Not to be too gross, but a leaky toilet can be smelly. Or it may not smell at all. But the thought of toilet water leaking into your ceiling or the floor of your home will probably make you shudder like you’re watching a scary movie.
Here’s the really bad news: the Regional Water Providers Consortium says water leaks in a home are all too common; 12% of all homes have a slow water leak. Most of those leaks come from – you guessed it – the toilet.
When water is running across the floor, you clearly have a repair issue. But it’s the hidden leaks that can pile up and cause real damage to your home.
How Do I Know if My Toilet is Leaking?
The Arizona Department of Water Resources reports that toilets use about 27% of all household water consumption. There are several ways to know if you have a problem, including the most obvious spread of water across a floor or in a ring on your ceiling. But it’s the hidden leaks to really be concerned about because big damage can happen before you even know there’s a problem. Monitor your water consumption to see if the bill has been increasing. If you can’t pinpoint obvious increases in your family’s consumption of water, but your bill is higher, there’s probably a hidden leak.
What Causes a Toilet Leak?
If a toilet is leaking, most often it is the flapper or fill value. Flappers, which provide a watertight seal in your tank, can actually start to corrode; due to the in-tank cleaners that many people install to keep their toilet sparkly. Some of the newer toilet models make flappers that are actually resistant to these chemicals, but this is not foolproof.
Too, the flapper and trip lever and chain may be misaligned. That gap can cause a pretty significant leak, which can drive up your utility bills.
If you hear the constant sound of water running after you’ve flushed, you probably have a bad float ball or fill valve. You see these on older model toilets. Newer toilets have a piston-like valve that keeps your toilet functioning properly. The running water could also signify a problem with the toilet flapper. Or, a more complicated repair could include the wax ring that is the seal between your toilet and the floorboards of your home. If your wax ring is leaking, water could be seeping slowly into the sewer. Worse yet, if that ring fails, you could have dirty toilet water flowing into the floorboards themselves. If you smell something bad when someone isn’t using the potty, call us right away.
Plumbing By Jake Also Does Plumbing
Peace of mind on plumbing issues requires a trained professional who can help diagnose and fix the problem. That’s why your trusted Las Vegas air conditioning professionals also provide commercial and residential plumbing in the Kingsman, Arizona area. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and have been providing this service for more than a decade. If your water bill is spiking, call us – we can help!