How do I know if my toilet is leaking?

Toilets: Approximately 27% of your water usage comes from toilet flushing. A leaky toilet can have a major impact on your bill. The toilet is one of the most common water wasters but its leaks tend to be less noticeable than faucet leaks.

Here are some obvious signs of a leaking toilet:

  • Jiggling the handle to make a toilet stop running.
  • Sounds coming from a toilet that is not being used.
  • Holding the handle down to allow the tank to empty.
  • Seeing water trickling down the sides of the toilet bowl long after it’s been flushed .
  • Toilets flushing on their own without touching the handle – phantom flushing.

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

 

Here is a simple Toilet Dye Test you can complete to see if your toilet is leaking.

  • Drip 10 to 15 drops of food coloring into the toilet tank. DO NOT FLUSH.
  • Wait 10 minutes.
  • If colored water appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak.
  • Generally the leak is in or around the plunger ball or flapper valve at the bottom of the tank.