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Post by saffron on Sept 7, 2008 16:20:24 GMT -5
Well, after flushing, the water in the bowl kinda burbled a little, then went down. It went back up to the regular level, so I thought everything was fine. It's not. I flushed and the water rose quickly, and I wasn't able to plunge to free the clog. So, I thought, fine, I'll go read the paper and let it rest. About ten minutes later, I looked up and saw a flood forming on the utility room floor. I went into the bathroom and the water (clean) was flowing over the top of the bowl. I tried to turn off the valve underneath with the wrench, but it wouldn't budge. The inner workings of the tank looked okay. So, after I bailed water out with a cup (the tub and sink seem okay,) I could see that the water was still rising. I ended up going outside (wading through much water, soggy recycling stuff by the door, garbage that hasn't been either bagged or taken out, bumping down the stairs with my walker, then I turned off the water to the house. I bailed out some more water from the toilet, and it looks like the water has quit rising. I worked all night, and I was looking forward to going to bed!
Well, now I'm going to have to clean up the trash, recycling, throw the bags out in the backyard, mop the floor (maybe join them in the floor-mopping thread---how timely!), and I'll have to call the plumber in the morning, or after I get enough stuff picked up so as not to shock the poor serviceman. At least, I can close my bedroom door. The kitchen/office is very visable from the bathroom. Thankfully, I don't work tonight. Any suggestions?
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Post by saffron on Sept 7, 2008 16:26:37 GMT -5
I forgot to add: Along with the trash, recycling, etc. that needs to be picked up before the floor can be mopped, I have wet towels and bedsheets I tossed down to catch some of the water. I'll have to haul them to the laundromat. Oh me oh my!  |
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Post by Mystic Pegasus on Sept 7, 2008 17:02:13 GMT -5
"It never rains, but it pours!"... or something like that. Not often it rains from the toilet, but at least you can feel unique.  Do you have any friends or family that can help? This sounds like a lot of work in a short time... especially with a *walker*. |
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Post by saffron on Sept 7, 2008 17:22:00 GMT -5
I've got CHAOS---Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome due to the squalorous conditions. I fell into depression and the place got away from me. This will certainly force me to deal with a major portion of it. I'm going to sleep, then deal with it after I get a few hours of rest. Yes, when it rains, it pours!  |
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Post by cando on Sept 7, 2008 17:29:37 GMT -5
Oh, Saffron. Sorry to hear about the terrible toilet. I'm glad you are going to get some sleep. Hope that it will be an easy fix for the plumbers. Good luck, Dear Saffron. CD  |
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Post by mellowyellow on Sept 7, 2008 17:51:54 GMT -5
Oh what a drag...
I suggest you try to plunge again. It can't hurt. Just make sure that you have good suction and that the water covers the plunger. You can put a little vaseline along the plunger edges to get a better hold. And plunge for a good several minutes. Stop. Do it again. Try it at least four times.
My old bf said that many people don't give the plunger enough time to do its job. With each plunge, you are slightly loosening things.. but you have to keep at it. I looked it up on the internet and most plumbers say that properly used, the plunger is still the best tool around.
Good luck!!!
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Post by pegasus48 on Sept 7, 2008 18:32:19 GMT -5
Oh saffron, sorry about the toilet trauma. Plumbing has got to be one of the worst things that can break down.  I am sure this is not the way you wanted to clean and declutter. Hope all is better soon. |
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Post by heylady1 on Sept 7, 2008 18:46:44 GMT -5
As bad as it sounds at least it was clean water that spilled over!!  Nothing worse than dirty toilet water overflowing!!! I'm sorry this happened to you, sorry too that you wanted to go to bed and couldn't (I work night shift too so I do understand how exhausting it can be). Maybe give it another good plunging in the morning......can't hurt!! |
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Post by saffron on Sept 7, 2008 21:16:45 GMT -5
In the vein of a famous song, "The hills are alive, with the sound of FLUSHING!" Thanks everyone for your support and ideas. After turning the water off and determining there wouldn't be anymore overflow, I put a cup of liquid Tide detergent in the bowl. I've done this in the past when there was a clog stuck in the pipes somewhere. I figured I'd give the pipes a soapsuds enema (hope that didn't offend anyone!) Within minutes, the water had drained away, then I took a two-hour nap. I went outside and turned the water back on. The water started to overflow again, so I "went to town" with that plunger. MellowYellow was right about the plunger. While it's not man's best friend, it certainly is a wonderful tool. I flushed it several more times to make sure things were okay. Looks fine now. Now, just the clean up is left! Yeah, what a way to declutter and clean! Maybe this is a good thing that happened---it forces me to deal with some of the mess that was already there. Well, back to it! Thanks again! Saffron I've had this brand-new mop for quite awhile. I guess I'll be putting it to good use, finally.  |
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Post by AnnieOkie on Sept 8, 2008 12:52:13 GMT -5
saffron said, "I figured I'd give the pipes a soapsuds enema"  That made me chuckle!!! I'm glad you got it under control!! I have never heard the "Tide" trick. Glad you gave it another shot. |
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Post by catcat on Sept 8, 2008 23:09:42 GMT -5
If there is solid waste that won't go down, I have dumped a lot of bleach into bowl, closed lid, used basement toilet so it could stay that way, & a few hrs. later, or overnight, the bleach had done a good job breaking down & softening the solid waste. Nothing is worse around the house than an overflowing toilet or a clogged one!-------catcat
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