Toilet Plumbing

Did you know that on average, 20% of toilets leak?¹ Even if you don’t hear a leak, that doesn’t mean your toilet isn’t leaking.² Silent toilet leaks can waste up to 500 gallons a day.³ Why not check out your toilet to make sure that it’s working properly? It’s good for the environment, your wallet, and your sanity.

Benefits for the environment: Your toilet might be silently leaking up to 80,000 gallons of water each year.⁴ Freshwater is a precious resource, making up only 1% of all water on earth. The more water people consume, the more dams and treatment facilities will be built in fragile ecosystems.⁵ The more water that has to be treated, the more energy is consumed,⁶ which leads to more pollution.

Benefits for your wallet: Leaky toilets can cost up to $100 a month in water and sewage bills.⁷ That’s $1,200 a year! With that kind of money, you could literally be buying 8 toilets a year.⁸ Instead of wasting that money, just spend a little quality time with your leaky toilet and fix that leak! Benefits for your sanity: What’s more annoying than watching or hearing your toilet leak? Although it probably isn’t a large list, one thing is probably realizing that your toilet was leaking for months or years without you even noticing. Put your mind at ease and check your toilet for leaks.

Cost: Low to High
Fortunately, some of the most common leaks can be fixed with a simple twist of the wrench. On the other hand, some other leaks require replacing some of the parts of the toilet, and even the entire toilet itself.

Time and effort: Low to High
Some leaks are extremely easy to repair, but many more leaks require understanding the toilet mechanism and how to disassemble and assemble its parts, which can take at least an hour or so.

Checking for a leak in your house: For a simple way to see if anything’s leaking in your house, try this simple trick. Look at the water meter and remember its exact position. Wait two hours and don’t use any water in your house. After two hours, check the water meter again. If the position has changed, some faucet, toilet, pipes, or water heater in your house is leaking.⁹ Most likely, your toilet is the culprit. However, if you happen to find a leaky faucet, learn how to fix it here: “Fix Your Leaky Faucet”.

Diagnosing your toilet’s problem:
There are two types of leaks. Either the water is running nonstop inside the toilet, or you can see water dripping onto the floor around your toilet. Go to the section with the toilet’s general problem, then follow the directions described underneath them to pinpoint the source of the leak.

• Should I drain the water before I start?: Not necessarily. You might want to keep the tank full just to do some tests. Once you’ve diagnosed the problem, you should drain the water from the tank before fixing it. To do that, just look for a shut-off valve on the wall to the left of the toilet. Twist the knob clockwise to shut off the water, then flush the toilet. The water in the tank should drain out into the bowl, leaving you free to start repairing and adjusting its parts.

Water runs nonstop: If you can hear the water running nonstop but can’t see any leaks, the problem’s probably inside the tank. If you can’t hear or see the water running but you still suspect that the toilet is leaking, perform this simple test:

• Flush valve vs. fill valve leak: Once you’ve determined that you either have a flush valve leak or a fill valve leak, you can do a simple test to find out which one it is. Turn off the water supply to the toilet by twisting the wall shut-off valve clockwise.¹¹ Take off the tank lid and mark the water level on the side of the tank with a pencil. Wait 20 minutes, then check the water level again. If it’s below the pencil mark, then you know you have a problem with the flush valve. If not, then you know you have a problem with the refill valve.¹² Keep the lid open and follow the directions under your problem.¹³
  
• Problem with flush valve: The most common cause of a leak is a problem with the flush valve. The flush valve is where the water from the tank drains down to the bowl whenever you flush. When the handle, trip lever, chain, overflow tube, or flush valve needs adjusting or replacement, that’s a flush valve problem.
  1. Jiggle the handle: If jiggling the handle stops the leaking sound, you either need to adjust the lift chain or handle.¹⁴ Even if it doesn’t work, check the handle and chain anyway to make sure they are working properly.
  2. Adjusting the chain: Take off the tank lid, and look for a chain or wire. Clean a chain to ensure that it stays flexible and won’t get stuck in a curled up position. If the chain or wire doesn’t look the right length, unhook the chain from the trip lever, the lever attached to the back of the handle, and rehook the chain at a longer or shorter position.¹⁵
  3. Tightening the handle: A loose handle could be keeping the flush valve up, allowing water to seep into the toilet bowl continuously.¹⁶ You’ll need to adjust the locknut, located on the inside of the tank opposite the handle on the outside. Since the threading will be in reverse, use an adjustable wrench to turn the locknut counterclockwise. If you can’t turn it, rub lubricating oil onto it, wait a couple of minutes, then try again. If that doesn’t work, cut off the nut entirely and buy a new handle and trip lever. Remove the old one by taking it off the chain and taking it out through the hole, then attach the new one.¹⁷
  4. Check the flush valve: Look for the flush valve, or the round thing at the bottom of the tank that the chain is attached to. If the flush valve isn’t sitting correctly over the hole, adjust it so that it does. Just to be sure the flush valve is in good working order, check for corrosion and clean the valve if necessary. If you rub the bottom of the valve and get rubber on your fingers, you need to replace the valve.¹⁸
     
     • Removing the tank: To replace the flush valve, you’ll need to move the tank to a place where you can more easily work inside it. First drain the tank and use a sponge to clean up any remaining water. Carefully unscrew the bolts on each side of the flush valve, applying penetrating oil generously to avoid breaking the tank. Use channel-locking pliers to unscrew the large nut at the bottom of the tank. Disconnect the water inlet, or the pipe attaching the toilet to the wall. Then, remove the flush valve, washer, and gasket. When you want to put the tank back on, just reverse the process.¹⁹
       
     • Replacing a flapper: A flapper is a flat circle that opens like a door when you pull up on the chain or wire. To replace it, disconnect the flapper from the chain or wire. Slide the flapper up the overflow pipe until you can disconnect it. Slide the new flapper back down and reattach it to the chain or wire.²⁰
       
     • Replacing a tank ball: A tank ball is a flush valve that looks like a half-sphere, with the round part sunken below the bottom of the tank and visible only when you pull up on the wire. To replace it, slide the lower wire down through the higher wire, then through the guide arm, or the small connector that attaches the wire to the pipe. Twist off the old tank ball from the wire and twist the new one back on. Put the wire back through the connector and the higher wire and latch it back down. Run a test flush to make sure that the tank ball fits correctly over the hole.²¹
       
  5. Check the overflow tube: The overflow tube is the pipe that’s attached to the flush valve. It connects directly to the bowl, so if it’s out of place or has a hole, it’s leaking constantly. If it’s not centered directly over the pipe below, adjust it. If it’s got a hole, you might be able to replace it.²² To replace the overflow tube, remove the tank as described in the “Check the flush valve” section. Measure and cut a new overflow tube that matches the height and size of the old tube. Replace and install the tube in place of the old one.²³
• Problem with the fill valve: The second most common leak problem is with the refill mechanism.
  
  1. Check the float ball: If your toilet has one, the float ball is the round ball that should be floating on the surface of the tank water when the tank is full. If it rubs against something else when you flush, you may need to adjust it by pinching the clip at the other end of the float arm and sliding it to and fro or by bending it away from the source of friction.²⁴ The float ball may also be punctured. To test whether the float ball has a leak, drain the water from the tank. If you shake the float ball and you can hear or feel water inside, the float ball has a leak and needs to be replaced. To replace the float ball, twist it counterclockwise to take it off the float arm. Then, put petroleum jelly or plumbers tape onto the threads to attach a new one.
     
  2. Check the water fill level: If the fill level is higher than the top of the overflow tube, all that extra water is continuously leaking down. The ideal level is 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube. Depending on whether you have a float ball, water-intake assembly, or metered fill valve, you will need to adjust the fill level differently.
     • Adjusting a simple float ball: Adjusting a float ball is the easiest. Simply bend the float arm down to lower the water level.
     • Adjusting a float-cup valve: Pinch the clip attached to the float cup and slide it down to lower the water level.
     • Adjusting a metered fill valve: Using a screwdriver, turn the knob counterclockwise to lower the water level. To raise it again, turn the knob clockwise.²⁵
     
  3. Check the refill tube: The refill tube is the tube that brings water in from the water inlet, the pipe attaching the toilet to the wall. If the refill tube has cracks or holes, the water won’t shut off even if the water fill level is correct. To replace a broken refill tube, remove the refill valve’s screws and drain and sponge the tank as described in the “Check the flush valve” section. Now, remove the inlet nut and riser tube. Install the new refill tube according to the instructions.²⁶
     
  4. Check the ball cock: If your toilet has one, the ball cock is a plunger-looking device the top of the refill valve, and opens and closes with the water level in the tank. To inspect the ball cock, unscrew the screws around ball cock, then unscrew the washer or diaphragm connected to the plunger. Take out and clean the ball cock with vinegar and a small brush. If you reinstall it and it still doesn’t work, take it out again and replace it entirely.²⁷

Water pooling at bottom of toilet: If you’re unpleasantly seeing water on the floor but aren’t sure where it’s coming from, try this test:

1. Dry the floor thoroughly with a rag.
2. Lay some newspaper beneath the tank and wait a couple of minutes, then look at the newspaper.
3. If the newspaper has water on it, the tank is broken. If it doesn’t, and the floor does, the bowl is broken.²⁸

• Water leaking from tank: As long as there isn’t a crack in the tank, the good news is that the leak is just water and you can still fix the problem on your own.
  
  • Nuts under tank are loose: If the nuts on the bottom of the tank are loose, water can seep through the edges. To tighten the nuts, drain the tank. Hold the bolts on the inside of the tank with a flathead screwdriver, then use an adjustable wrench to tighten the nuts. If water still leaks after you refill the tank, replace the washer using the same process.
    
  • Handle is leaking: If the handle is leaking, this means the water fill level is too high. Refer to the “Check the water fill level” section above.
    
  • Water spraying from the ball cock: If your toilet has one, the ball cock is a plunger-looking device the top of the refill valve, and opens and closes with the water level in the tank. If water is spraying from the ball cock, it is either too loose or needs to be replaced. Follow the directions in the “Check the ball cock” section above.
    
  • Water spraying from the refill tube: The refill valve is the valve that brings water in from the water inlet, the pipe attaching the toilet to the wall. If water is spraying from the refill tube, follow the directions in the “Check the refill tube” section above.
    
  • Condensation is forming on tank: If the weather is hot enough relative to the cool toilet, water can condense on the tank. Remove the tank as detailed in the “Check the flush valve” section above and install a new foam insulation according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
    
  • Loose shut-off valve: If the shut-off valve on the wall is leaking, it could drip down onto the back of the tank, making it seem like the tank is leaking. Check the shut-off valve on the wall to make sure it is not leaking. If it is, use an adjustable wrench to tighten the coupling nut.
    
  • Crack in tank: Unfortunately, if you find a crack in the tank, it means the whole tank needs to be replaced. Since tanks are difficult to replace and install, call a plumbing professional.²⁹ Be sure not to just ignore the problem, since fractures in the tank can eventually lead to the total collapse of the tank and flooding of your home.³⁰
    
• Water leaking from the bowl: Unfortunately, if water is leaking from the bottom of the toilet, you’ll probably have to work with some plumbing professionals. To make matters worse, it means that the leak on the floor probably contains whatever you thought you were flushing down the toilet. On the other hand, there’s only two things that could cause the bowl to leak.
  
  • Wax seal has failed: A wax seal at the bottom of the toilet is supposed to prevent water from coming out. It may need either adjustment or replacement. Call a plumber to reset the wax seal or install a new one.
    
  • Bowl is cracked: If you see that the bowl of the toilet is cracked, you’ll need to replace it entirely. Call a plumbing professional to buy and install a new bowl or toilet.³¹

Enjoy your leak-free toilet!