? Following are some suggestions from our Ace Pelizon Plumbing experts:

Don’t flush again – as tempting as it may be to get rid of excess water in your toilet, flushing again only adds more water to the already-excessive water.
Turn off the water to the toilet – the small valve at the back of your toilet, typically on the floor, is the water valve; turn it clockwise to shut off the water supply to the tank.
Try a plunger – toilets overflow because of clogs; if the clog is fairly close to the top of your toilet’s outgoing pipe, you may be able to clear the clog with a plunger.
Use baking soda and vinegar – baking soda and vinegar can be great for clogs as they won’t damage your plumbing and can actually clear a clog. However, it’s best if you can let the mixture sit for several hours, so this combination may not work if you only have one toilet in your home.
Call an expert – if these steps don’t help bring your toilet back to normal usage, it may be time to call the plumber.

While it may be tempting to employ the use of a toilet auger, it’s best to allow a professional to break out the “big guns”. Why? Tools like augers require knowledge; otherwise, they can become tools of destruction by cracking the porcelain of your toilet and/or damaging your plumbing. Another big no-no: do not put any kind of drain cleaner into your toilet. Drain cleaner is highly caustic and can damage your plumbing, and it isn’t all the effective on clogs.

Have an ornery toilet on your hands? Call the experts who can help with all your bathroom plumbing needs in Covina: Ace Pelizon Plumbing.