Normal toilet use makes up about 27 percent of the overall water use in most American households.
Newer toilets use as little as 1.28 gallons per flush. Older toilets can use as much as 7 gallons per flush.
A toilet leak can waste up to 5 gallons of water a minute!
That can total 7,200 gallons of water a day. If that much water were leaking from the toilet onto the floor into the bathroom, it would be highly noticeable.
However, most toilet leaks occur from the tank on the back of the toilet into the bowl, and then into the sewer. They might not make much, if any, noise.
A toilet leak doesn’t just waste water, it costs money. Both the water that went down the toilet and the sewer treatment for that amount of water show up on the water bill.
How can I check for a toilet leak?
Checking for a flapper leak
1. Take the lid off of your toilet tank.
2. Put in a few drops of food coloring or a few dye tablets.
3. Wait 25 – 30 minutes.
4. Do not flush or use the toilet.
5. Look in the bowl. If the coloring has seeped from the tank into the bowl, you have a toilet leak.
Checking for an overflow leak
1. Take the lid off of your toilet tank.
2. Put in a few drops of food coloring or a few dye tablets.
3. Stir the water in the tank with a long spoon or stick.
4. Wait 25 – 30 minutes.
5. Do not flush or use the toilet.
6. Look in the bowl. If the coloring has seeped from the tank into the bowl, water is entering the bowl from the overflow tube.
1. If the float is not adjusted properly, water can continue to fill into the tank, and drain down the overflow tube. Pull up on the float. If the water stops running, you might need to adjust the float.
2. The fill valve/ inlet valve is not set properly or has malfunctioned. This sometimes causes a hiss or a squeal when filling. Try adjusting the fill valve. You might need to replace it.
Do you need to jiggle the handle to make the water stop running?
You need to adjust the chain attached to the handle so that the flapper sits in the valve seat properly.
