Harbinger of toilet doom?!?!?!?!

[denbot]

I used the toilet about 45 minutes ago and nothing unusual occurred. I just went back in there and noticed water on the floor, wetting an area about 3X3 feet. Looking closer there was water around the seat, on the counter next to the toilet, the tissue roll and holder were wet. The droplets were large and it appears that the toilet gushed water on it's own volition. About 30 minutes ago I was on the computer and thought I momentarily heard "rain drops" but figured that it was a neighbor watering and did not give it any more thought.

I flushed the toilet and it seemed to fill slightly higher then usual, but did operate normally. I flushed it again and it does seem normal, but the source of the water sprayed definitely did come from it. I have seen toilets overflow, but what would cause one to gush water two or so feet above the rim?

Why would a toilet do this without being activated/flushed?

Am I about to face toilet armageddon?

[denbot]

1. It was the City Maintenance trucks.

On my way to the grocery store I noticed two city trucks parked by fire hydrants at the ends of the blocks of my tract. I pulled next to one and asked if they were working on the sewer lines and explained what happened in my bathroom. They said it was probably them. What they are doing is sending a nozzle upstream in the sewer lines. This nozzle is retrieved while water under high pressure is pumped down stream. This keeps the lines clear, and is done twice a year.

The water pressure used to clear the lines is so great that it leaves a vacuum behind the nozzle and the air filling the vacuum can cause sinks and toilets to bubble up. Since the water jets are pointed in the opposite direction of the angle (downstream) that the houses connect to the sewer mains, water is not pumped in to the surrounding houses. The worker said if it ever happens again to call the city because they maintain a list of houses susceptible to back pressure and they lower the pressure as they pass those particular houses.. Mystery solved.

[cbayer]

2. Eek!! Who knew they could do that.

Won't happen on a boat.

:toast:

[NNN0LHI]

3. Glad you weren't sitting on that porcelain pony when the geyser erupted

Could have been a rude awakening.

Don