If a College Park toilet is overflowing, shut the supply valve behind it, then deal with the clog or call for help; a running or leaking toilet is usually a worn flapper, fill valve or wax ring. Older neighborhoods such as Calvert Hills and Old Town have homes where flanges and drain lines are decades old. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in College Park.
College Park mixes early 20th-century houses in Calvert Hills and Old Town with mid-century neighborhoods and newer apartments near the University of Maryland. The median home in the city was built in 1979. WSSC Water supplies water and handles sewer service, and its Emergency Services Center at 301-206-4002 takes reports of sewer backups in the street.
What to do now
- Stop the water. Turn the oval valve behind the toilet clockwise until it stops. If it won't move, lift the tank lid and raise the float to cut the fill, then close the main shutoff.
- Don't flush again. A second flush on a clogged bowl usually ends up on the floor.
- Protect the ceiling below. In a two-story house, mop up quickly so water doesn't soak through to the room underneath.
- Check other drains. Run a sink and the tub. If they back up too, or a basement floor drain fills, the problem is past the toilet.
- Look outside if the backup is widespread. Sewage from a manhole or yard cleanout is a WSSC call at 301-206-4002.
- Call a plumber for anything beyond a simple plunge.
Symptoms and likely causes
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Short refill every few minutes | Flapper not sealing, or water level above the overflow tube |
| Water at the base after flushing | Failed wax ring or cracked flange |
| Drips from under the tank | Worn tank-to-bowl gasket or tank bolt washers |
| Bowl fills slowly and flushes weakly | Partial clog, or a fill valve or supply valve partly closed |
| Toilet and basement drain back up together | Blockage in the house drain or lateral |
| Toilet backs up after heavy rain | Stormwater stressing the drain system in low-lying areas |
Parts of College Park sit along Paint Branch and Indian Creek, and the Lakeland area is historically low-lying and prone to flooding, so a basement toilet or floor drain that backs up during storms deserves a closer look.
What affects the cost
- Whether the fix is inside the tank or requires pulling the toilet
- The condition of the flange and subfloor in an older house
- How far down a clog sits and whether a camera is needed
- Replacing a seized shutoff valve at the same time
- After-hours visits
Toilet Repair questions in College Park
The bowl is rising toward the rim. What do I do right now?
Why does the basement toilet gurgle or back up after heavy rain?
The toilet wobbles when someone sits on it. How urgent is that?
Is a permit needed to swap out an old toilet?
More plumbing services in College Park
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