Test Your Toilet for Leaks

Why? Toilets often leak small amounts of water from the holding tank to the bowl. This slow leak is often missed and you may only be made aware when you get a large water bill or hear the toilet running when it shouldn't.

How Hard? Easy!

How Much Time? 5 minutes

Where do I get the Parts? Busch's Fresh Food Market (food coloring) Repair parts can be purchased at the Saline Junga Ace Hardware, Chelsea Lumber.or ACO Hardware stores.

To check for leaks use a couple of drops of food coloring in the water tank of each toilet after it has been flushed and allowed to settle. If any of the colored water appears in the bowl of the toilet check the following:

1. Check if the tank is filling up higher than the overflow tube. The tube is usually a 1" plastic pipe near one end of the toilet tank. If the tank is filling too high it is allowing water to flow over the overflow pipe and will waste water. Adjust the float valve to stop the tank from filling too high.
2. Check the seal on the flapper valve. The flapper valve is lifted when you flush the toilet and should seal the pipe between the tank and the toilet bowl. If it is leaking - replace it or call a plumber.
3. Check to see if the flush lever and chain are allowing the flapper valve to fully close. Sometimes the chin is too long and gets kinked or under the flapper valve or the lever goes out of adjustment. Readjust or replace.

Links and Resources

The links and listings are provided for information purposes only. The following lists are not exhaustive or fully comprehensive, but we have tried to include a representative list of resources for each category. Saline's Environmental Commission makes no representations as to the workmanship, creditworthiness, or any other attributes of the companies listed or of their products or services.