The plumbing hidden in your toilet tank typically does its job without requiring any real maintenance or even regular inspections. However, like all things, the plumbing in the tank can potentially break down and cause problems. If you've just noticed that your toilet tank is spraying water due to a leak in the fill tube or fill valve, you could have a messy problem on your hands. Here's what you should do in this situation.

Shut Off Water

First things first: whenever you use the toilet for now, either the valve or tube is going to be spraying water instead of letting it flow through itself. This means that water can spray out from under the toilet tank lid and potentially make a mess of your bathroom, in addition to wasting water. To counter this, shut off the water directly to the toilet. You don't need to use the water main for this; just look for a valve under or around your toilet and turn it off. You'll be able to tell if it worked because the spraying sound coming from the toilet will stop, and the tank won't be filling anymore.

Call a Plumber Right Away

The good news about your problem is that it's extremely easy for a certified plumber to fix. The bad news is that if you put this step off, you could end up with a high water bill, bathroom damage, or an unusable toilet. For best results, it's ideal to call an emergency plumber. They usually have more availability than standard plumbers and can drop by as soon as you need help. Once your plumber arrives, they'll replace the part that's damaged or leaking and will get your toilet running normally again in no time.

Methods for Using Toilet

In the meantime, especially if you only have one toilet in your home, you might be worried about how you can 'go.' There are a couple things you can do in this instance.

For starters, it's possible to manually flush the toilet without using the toilet tank. To do this, you need a large bucket filled with water. After the toilet is used, quickly pour the water into the toilet bowl. Speed is of the essence here because you want as much pressure as possible on the toilet. If done properly, the water will flush.

Alternatively, while it won't fix your toilet problem, you can avoid toilet tank leaks while waiting for the plumber by using saran wrap. Uncover the toilet lid and cover the top of it with saran wrap as tightly as you can, then replace the lid. This will prevent water from spraying out of the tank until your plumber arrives.

Some problems are simply best solved by professionals, and this is one of them. Get the help that you need ASAP by calling an emergency plumber to come fix it.

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