If you own a home (or even if you are renting) you know that every now and then you will have a problem with your toilet. It happens.
So, that means that there will be instances where you won’t have any water. This usually is okay if it’s just for an hour or two but what if it’s longer?
If you have to “go” – do you run to your neighbors or the gas station down the street? Or, can you still flush your toilet when your water has been turned off?
YES – you can flush your toilet when your water is off. You just need to have some water on hand to pour into the toilet tank.
So the rule of thumb is that if you’re going to have some work down in your bathroom – fill some gallon jugs with water (or your bathtub) just in case!
Truthfully, for emergencies you should always have a several gallons of water saved anyway. Bad storms and other emergencies can cause main water lines to be shut down.
How To Flush A Toilet When The Water Is Turned Off
The simple truth is that toilets don’t need running water in order to flush. All they really need is gravity and water in the toilet tank. It doesn’t care how the water gets into the tank, as long as there’s water in there.
So, when you press down to flush the water in the tank goes into the toilet bowl, pushes whatever is in the bowl down the drain and gravity works to push it.
Normally, the toilet tank would then re-fill with water but until your water gets turned back on, you can continue to use your toilet as long as you have water to put in the tank.
Steps On Flushing A Toilet When Water Is Off
1. Check the water level in the tank first – you may already have water in there.
2. Make sure to only use clean water (meaning water without any debris, leaves, etc.)
3. Pour enough water into the toilet tank up to the normal refill level (it should be marked inside your toilet tank)
4. You may end up needing a large quantity of water – especially if you are expecting a hurricane or large storm that may create tornadoes, etc. Make sure to have plenty of water on hand.
5. You can use water from your pool, hot tub, a running stream, etc. Just make sure there is no debris.
6. Pour the water into the tank steadily. You don’t want it to splash back up onto your face, the floor, the walls, etc.
When To Call A Professional Plumber
If you are having problems with your toilets that are chronic, we recommend that you call in a professional plumber to not only figure out what the problem is but also to fix it for you.
After all, even though there is a way to flush your toilets without running water – you don’t want to have to be doing this all the time!
If you have any questions about toilets or are having some problems with yours, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.