Leaks in Toilets

There are generally two types of leaks in a toilet.

A toilet only has a few working parts inside the tank, but over time they may become worn and cause a leak. You can easily pinpoint the problem by carefully paying attention to what your toilet is doing and performing a simple test. The Southern Nevada Water Authority states that in excess of 20 percent of toilets will develop a leak at some point in their useful life.

Types of Leaks

There are two kinds of leaks in the toilet, each of which wastes different amounts of water. A continuous trickling sound means that water is continually filling, and water is flowing into the overflow tube. This type of leak wastes the greatest amount of water. If you hear the water periodically turn on to refill the tank, this means you have a seeping leak, which is caused by either a worn flush flapper or a flapper chain that is either damaged or kinked.

Check for Leaks

A seeping leak can be harder to detect because the water trickle is much slower. If you suspect you have a leak, there is an easy test you can perform. Once the tank is full, lift up the lid on the holding tank and place a few drops of food coloring into it. Do not flush the tank; wait a few minutes, and then look in the bowl of the toilet. If there is colored water in the bowl, you have a leak.

Continuous Leak

One of the reasons a continuous leak may be present is that the float ball is improperly adjusted and is not set to turn off the water at the proper level. Adjust the float ball by turning it counterclockwise to extend the arm, which will set it so the water turns off when the level is lower in the tank. If this does not solve the problem, the refill valve should be replaced.

Seeping Leak

If the leak is a slow leak, visually check the chain that goes from the flush handle to the flapper valve. Sometimes the chains get tangled, which will cause the flush flapper to not completely close. If the chain has enough play in it and is not restricting the flush flapper operation, you should replace the flush flapper valve at the base of the toilet.

References

• Southern Nevada Water Authority; Toilet Leaks
• PlumbingSupply.com; Toilet Troubleshooting 101