A functioning toilet is something we often take for granted until an emergency occurs. When your home’s water is turned off due to a plumbing issue or the municipal supply has been temporarily shut off in order to end to plumbing repairs, it can result in an embarrassing situation for someone who uses the toilet without knowing there is no running water at the moment.
What Happens If You Flush The Toilet When The Water Is Off?
The toilet should be full for at least one more flush despite having no running water. This is because the tank refills after flushing until it is used once again. However, if someone has already taken advantage of the final flush you will have to add water to the bowl.
All that is required is to access water to fill the tank—not pressure or even running water. You see, when you pull the handle, the contents inside the toilet bowl are emptied by the tanks, flushing anything down the drain.
How To Flush A Toilet Without Running Water
To imitate the tank’s actions, follow these tips:
- Use a bucket of water (or two) to flush the toilet. You need to obtain at least a gallon of water to pour directly into the toilet bowl. It doesn’t matter where you find the water, whether it’s from water bottles or a friendly neighbor who can lend you some of theirs.
- Pour slowly in the beginning, then quickly dump the remainder of the water into the bowl. The toilet’s shape and the pressure from the pouring water pushes all of the contents through the pipes.
- You do not need to use the handle or empty the tank.
- If you anticipate having the water shut off all day sometime in the future, have a couple of buckets of water ready in case of an “emergency”.
If you are interested in a plumbing repair in Los Angeles, contact our licensed plumber at Moe Plumbing Services today.
