The 3 Best Methods To Identify a Leaky Toilet

6/9/2020 (Permalink)

Air movers in a water damage Melbourne, FL bathroom

How To Detect A Toilet Leak

While some problem areas around your Melbourne, FL, home often make themselves known in a very obvious way, some can go silently undetected for long periods of time. One of these problems can come in the form of a leaking toilet, which can cause both water leaks on your bathroom floor and an expensive utility bill, to boot. If you think your home may be experiencing a leaky toilet, here are the three best methods for detecting a problem and solving it before the consequences become any worse.

1. Test the toilet water tank using food coloring. While it might seem strange, using food dye as a method for seeking out leaks is quite effective. Start with the toilet you’re concerned about and flush it normally. Wait through its entire cycle, then add 4-5 drops of red or blue food coloring to the tank’s water and wait 20-30 minutes. Once the time has passed, return to the toilet and check the bowl for changes in color. If the water is clear, there’s no sign of a leak. However, if the water is slightly discolored by the dye, you’ve found your leaking toilet.

2. Check for problems with the float. While there’s an overflow pipe installed in every toilet tank to prevent just that situation, there can sometimes be overflow anyway due to a faulty float. Since the float is supposed to tell the inlet valve when to shut off the water, any extra water can indicate a possible leak, meaning you might need a new float.

3. Consider that the wax ring might be dry or installed incorrectly. Wax rings on toilets dry out all the time, making them an easy suspect when you come across a bathroom leak. Inspect yours thoroughly to see if this is the source of your water issue.

If you find yourself needing more assistance with identifying a leaking toilet in your Melbourne, FL, home, contacting professional water restoration experts who are here to help is the easiest way to ensure your water problem is solved.