The commode can be the biggest water-waster in your home.
Now that electronic meters will be in everyone’s water meter boxes soon, many customers are learning about small leaks they had no idea existed on their property.
Most of the time, the toilet is the likely culprit. A small five gallons-per-hour toilet leak can waste up to 120 gallons a day — and 3,600 gallons a month!
One of the easiest things to do is to give the commode a checkup.
Sometimes a toilet leak is obvious. You can hear the water running or hear ghost flushing (when the commode flushes by itself). If you hear your toilet running or see water trickling continuously, it’s most likely the fill valve isn’t shutting off and water is going down the fill tube into the tank. If this is the case, adjust your fill valve to the proper level. If that doesn’t fix the level problem, a new fill valve is needed.
If the problem is ghost flushing — the toilet is constantly filling itself and water is trickling in the tank — a bad flapper seal is likely the problem. Check the flapper seal where it sits inside the tank for calcium buildup. If present, clean it with white vinegar. If the flapper is worn (look for uneven areas or black residue on your hand after touching it), replace it. Also check the surface where the flapper meets the flush valve for calcium buildup. Use sandpaper to remove buildup from the flush valve.
If everything seems fine, do a dye test to see if your toilet is leaking. Just put drops of food coloring or a dye strip into the tank, but don’t flush. Wait 10 minutes. If colored water appears in the bowl, there’s a leak.
To become your home’s detective and solve any water-use mysteries, visit saws.org/leak.
