If you have a heavy leak in your toilet, it's easy to diagnose—the faint sound of the toilet tank constantly replenishing is a dead give away. What about a slow leak? Diagnose it with food coloring. If you have a slow leak in your toilet tank, hundreds of gallons are just slowly and silently cascading down the side of your toilet bowl every month. Fortunately you can easily detect if the uptick in your water bill is from a slow leak or not.Over at wikiHow they share a simple test for toilet water leaks, place a half dozen or so drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Leave the toilet alone for a half hour or more. Come back and check to see if the water in the bowl of the toilet has become tinted with the food-coloring dye from the tank. If it has, you've got a leak between the tank and the bowl. Check out the full guide at wikiHow for more details and how to fix the leak if you find it. Have a cheap way to test for problems around the house? Let's hear about it in the comments.

Monday, March 14, 2016 check your toilet for leaks, lift off the toilet tank lid. place 2 dye tablets (or 10 drops of food coloring) in the toilet tank. in the bowl turns color within 10 minutes, you have a toilet leak. are a City of Shoreacres Water Department customer and would like to request free dye tablets, please call City Hall at 281.471.2244. toilet tank cover and look at theIf you can see or hear water running, you could have a large leak (300 gallons per day). cannot see or hear water running, drop one dye tablet in the tank. color appears in the bowl within ten minutes, you have a medium leak (150If dye color appears in the bowl after ten minutes, you have a small leak (50 gallons per day). Drain your toilet tank first. off the shut-off valve [1]. the toilet, which will drain theSoak up excess water in the tank with a sponge or towel. have to jiggle the handle to keep

the toilet from running the chain that controls the flapper might not be adjusted properly [2], or the handle might be loose [9]. Clean and adjust the chain [4]. sure the chain is not too long orTighten the nut that holds the toilet handle to the tank. If this does not work, the handle may need to be replaced. leaking flapper valve can be caused [2] may not be sitting properly on the valve seat [3], or the rubber may be deteriorating and not forming Gently rub the bottom of theIf you get streaks of rubber on your fingers, you should seat [3] for corrosion and clean itTurn on the shut-off valve [1] to refill the tank and tryIf the flush valve still will not sit properly, check theIt may be improperly aligned or needs the length Note: When replacing these valves on older toilets, use water conserving flapper valves that allow less water to be flushed after each water level in the tank is too high,

it may spill into the overflow tube [5] continuously, creating a largeThe correct water level is about one-half to one inch below the top of the overflow tube. Bend the float arm [6] gentlyFlush after bending the arm to test whether the water stops at the proper level. check that the float arm is screwed in securely so that the arm will notIf the water level is too low, you may not get an effectiveArbor Greens Gainesville Fl Homes For SaleIn that case, carefully bendTeacup Yorkies For Sale In Salt Lake City Utah the float arm upward. Field Spaniel Cross Puppies For Sale to replace the float ball [7] if it has filled with water, or replace

the float ball shut-off valve [8]. water that refills the tank will not shut off, you may have a broken ball shut-off valve [8] in the ball cockWater will just keep spilling into the overflow tube. test if the ball shut-off valve is broken rather than the float arm needing adjustment, pull up on theIf the water keeps flowing with the float arm up, the shut-off valve is broken. are an accomplished plumber, call aIf your leaky toilet cannot be fixed, replace it with one that uses 1.6 gallons per flush.You are hereHome » Indoors » Toilet Stop a running toilet A running toilet can waste two gallons of water per minute. A silent leak can waste up to 7,000 gallons of water per month. To find silent leaks, put food coloring in the tank. Check the toilet bowl ten minutes later. If you see color in the bowl, the tank has a silent leak. Toilet leaks are typically caused by a worn out flapper valve, which is the stopper in the bottom of the tank that lifts up when you push the flush handle.

The solution: replace your flapper. First, shut off the water at the toilet (not at the house line). Then remove the worn flapper and replace it. Your local hardware store can help you choose the proper replacement. A faucet with a slow steady drip wastes 350 gallons per month. If the leak is a small stream, 2,000 to 2,700 gallons of water go to waste every month. To fix these leaks, simply replace the worn washers in the faucets. To look for hidden leaks, begin by turning off all running water in the house. Check the reading on your water meter. Don't use any water for 30 minutes, then read the meter again. If it shows any water use, you have a leak that needs repair. Easy ways to use less Place a gallon jug under the sink or tub faucet while you wait for the water to heat. Use the captured water for other purposes, like flushing or watering plants. Insulating hot water pipes minimizes both water and energy waste because it reduces the amount of time needed for hot water to arrive at your tap.

Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Use a cup to rinse your mouth. Run the tap only to rinse the toothbrush. When showering or washing your hands, wet your body. Turn off the water, soap up, then turn on the water to rinse. When washing dishes by hand, fill the kitchen sink or a basin rather than letting the water run. Even better, use an automatic dishwasher. Newer models are more efficient than hand washing and do not require pre-rinsing dishes by hand. Simply scrape off food waste. Wash only full loads. Wash fruits and vegetables in a sink or bowl filled with water rather than letting the water run. Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator rather than running tap water for a cool drink. Use the garbage disposal only when necessary. Compost your food waste. You can dispose of it in your green waste bin or use it for your garden. Average household water use and savings Fixture/ApplianceRange of savings (gallons/day)How to save EBMUD can help

Install water displacement bag in the tank Install quick-closing flapper valve Replace older high-flow toilets with high-efficiency models High-efficiency toilet rebates ($50) Install shower control valve (on/off button) and take "military showers" Free showerheads with 2.0 gallon per minute flow rate Use load size settings Reduce the number of loads by washing full loads only Replace standard washer with high-efficiency model Up to $200 rebate for high-efficiency washers Install low-flow faucet aerators Bath: do not let faucet run while saving and brushing teeth Kitchen: Do not pre-rinse dishes when using dishwasher; scrape food waste into recycling container instead. Wash only full loads 3 to hundreds of gallons Use dye tablets or food coloring to check toilets for leaks Replace flapper valves and/or fix shut-off valve Read meter when not using water to check for leaks Free dye tablets to check for leaks