At APC Plumbing & Heating, we care about the environment, which is why we want to do our part to help you identify water waste in your plumbing system. Plumbing leaks are not always obvious, and you won’t necessarily be able to see them. While burst pipes or drips underneath the sink may be apparent, some leaks go unnoticed for years.

Many water leaks require the help of a professional plumber to identify, but there’s one area of your home where you may be able to identify leaks on your own: the toilets. Check your toilets for leaks that occur between the tank and the bowl with this simple method.

A Dye Test

Leaks between the bowl and the tank may become obvious if your toilet constantly makes a running noise. However, this noise won’t always accompany a leaky toilet tank, or it may only sound off sporadically or while you are away.

The best way to tell if your toilet tank is leaking is to remove the tank lid and add a few drops of food coloring to the top. Wait 15 minutes and check on the bowl (without flushing). If you see food coloring in the bowl of your toilet, then there is a leak. Most likely, you’ll need to replace the flapper valve at the bottom of the tank.

More on Water Conservation

Looking for more ways to conserve water in your plumbing system? If your toilet was installed before the 1990s, you may want to replace the toilet entirely. Today’s low-flush toilets use significantly less water than they did back then, using almost one-third of the water volume per flush.

You can also call a plumber for water leak detection if you are worried about your pipes, especially if you notice any signs of a leak such as pooling water, low water pressure, or mildew or mold.

At APC Plumbing & Heating, we have someone in your neighborhood today. Call us today for plumbing services in Littleton, CO or the surrounding areas.