A silent but deadly plumbing problem, quiet toilet leaks are a common household issue that can cause quite a significant amount of damage. Detecting these can be a bit tricky, and it’s possible for them to go unnoticed until you receive a water bill that’s off the charts.
A silent toilet leak can waste about four times more water than a faucet leak. Not only does it waste copious amounts of water, but it can also lead to expensive toilet repairs and even more damages to your house!
Fortunately, there are several ways to check for a toilet leak to save both water and potential damage to your home.
Observation Method
The easiest way to check for a leak is to look out for the basic signs of disrepair.
If there’s moisture near the toilet base or water trickling over the sides of the bowl, it’s confirmation that there’s a silent leak. If you need to hold down the flush handle for the bowl to empty, it may also be an indicator of a leak that should be addressed immediately.
Pencil Method
Using a pencil that’s readily found in your home, you can easily determine whether the leak is taking place, particularly if it’s in the flush valve or the refill valve. Draw a line on the back wall of the tank and make a mark on the waterline of the interior as well. Turn off the water supply and recheck the tank after half an hour.
If the water is lower than the pencil mark, then the leak is happening because of the flush valve, which is located in the middle of the tank. If the water is still at the pencil mark, then it means the leak is on the tank’s left side (the refill valve).
Dye Method
This method may not be as readily available, but it is straightforward, and you can make a trip down to the hardware store to get the necessary supplies. Purchase toilet leak detection tablets to check if there is indeed a silent leak in your home. If one of the tablets placed in the tank turns the water in the toilet bowl a different color, it’s an indication that there’s a leak.
Sensor Method
While water leak sensors are more expensive than the other methods here (about $20), they can immediately let you know the moment a toilet begins to leak by flashing red and beeping. These sensors can also indicate when a toilet is working correctly by flashing green.
Method for Fill Valves
Fill valves are the components of the toilet, which refill the tank after flushing. When these get worn out or break, leaks can occur. These are also the most difficult leaks to detect.
Starting with a full toilet tank, remove the cover and observe the overflow tube. If there is water flowing here, it’s a sign that there is a leak and that you should call a plumber.
Conclusion
Toilet leaks of this type are quite insidious—you won’t notice it unless it’s blatantly shown to your face. While plumbers can be called any time there’s an issue such as this, detecting it early on is key to saving hundreds of dollars in water bills and damages. Whatever test you choose to check whether there’s a leak, regularly checking on your fixtures and toilet is simply good practice. You can end up saving not only yourself but your plumber some trouble, too!
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