Looking For Leaks in Obvious Places

Leaks can waste hundreds of gallons and are usually silent!

Even a small leak can add up to a lot of wasted water and money over time! Fortunately, most leaks are easy and inexpensive to repair.

TOILET LEAKS

To help determine if you have a leaking toilet, simply remove the tank lid and place a few drops of food coloring in back of the toilet tank. (If you don’t have food coloring, you can purchase dye tabs from any hardware or home center). Wait about 30 minutes, without flushing, and then look in the toilet bowl to see of any color has come through. If the water is clear, water is not leaking. If you see food coloring in the bowl you have a leak.

FLAPPER VALVE LEAKS

The most common reason for a leaking toilet is one that has an improperly working or sealing flapper. The flapper is the rubber valve in the bottom of the tank that lifts up when the toilet is flushed. If the flapper is worn or cracked, it allows water to continuously flow from the tank into the toilet bowl without flushing.

FLUSH HANDLE PROBLEMS

The most common reason for a leaking toilet is one that has an improperly working or sealing flapper. The flapper is the rubber valve in the bottom of the tank that lifts up when the toilet is flushed. If the flapper is worn or cracked, it allows water to continuously flow from the tank into the toilet bowl without flushing.

LEAKING FAUCETS

Leaking faucets are generally a result of a worn rubber washer. The washer on a sink is usually located under the handle. These are relatively easy to replace, if you have the right tools. It does require shutting off the water under the sink or at the main shutoff valve and removing the handle. (Note: faucet handles are not shutoff valves.) Check your local home center or hardware store on how to repair faucet leaks.

SPRINKLER HEAD LEAKS

Sprinkler heads are what you see popping up out of the ground and watering your yard. Common sprinkler system repairs include replacing damaged heads. Replacing a sprinkler head yourself can usually be done pretty easily, will only cost a few dollars, but could save hundreds on a water bill. A broken seal on a sprinkler head can leak gallons. Once the seal on a sprinkler head is broken, the leak will continue to get worse, waste more water, and reduce the effectiveness of the zones. Replacing older heads on your sprinkler system can make a dramatic improvement in your sprinkler system’s performance as well as saving countless gallons of water and money on your water bill.

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