Check for Toilet Leaks

It is easy enough to check your faucets. Simply stare at the faucet for a few minutes and if you do not see water drip, then the faucet is likely fine. Toilets are another matter.

Most toilets do not leak in huge, easily visible ways. Sometimes it is like being a detective. You are sleeping at night then you suddenly hear the toilet refill. Did somebody just flush? You open you eyes but the lights are off, no light from the bathroom either, the bathroom door is open and there is no one in either. Was it a ghost? Well, since I tend not top believe in ghosts then it must be a leaky toilet. Of course, because most homes are constructed of what amounts to paper and wood, it is possible the toilet you heard came from outside your door, or even in the living room. The prudent thing to do would be the check everyone of them.

I check each toilet by taking a few minutes to stare at the waterline, looking for tell-tale signs of a constant flow of water. If I do not see anything I usually move on to the next. But what if you really suspect that toilet in the guest room but do not see those tell-tale signs, also called "Silent Leaks"? How do you get the suspect to talk without resorting to harsh interrogation techniques or prematurely jumping to a guilty verdict? Being a good detective who has done some of his homework, I know there is something in my bag of tricks that will do the job. In this case, it takes the form of a tablet, a coloring dye that will make the suspect talk and reveal whether it is the source of the leak, or not.

I have tried a couple of versions of these toilet leak dyes, like Blue Streak Pro 200. The way these work is that you put the tablets into the water tank. The dye dissolves and if there is a leak, you should find out in a few minutes. I have also used cheaper household items to color the water in the tank, things like orange juice or even coffee. OK, only coffee then. The principle is the same whether you use the dye or coffee. The end result is that you catch a leak before it starts costing more money than you care to spend.