Leaking toilet in Surprise?
When water from your toilet is spreading across the tile and even flooding out of the bathroom, this is good time to get help! Even a slow leak from the back of your toilet can be a nasty mess.
Our emergency plumbers in Surprise know what it is like to want the toilet to operate properly (so it is flushing and refilling exactly as you would expect). You need relief fast! Plus, you know that if you don't make that phone call soon, your leak problems could spill over in to an even bigger mess....
Just relax and contact us now. Our emergency plumbers even carry the most common replacement parts in the service vehicle, so many repairs can be totally finished in under half an hour. After you call, we will let you know how soon we can be there in Surprise to get your toilet leak repaired.
Detecting leaks and moisture in walls and tile
Obviously, the top priority with most leaks is stopping the leak then removing the water. If the water is contaminated by the contents of the toilet (like human waste), then there are some important precautions that are worth taking. Your insurance company will typically pay for those precautions and even will penalize you (by denying related claims) if your plumbing repairs are not done with these precautions in mind. But all of that is "just the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to toilet leaks.
The worst-case scenario, which we see occasionally, is that there has been a history of toilet flooding and leaks but no concern for water damage and mold issues. It takes very little time to check to see if there is hidden moisture under the tile or behind the toilet on the bathroom wall. If there is moisture, you will want to know and we will learn why next.
First, if you have not contacted us yet, we recommend that you do that now. As for the consequences of neglecting to check for water damage after a toilet leak, the absolute worst-case scenario involves a toilet that is above the ground floor. If there is water rotting away the floor under a heavy item such as a toilet (or a bath tub), what could possibly go wrong?
Well, it is rather rare to see, but as experienced specialists in the emergency restoration industry, we do see occasional cases in which there are multiple sources of structural damage, such as a "minor" fire in an area of a multi-story home that is directly underneath an upstairs bathroom. When old water damage has rotted the strength of the upstairs flooring (and the downstairs ceiling), then even relatively minor additional damage can lead to a structural collapse. Not only can such a collapse be expensive, but extremely dangerous.
If the toilet crashes down through to a lower level of the home in Surprise, then that toilet may not be the only thing that comes down! Once the internal integrity is compromised by the toilet falling in to the rotted area, then at least one corner of the tub may at least droop or dip. The toilet does not need to actually come down and fall all the way through to the lower level for the damage to be extensive. If there is enough water damage, then the weight of the toilet (and tub) may result in sagging or crumpling of the floor- which is far less damage than a collapse, but still requires major remodeling to remove and replace the flooring and infrastructure of the upper level.
In summary, the safe option is to quickly use the proper equipment after a toilet leak or flood to determine how much water has penetrated where. If the moisture gets under the tile or the baseboard, it will not be possible to feel the wetness by touching it. So, we regularly use infrared (IR) cameras with thermal imaging to detect moisture after all kinds of plumbing leaks included the flooding over of a toilet. In the image on the left, we did not find any water damage from under the leaking toilet, but the wall under the sink showed clear signs of accumulated moisture. The insurance company paid for a series of tests and a brand new bathroom to replace the damaged walls and plumbing.
Be aware that slow leaks to the plumbing in the bathroom can go undetected for many years before the problem is identified. The wetness of those leaks in the enclosed space of the interior wall of the bathroom can lead to the growth of mold, which has the potential to lead to mysterious health problems (that completely go away once we remove the mold-damaged dry wall).
Be safe. Get the entire area where water has spilled checked (including the baseboards of the bathroom and hallways). If there is an issue, we can measure the extent of it, speak with your insurance company, and help you identify your best option.
Our emergency plumbers in Surprise will stop the leaking of your toilet, repair or replace any relevant parts, then safely extract any leaked water (including contaminated toilet water), plus inspect for signs of water damage. Ask us about how we test for moisture and water damage in the walls, baseboards, and flooring. Contact us now (and for fastest results, especially after regular business hours, use the contact form at the bottom of this webpage).
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Toilet Leak Repair in Surprise Arizona?We will provide you emergency repairs
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