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WATER CONSERVATION
 TOILET
LEAKS
Toilets account for 26%
of the water used in the average home. Federal plumbing standards now
specify that new toilets sold use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush,
but toilets older than 1992 use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush.
What does my toilet really cost me?
Operating a toilet costs
more money than you might think. Whenever the toilet is flushed, you
are charged for both the water and sewer fees that go along with your
toilets consumption. Low flow toilets that use 1.6 gallons/flush can
really pay off. Let’s look at the math:
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Toilet
consumption
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Flushes per
day*
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Gallons used
per year
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Cost per
gallon**
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Toilet cost
per year
|
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1.6
gallons/flush
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5
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2920
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$0.01
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$29.20
|
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3 gallons/flush
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5
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5475
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$0.01
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$54.75
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5 gallons/flush
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5
|
9125
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$0.01
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$91.25
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* National estimates
say that each person flushes the toilet five times
daily.
** based on the 7/1/07
rate for 1 ccf at $7.40 ($5.63 for sewer and $1.77 for
water)
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Fixing Leaks
In an
average residence, 22 gallons of water
are lost to leakage each day, and the
most common culprits are leaking toilets
or dripping faucets. This daily leakage
volume is about equal to the amount of
drinking water a family of 3 needs for
two full weeks! The annual water and
sewer cost for 22 gallons of leakage is
$80 per household.
It is not
uncommon to find toilets leaking much
more water than the average 22 gallons.
Silent toilets leaks can account for up
to 300 gallons of day of lost water
without anybody noticing the leakage.
This size of leak costs over $500
dollars a year and should be repaired
immediately. A dye tablet or 10 drops of
food coloring can be used to check a
toilet for leaks. Place the tablet or
food coloring into the toilet tank. If
color appears in the bowl after waiting
10 minutes, see the fixing leaks section
of this web site.
YES! EVEN YOU CAN FIX
A LEAKING TOILET
Water and sewer
costs from leaking toilets can really add
up. Deteriorated flapper valves are the most
common source of leaks. If your check for
leaks showed that water was passing from
your tank to the bowl then the following
repair directions can help.
Note: This information is provided for
your benefit; please do not take on plumbing
repairs unless you feel quite confident in
your ability to make these repairs. The City
of Shoreacres will not be responsible for
any damage to your toilet because of faulty
repairs.
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Checking For Leaks
-
 To
check your toilet for leaks, lift off
the toilet tank lid. Without flushing,
place 2 dye tablets (or 10 drops of food
coloring) in the toilet tank. If water
in the bowl turns color within 10
minutes, you have a toilet leak. If you
are a City of Shoreacres Water
Department customer and would like to
request free dye tablets, please
call City Hall at 281.471.2244.
Determine leakage rate
a. Lift the
toilet tank cover and look at the
mechanism inside. If you can see or hear
water running, you could have a large
leak (300 gallons per day).
b. If you
cannot see or hear water running, drop
one dye tablet in the tank. If the dye
color appears in the bowl within ten
minutes, you have a medium leak (150
gallons per day). If dye color appears
in the bowl after ten minutes, you have
a small leak (50 gallons per day).
1. Toilet
leak rate: __________ x 365 =
__________
Gallons per
day
Gallons per year
Fixing Leaks
-
BEFORE YOU
START REPAIRS
Drain your toilet tank first. Turn
off the shut-off valve [1]. Flush
the toilet, which will drain the
tank. Soak up excess water in the
tank with a sponge or towel.
 Common
Reasons for Leaks:
Chain Adjustment
If you
have to jiggle the handle to keep
the toilet from running the chain
that controls the flapper might not
be adjusted properly [2], or the
handle might be loose [9].
To Fix:
Clean and adjust the chain [4]. Make
sure the chain is not too long or
too short. Tighten the nut that
holds the toilet handle to the tank.
If this does not work, the handle
may need to be replaced.
A
leaking flapper valve can be caused
by two problems. The flapper valve
[2] may not be sitting properly on
the valve seat [3], or the rubber
may be deteriorating and not forming
a proper seal. Over time, the
valve's rubber material
deteriorates.
To fix:
Gently rub the bottom of the
flapper valve. If you get streaks of
rubber on your fingers, you should
replace the valve. Check the valve
seat [3] for corrosion and clean it
if necessary. Turn on the shut-off
valve [1] to refill the tank and try
flushing. If the flush valve still
will not sit properly, check the
chain [4]. It may be improperly
aligned or needs the length
adjusted.
Note: When replacing these valves
on older toilets, use water
conserving flapper valves that allow
less water to be flushed after each
use
Overflow Tube
If the
water level in the tank is too high,
it may spill into the overflow tube
[5] continuously, creating a large
leak. The correct water level is
about one-half to one inch below the
top of the overflow tube.
To Fix:
Bend the float arm [6] gently
downward. Flush after bending the
arm to test whether the water stops
at the proper level. Be sure to
check that the float arm is screwed
in securely so that the arm will not
rotate. If the water level is too
low, you may not get an effective
flush. In that case, carefully bend
the float arm upward. You may need
to replace the float ball [7] if it
has filled with water, or replace
the float ball shut-off valve [8].
Shut-off Valve
If the
water that refills the tank will not
shut off, you may have a broken ball
shut-off valve [8] in the ball cock
assembly. Water will just keep
spilling into the overflow tube. To
test if the ball shut-off valve is
broken rather than the float arm
needing adjustment, pull up on the
float arm [6]. If the water keeps
flowing with the float arm up, the
shut-off valve is broken.
To Fix:
Know your limitations. Unless you
are an accomplished plumber, call a
professional. If your leaky toilet
cannot be fixed, replace it with one
that uses 1.6 gallons per flush.
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