The Toilet that Flooded My Apartment

[L Edwards]

I posted a message a few days ago regarding the toilet in my new apartment. I dont think my questions were clear – as several kind people responded, but didnt answer the quesstions I hoped to have answered. To recap, my son used the toilet in our new apartment for the first time (he urinated only), and we immediately left to finish moving out of our old apartment. When we came back a few hours later, there was water coming out our front door. Inside, there was at least 3 inches of water in almost every room! Upon investigation, we found that the water was coming from the toilet. We turned off the water and called the manager. He came and plunged the toilet. Immediately, the water level in the toilet bowl (which had been overflowing) dropped. The manager said that the toilet was clogged, and that is why our apartment flooded. I say that a clogged toilet doesnt usually overflow enough water to flood an entire apartment – unless something else is wrong with the toilet. When we looked in the tank, we noticed that the flapper wasnt closing, because the flapper line/lift chain (or rubber line attached to the lever and the flapper) was folding up and catching onto itself, preventing the flapper from closing onto the valve in the bottom of the tank. We think that this is why the flooding occurred – the toilet was clogged and because the flapper did not seal onto the valve, the water continued to run into the bowl for three to four hours. For weeks after this incident , that same flapper/lift chain mechanism continued to catch and fold onto itself, preventing the flapper from dropping down to seal the valve. It got so bad that we ended up leaving the tank lid off and manually replacing the flapper onto the valve after each flush. My questions: How could the toilet be clogged when we had only used it once and then only to urinate? Why would a clogged toilet flood an large apartment? Ie, would an otherwise functioning but clogged toilet cause such a flood – or would there have to be something else wrong with the toilet to make it release so much water?

[Emily Cameron Again (But for the last time!)Participant]

: I posted a message a few days ago regarding the toilet in my new apartment. I dont think my questions were clear – as several kind people responded, but didnt answer the quesstions I hoped to have answered. To recap, my son used the toilet in our new apartment for the first time (he urinated only), and we immediately left to finish moving out of our old apartment. When we came back a few hours later, there was water coming out our front door. Inside, there was at least 3 inches of water in almost every room! Upon investigation, we found that the water was coming from the toilet. We turned off the water and called the manager. He came and plunged the toilet. Immediately, the water level in the toilet bowl (which had been overflowing) dropped. The manager said that the toilet was clogged, and that is why our apartment flooded. I say that a clogged toilet doesnt usually overflow enough water to flood an entire apartment – unless something else is wrong with the toilet. When we looked in the tank, we noticed that the flapper wasnt closing, because the flapper line/lift chain (or rubber line attached to the lever and the flapper) was folding up and catching onto itself, preventing the flapper from closing onto the valve in the bottom of the tank. We think that this is why the flooding occurred – the toilet was clogged and because the flapper did not seal onto the valve, the water continued to run into the bowl for three to four hours. For weeks after this incident , that same flapper/lift chain mechanism continued to catch and fold onto itself, preventing the flapper from dropping down to seal the valve. It got so bad that we ended up leaving the tank lid off and manually replacing the flapper onto the valve after each flush. My questions: How could the toilet be clogged when we had only used it once and then only to urinate? Why would a clogged toilet flood an large apartment? Ie, would an otherwise functioning but clogged toilet cause such a flood – or would there have to be something else wrong with the toilet to make it release so much water?emily; seems like your having some bad luck.It might not be so bad, seems to me like there might be somehting lodged in the trap of the camode, the reason i,m coming to that conclusion is plungering is temperarly solving the problem. In apartment complexes I,ve seen alkinds of things i,m not saying you did it. the renter before might have dropped something into it (not noticeing it)and flushed the camode and it lodged in the trap of the camode.Sometimes it,s real difficult in getting it out but sometimes it.s posible. pull the camode and take ti outside and turn it upside down and look underneath at the hole see if youcan see anything if not flush a garden hose though it from that hole and see if it will push the object out the same way it entered. you can also try a closet auger if this don,t worf you might have to replace the camode sincerily rodney

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