Poll: What's Your First Move When the Toilet Turns Into a Fountain?

Honestly, towels are overrated in this scenario... learned that the hard way. First thing I do now is sprint to shut off the water valve—trust me, it saves you from a much bigger mess later. Towels just delay the inevitable flood. Also, pro tip: keep a bucket handy under the sink. It buys you precious seconds while your brain catches up to reality.

"First thing I do now is sprint to shut off the water valve—trust me, it saves you from a much bigger mess later."

Totally agree about the valve, but honestly, buckets and towels are just temporary fixes. Has anyone considered installing a dual-flush or low-flow toilet to prevent these disasters altogether? Seems like a smarter long-term solution...

Turning off the valve is definitely step one—I learned that the hard way last month when my bathroom briefly turned into a mini water park. But honestly, even with low-flow or dual-flush toilets, you can still run into problems if there's a blockage or faulty valve. They're great for saving water and lowering bills, but they don't necessarily prevent plumbing mishaps completely.

What I've found helpful (and maybe I'm overly cautious here...) is doing regular checks on the toilet's internal parts—especially the fill valve and flapper. Every few months, I just pop open the tank lid and make sure nothing looks worn out or loose. Takes like five minutes tops, and it's saved me from at least one potential overflow already.

Has anyone else tried routine maintenance like this? Or am I just being overly paranoid about flooding my new floors...