Did I flood my own toilet?

[JP_]

A couple of days ago one of the kids told me that the downstairs loo was not flushing properly. He was right, water was not going down. I grabbed the plunger and after a few rounds of plunging and flushing, it was clear.

Today, I get home from work and smell a wet toilet carpet sort of smell upstairs. This is what I find in the upstairs WC:

My first thought, before taking up the carpet, was the toilet must be leaking. But, this looks like water overflowed from the bowl evenly. So, did I do this when merrily plunging away downstairs? If the pipe was blocked, did I first force air and water up out the upstairs loo?

Or, is it likely that there is a leak. This toilet is hardly used, it's in the spare room.

 

[terryplumb]

only one way to be sure , start investigating. it's possible you may have done it ,but its a possibility its leaking .you need to be sure.

 

[JP_]

Any tips? My first plan is to leave it to dry out and see if it happens again... Weather is in my side! Beyond that, not so sure!

 

[Daveydub]

did I first force air and water up out the upstairs loo?

Unlikely. Most likely a leaking loo. Air & water forced in to soil pipe would have a job to get to the floor above and air would escape through vent pipes basin traps etc.

 

[Doggit]

If the blockage was in the pipe, then you could well have pushed water past the seal at the back of the toilet. But looking at that amount of damage, I'd say it may have been going on for some time, and you've pushed a bit more than usual out during the plunging.

Flush the toilet and check the seal at the back, and renew if necessary. Then clean the floor with a weak bleach solution, and then leave to dry.

 

[Daveydub]

Feel around connection to ball valve & overflow (if applicable) and bolts where cistern connects to pan. Flush and feel again. Check soil pipe connection to back of pan (if you can see it with boxing) Isolate supply and flush, leave to dry out

 

[terryplumb]

doggit ,its an upstairs loo in photo, op did not plunge that ,he did the downstairs loo .

 

[JP_]

Unlikely. Most likely a leaking loo. Air & water forced in to soil pipe would have a job to get to the floor above and air would escape through vent pipes basin traps etc.

That makes sense.

 

[Doggit]

Look, I never said I was awake. Sorry though, and thanks for pointing it out.

So no, unless there's an AAV fitted, then you wouldn't have caused it. So can you see the vent pipe above the roof line from outside. It is oddly even all around the front of the pan, and most leaks from the seal and the cistern would have caused a leak from the back.

 

[terryplumb]

jonbey ,see if there is an isolating valve on WC. supply pipe and turn it off. usually just screw slot ,turn 1/4 to off. dry floor and disinfect. leave it a few days to thoroughly dry. then flush it and wait for leakage. if none turn water back on and monitor for leakage....................edit..this will establish if leak is from cistern / waste ..or on supply

 

[JP_]

Thanks. No valve though - all pipes hidden under that wooden block I think.
No sign of a vent on the roof either.

 

[Doggit]

You'll either have a soil stack on the outside going up the wall and over the guttering; and that'll just be open. Or you'll have an internal stack, that will have an automatic air vent (AAV) inside the upstairs toilet, or in the roof space.

 

[terryplumb]

think your soil stack is inside your house isnt it ,probably boxed in and decorated around , ( its a vertical pipe 4 inch diameter takes WC wastes etc)...anyway it looks as though you are gonna have to take boxing in apart. take lots of close up pics low down left and right of WC if you are doing it yourself, we may be able to give you some hints.

 

[JP_]

Uurgh. OK, I reckon it's dry out and wait time..... will update you in a day or so!

 

[terryplumb]

ha ha , you chicken get on with it