Is it OK to keep flushing an overflowing toilet in Salt Lake City while waiting for help?
No — shut off the fixture's own valve first. Flushing again while it's already overflowing just adds more water to a floor that's already wet.
Toilet Help in Salt Lake City
Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026
24/7 Express Handyman Service answers running-toilet calls in Salt Lake City. 180 gallons of water a week is what household leaks — a running toilet is one of the most common — can waste, according to EPA WaterSense. (Residential Toilets — US EPA WaterSense) 4,225 feet is the elevation of the National Weather Service's official climate station at Salt Lake City International Airport, whose 1991-2020 climate normals record a January average low temperature of 24.2 degrees Fahrenheit and 12.7 inches of average January snowfall, with at least an inch of new snow falling on about 7.6 days in a typical January. (NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Monthly) — Salt Lake City Intl AP, UT)
Do this now
- Shut off the toilet's own water valve, usually on the wall or floor just behind the bowl — turn it clockwise until it stops.
- If it's already overflowed, protect the subfloor with towels and check whether water has reached an outlet or a ceiling below.
- Lift the tank lid and, if you can reach it safely, hold the flapper down or lift the fill-valve float to slow the running water until the shutoff takes effect.
Call now
East Bench & Downtown Salt Lake CityAnswered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher.
24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee before rolling.
What 24/7 Express Handyman Service does on site
- Shut off and isolate the fixture's supply.
- Extract standing water and dry the area.
- Make safe: clear the area around the toilet so nothing is left sitting in water.
What the licensed partner does
- A licensed plumber handles the flapper, fill valve or flush handle and anything beyond the fixture itself — a cracked tank, a wax ring failure, or a clog in the branch line — and that work is contracted and billed by the plumber.
What to have ready when you call
- Whether the shutoff valve is on or off now
- Whether the floor around the toilet is wet
- How long it's been running
- The address and access details
What happens next
- The dispatcher confirms your address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, then Tom rolls.
- On arrival Tom stops the water and dries the area, then brings in a licensed plumber for the fixture repair itself.
- Photograph the damage before anything is moved and keep every receipt; 24/7 Express Handyman Service provides an itemised invoice your insurer may ask for. The dispatch fee and job cost are paid by you on the day.
In Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City has an estimated 30,000 brick homes built before 1970 that the city classifies as unreinforced masonry construction, and its Fix the Bricks program provides financial assistance to retrofit these older homes against earthquake damage. (Salt Lake City's Fix the Bricks Program — SLC.gov Blog) A pilot 2016 grant of over $700,000 funded the retrofit of 29 Salt Lake City homes, while a 2019 grant of more than $5 million aims to retrofit another 200 homes. (Fix The Bricks! Fortifying Salt Lake City, Utah — FEMA Case Study)
Calls come from around University of Utah, Foothill Drive, Research Park, the benches, up by the U.
Questions people ask
More questions about toilet won't stop running or is overflowing
Sources
- Residential Toilets — US EPA WaterSense — retrieved 2026-09-22
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Monthly) — Salt Lake City Intl AP, UT — retrieved 2026-09-19
- Salt Lake City's Fix the Bricks Program — SLC.gov Blog — retrieved 2026-09-19
- Fix The Bricks! Fortifying Salt Lake City, Utah — FEMA Case Study — retrieved 2026-09-19