Pro Handyman Blog

Use Food Coloring To Check For Toilet Leak

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A leaking toilet can waste thousands of gallons of water. Some toilet leaks are not quite so obvious though. A toilet that leaks from the tank into the bowl can be repaired inexpensively and quickly, but you have to try to determine what needs to be repaired.

Have you ever flushed the toilet and, although you can hear the toilet tank refill and the water shut off, you can still see water entering the toilet bowl? Sometimes it is difficult to see. It will appear as just a ripple in the bowl.

It is easy to see if you use food coloring. Remove the tank lid and flush the toilet. Once the flapper closes and the tank starts to refill, drop a few drops of food coloring into the bowl. It's easier to see if you use a darker color like blue or red.

The food coloring will color the tank water. If you have water leaking from the tank to the bowl, you will see the water in the bowl start to change color. If it does, you have a leak from the tank to the bowl. This can usually be fixed with a new flapper, but on occasion, the flush valve may need to be replaced. It may also be that the seat where the flapper seals against is pitted and allowing water to pass through to the bowl.