Leaky Toilets

Hello everyone, and welcome to the house help podcast.  Thanks to everyone who is listening and sending questions and comments.   By the way, if you happen to be an iTunes user, and you like our program, please leave us feedback.   Today's topic is leaky toilets. 

At one time or another we've all had a leaky toilet.  They are annoying, but even worse they waste water like crazy which is bad for the environment and the pocketbook.  Did you know that in just one year, a single toilet can leak enough water to fill a backyard swimming pool.  Ouch!

To get started, let's test our toilets for leaks.  You'll need 10 drops of food coloring or a tablespoon of any powdered drink mix (just a little something to color the water).

I also recommend that you have the phone number of your contractor referral service or plumber close by.  You find a problem that is either too difficult to properly diagnose, or you may feel uncomfortable tackling an issue yourself. 

Let's review the basic operation of a toilet.  When you press the handle to flush, the handle lifts a lever inside the toilet tank which in turn lifts the flapper by a chain or wire.  When the flapper lifts, the flush valve is open and water is released under the rim in the toilet bowl.  Gravity then siphons the water and waste that were already in to the bowl through the trap and into your waste water pipes.  Once the toilet tank is empty of water, the flapper drops back down onto the flush valve drain.  Then the fill valve float rises up with fresh water until the tank is refilled.  Sometimes the fill valve is referred to as a ballcock. 

 Now here is a simple way to check for leaks.

Remove the tank lid and flush.  While the tank is refilling add your food coloring or powdered drink mix.  The water in the toilet tank should changes colors.  Wait 15 minutes after the tank fills completely, then check your toilet bowl.  If the water in your toilet bowl has changed colors, then you have a leak. 

 If you've found a leak, the cause is likely one of the following:

1. the flush valve and flapper are worn out or corroded
2. the fill valve float isn't working properly anymore. 

3.  the rod attached to the float is bent

4. the flapper and ball have become misaligned 

5. chain or wire on the flapper is corroded or tangled

I recommend if you find a leak to replace the float, rod, fill valve and flapper.  The set will cost between 10 and 15 dollars.  You will find inexpensive yet effective sets for less than 10 dollars.  For a quiet flush set including a corrosion resistant flapper you will spend around $15.   Also, to avoid leaks in other toilets, why not replace all of them in your home at the same time.  That will prevent unknown leaks in the future and all your hardware will be the same age.

Replacing them is fairly simple, and instructions will be included with your hardware.  Before heading to the supply store, measure your tank height which can vary from 8 and a half inches to fourteen inches.  If you do not want to do it yourself you should plan to pay a handyman or plumber $75-$110 dollars.   

You may be able to quickly fix your toilet by jiggling the handle, bending the float rod or lift wire.   This is just a temporary fix, and eventually your leak will return.

One more note regarding cleaning.  Many toilet tank parts are corroded prematurely by the use of cleaning agents placed directly in the tank, such as drop in tablets.  I don't recommend these because they completely immerse your toilet hardware in chemicals and cause unnecessary damage.  If you like using automatic toilet bowl cleaners, I suggest using the kind placed directly in the bowl.

That's all for today's show. You'll find a transcript of this podcast at http://freehousehelp.libsyn.com.  That's freehousehelp dot l-i-b-s-y-n dot com. Remember, if you an idea or a question, email [e-mail].

Should you need help finding a reliable insured contractor for your home repairs and improvements, visit our website:  www.freehousehelp.org for a free contractor referral.