If you’ve ever accidentally used the toilet while the water is turned off, you know it can be a stressful situation. The inability to flush a toilet is a worry we can all relate to, and we’re here to address this issue today. Lucky for you, there’s often a very easy solution to this problem.
Yes! You can flush a toilet when the water is turned off. Because a toilet tank automatically refills after each flush, your toilet will be good for a single flush after the water shut-off occurs. After that, you can manually refill the tank of your toilet for extra flushes. This method only requires a bucket of water, and we’ll walk you through the process below.
So, let’s really break it down, how exactly do we flush a toilet without running water? There are actually a couple reliable methods, and we’ll cover each of them.
First Flush
First thing’s first, if you haven’t yet flushed your toilet since the water was turned off, it should be good for one more flush. This is because a toilet will automatically refill its tank after it has been flushed. Therefore, it has a full tank for one more flush before you’re out of luck.
If your water shut-off isn’t scheduled to last long, this solo flush will hopefully get you through. But if someone has beaten you to the flush, or the outage has lasted longer than expected, here’s what you do.
Method 1: How do you flush a toilet with a bucket of water?
To flush your toilet without running water, you will be using a bucket of water to fill the toilet tank.
You’ll need about one gallon of water for this (usually about two buckets). You’ll be pouring this water directly into the tank on the toilet, but it doesn’t matter where in the tank.
The key to this process is the speed of your pour. This is because the faster you pour, the more pressure is created to help the toilet flush. Pour slowly in the beginning (about half a bucket) to fill the tank.
Then, quickly dump out the remaining water into the tank. This quick “dump” creates the pressure necessary to push the water out of the tank, and the toilet will flush. No flush handle necessary!
Yes, we know, you don’t have running water to fill the bucket because your water has been turned off. This is where you need to get crafty. See if you have any bottles of water lying around. If you have a pool or hot tub, that’s a good option as well. Additionally, if this was a planned outage by your municipality, you can “stock up” beforehand by filling your bathtub.
This is also why it’s a good idea to keep some spare water jugs on hand, or sitting in storage, should this situation arise.
Alternate Method: Use More Water!
The method above did not require using the handle to flush the toilet. But if you’d prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, then it’s possible. All you’ll need is more water.
For this method, you simply need to fill your toilet tank until it reaches the overflow line. This is the point where the water travels above the overflow tube, which is a vertical plastic pipe inside your toilet tank (it will also have a small plastic tube running into it). Once you’ve filled the tank to this point, you should be able to flush your toilet as normal.
The obvious downside to this method is it uses quite a bit more water. Essentially, you’re performing the function that your toilet automatically performs after each flush.
There you have it, an easy method of flushing a toilet without a running water supply. If you’re worried that you’ll unexpectedly encounter this problem in the future, then have some water on hand somewhere in your home. Filling up a couple large jugs and keeping them in storage is a wise choice.
As you can see, it’s really not that difficult to flush a toilet without running water. All you need is a couple buckets of water and some know-how. As we’ve mentioned above, be sure that you have some water on hand should this situation arise. Accessing the water can be the most difficult part of this process. After that, it should be a breeze! It is important to note that different toilet flush systems may have varied characteristics related to how they perform in a situation in which water isn’t available. Choosing the right system just might make a difference.
FAQs
If you’re still encountering issues, we’ll answer a few of the most-asked questions relating to this topic:
Does Pouring Boiling Water Down a Toilet Unclog it?
However, this method can still be effective with hot water. The hot water can act to break up whatever substance is clogging your drain pipe, and can be an effective method of unclogging your toilet.
How Long Can You Turn Off the Water to the Toilet?
Your toilet should be fine without running water for an extended period of time. That being said, you likely won’t want to be without running water for more than a few hours. The main issues will present themselves in other areas of your plumbing.
For example, water sitting stagnant in your pipes can start to soak up debris, minerals, and contaminants. This is why you should always run your taps for a few minutes after each water shut-off.
