And the Toilet Runneth Over…tips on Stopping an Overflow
Posted on June 22, 2009
Filed Under Apartment Living | 18 Comments
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
Watch the video related to apartment living tips
Find Washington DC apartments or fun things to do around Washington DC by visiting Washington-DC .apartmenthomeliving.com for an in-depth tour of the apartments, neighborhoods and things to do, in and around your Washington DC apartment.
Help answer the question about apartment living tips
Tips for living in a apartment with 2 guys?Im going to be moving in with my best friend, boyfriend, and other friend. I was wondering if you had tips for living with the two guys. Please? lol.
About Author
At AHL Apartmentites have a platform to share their own stories, get great info & tips on apartment living, read Jeff’s entertaining blogs/stories, and have a ton of fun sharing their love of apartment living with others. Don’t forget to go and set up your own MyPlace page to really get the full Apartmentite experience!
Comments
18 Responses to “And the Toilet Runneth Over…tips on Stopping an Overflow”
Leave a Reply
That’s nice
I remember the first time I went to O’Hare. I had just lost my Brazilian passport (in New York, early 2003), and had a military ID (issued in Rio de Janeiro), and the guy who was checking IDs asked if I had a passport. I was freaking out… Lol. Then his supervisor said it was OK for me to travel with my military ID. Ironically, I just lost my passport again… last night. I don’t remember putting my cell phone number on it, thus I don’t think I’ll recover it, sadly ;-(
NEW YUCK CITY!
WD-40, duct tape, a good pair of scissors, paper clips, a magnifying glass, a pair of sensible shoes and a sturdy file cabinet. Seriously.
Make sure you read your leasing agreement thoroughly and understand that when you move out—they can charge outrageous fees for cleaning. Also, (if you haven't already signed a contract) make certain you want to live with your roommate! Even if you are best of friends—-living with someone changes everything! Just keep your bills in order and pay them on time and you shouldn't have any problems! Also, watch out for noise complaints! I hope you got an upper level apartment because the lower and middle levels are the noisiest!
expect a mess, flatulence, scratching of the testicles, burping, walking around half naked, beer, aftershave smell, and be sure to look before you sit when going to the bathroom
Lol…
Make sure you can pay your rent, by whatever means. The single most important thing about being on your own is earning your right to be independent. How you go about doing that is as varied as personalities are. This is the key to making it on your own. "By whatever means necessary" (Not including criminal acts of course!)
ha ha im betting u probably aint got no job or may be got one & not makin shit & still gotta live with mommy & daddy in NY. lol!
i think we’re actually wealthier than LA right now cause LA’s unemployment rate is higher than Chicago’s & they dont have federal reserves & futures stock exchanges like we do. hollywood can only do so much for LA but right now not enough.
You already know about Ramen do not forget peanutbutter and jelly and mac and cheese too! Cutdown on all expenses such as CABLE – rid the cable bill and limit yourselves to a few rental movies or even NEtflix is a great deal. If you need internet go down to your local library it is FREE or even at your College too. Get rid of LONG DISTANCE and cut your cell phone bill usage and keep track of your minutes! If you have cars then cut on the gas and carpool with eachother or other friends and everyone takes turn driving or pitches in gasoline. You can also leave the car at home due to rising gasoline prices and take the bus or ride a bike (to the store, to classes). Both you and the BF should sit down ASAP and write a list of things you buy every month, your normal bills, your expenses and start crossing off the list and cutting down from what you do not really need. Stay away from take out and fast food. It is surprising how FAST it all adds up. Good luck and hang in there! Plan out a budget and STICK TO IT.
Using the navy shower technique can keep you from freezing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAr1hdExL-w
A similar technique should work on your pets. Washcloths are good to spread the suds and clean yourself without having to subject yourself to a cold stream of water.
If the water temperature coming from the tap is below the room temperature, you can draw water into a washtub and leave it overnight so it's not as cold to use in the morning when you wash up.
If you have a gym or Y membership or are a student, you can take showers at one of those places. Just pack a change of clothes.
With respect to hygiene, the temperature of the water will not affect how clean you get. Using soap, water of any temperature, and friction is what gets you clean:
https://www.healthforums.com/library/1,1258,article~11399,00.html
3. Los Angeles: 639 billion dollars;
4. Chicago: 460 billion dollars.
According with whatever data info, I found it on Wikipedia, Chicago and Paris have the same GDP. I’m sure it can’t be the same exact number, so Paris comes out as 5th largest economy among cities worldwide.
Ramen noodles. You can get a 10 pack for like $1.50. Also buy a big bottle of liquid dish washing soap, such as dawn. It works good for cleaning dishes, floors, and other flat surfaces. Hell I even use it when I take a shower. Make sure to turn off lights and keep your blinds closed during the day to keep the rooms cool. I use a lot of plastic forks and paper plates to avoid having to wash dishes (which costs money). I usually schedule all my business for the afternoon so I can sleep late and not have to eat breakfast.
It’s funny we don’t think much about it, Chicago is actually the 4th wealthiest city in the world, after:
1. Tokyo (nobody talks about it, because the Japanese are lame bitches… lol;
2. New York (among the only 2 cities worldwide with a GDP surpassing 1,1 trillion dollars, not so distant from Tokyo numberwise);
3. Los Angeles;
4. Chicago.
CHI-TOWN sure sounds better than the BIG ROTTEN APPLE.
My mom lives in a 2 bedroom apartment and she uses one for a bedroom and one for her "storage" room. She has lots of cardboard boxes wrapped in contact paper and stacked up on their sides and uses them for cubbie holes. She only keeps stuff sitting out like lamps, ashtrays,little flower arrangments,and stuff like that,so it doesnt look cluttered. She keeps all her stuff in her "storage room". She also only uses half her cabinet space in her kitchen for what few dishes she needs. a few plates, some silverware and about 4 glasses. That keeps down on dishwashing and she uses her cabinets and drawers for other things. Oh she uses alot of stackable bins in her bathroom too. hope I helped.
I used Wikipedia as data source for the GDP comparison between LA and Chicago. LA has a 179 billion dollars higher GDP than Chicago. It may change within a year, but not so likely. I used to travel to Chicago a lot, for business, pleasure and… well… I was in and out of love with someone there… lol… 7 years ago. I thought it was yesterday… lol.
What do you do in Chicago? What kind of work? Involved with performing arts somehow?
There are many easy things that you can do to help live a more sustainable lifestyle. For instance:
1) Simple little things around the house such as: installing dimmer switches and programmable thermostats; purchasing energy star appliances; and installing CFL/LED light fixtures are all easy and simple things that you can do to help save the heating and electric bills. You could ask the owner if it is possible to haveenergy efficient doors and windows installed (break it down to him/her on how much energy can really be saved if it is done).
2) The bathroom and kitchen are actually the two rooms that consume the most water. Install aerators on the faucets in both rooms, and use low-flow shower heads in your shower (older shower heads use 3-6 gallons of water per minute whereas newer low-flow models use less than 2 gallons of water per minute!). Again, discuss with the owner about replacing your toilet with low-flush toilets which can save you over 14 litres of water per flush (older toilets use 20 litres of water per flush whereas newer ones use 6 litres of water per flush). Or if this is not possible, you could place a sand-filled water bottle in your tank of your toilet (a small 500 mL water bottle is fine) where this can save you 2-4 litres of water per each flush.
3) Plants: they help to filter and clean your indoor air naturally. Just place house plants throughout your home (while they do eventually die, they are very pretty to have as decoration, help to add a nice smell to the home (reduces your use of chemical odourizers such as Febreeze and Air Wick). They remove chemicals from the air and reduce airborne contaminants. Use peace lily, English ivy, Boston Fern and Philodendron.
4) BYOB (bring your own bag!). In the United States alone, over 100 billion plastic bags are used each year, however only 1 percent of these bags actually get recycled. Bringing an eco-friendly tote on your next shopping spree is one of the easiest earth-friendly changes you can make. Purchase and use stainless steel water bottles. When you decide to get rid of your old unwanted stuff, dont throw it out in the trash but instead donate it to the local thrift shop or salvation army (unfortunate families would be very thankful of your generosity, plus surprisingly many people now are shopping at thrift stores to live an eco-friendly lifestyle). Donating used books, CDs and DVDs to the library is also another great idea.
5) A cool new trend that has emerged is planting your own garden in your windowsill or balcony if you have one. One cool way that I have started planting tomatoes is in an upside down plastic 2L bottle. Check out my website for more information on how to do this, and for more ecotips!
Good luck with greening up your apartment!