Welcome to The Water Connection, an online newsletter for the Crystal Springs Water District.

 
Leaky Toilets??

Toilets are notorious for hidden leaks, which, undetected, can waste hundreds of gallons 
a day. The toilet is one of the most common water wasters but its leaks tend to be less 
noticeable than faucet leaks. Leaks occur when the toilet is out of adjustment or when parts are worn, 
so it is important to check periodically.

The three things that can make a toilet run all the time, are not too difficult to fix.
Most toilet leaks occur at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball inside the tank. To 
detect an obvious leak, look at the toilet bowl after the tank has stopped filling. If 
water is still running into the bowl, or if water can be heard running, your toilet is 
leaking. To locate the leak, take the tank lid off and flush.
 
The water level should come up to about a half inch or so below the overflow pipe. Lift 
the float ball and release. If the running stops, you will need only to adjust the float 
level control screw, or to bend the float arm down slightly so the valve shuts off the 
water at that level. The ball also might be full of water. If so, replace it.

The second problem may be the flapper valve (sometimes a ball) in the tank bottom. This 
is the part the chain lifts when you flush. If the flap is not sealing properly (usually 
due to old age), remove  and replace it after draining the tank.

The third most common problem is a leaky ballcock valve. After draining the tank, remove 
the assembly and take to a hardware store for a perfect match.

To drain the tank, turn off the valve in the line that fills the tank (usually under the 
tank in back of the bowl ) and flush.

Although water cannot be seen or heard running, your toilet may have a silent leak. 

To test for a silent leak, drop a little food coloring into the tank. DO NOT FLUSH. Wait for 
about 10 minutes. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a silent 
leak. It is most often located in or around the plunger ball, which may need replacement or 
realignment. The flapper valve at the bottom of the tank may also be worn or contain a small 
particle of debris (rust or sand) which may be allowing a slight trickle of water into the bowl. 

It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet 
leaks ... and that's more than 30,000 gallons a year!