Is Your Toilet Running? It’s "Fix a Leak Week"

The following is submitted by the Neponset River Watershed Association:

It’s one of the oldest prank phone calls—“Is your toilet running? Then you’d better catch it!”

But a running toilet is no joke. If you can hear the water in your toilet making noise, even when no one flushed recently, you have a running toilet that could be wasting 200 gallons of water or more every day! (Keep in mind that it’s also possible to have a silent toilet leak.)

According to the U.S. Environmental Agency, minor water leaks from toilets and dripping faucets account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes. 

Due to the enormity of the problem of wasted water, the EPA has declared March 12 to 18, 2012, “Fix a Leak Week”, to remind Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.  For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak

Check for a Toilet Leak

To check for a toilet leak, place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait for 15 minutes. If any color shows up in the bowl without flushing first, you have a leak.

Leaky toilets are most often the result of an old or worn toilet flapper. The flapper is a rubber piece that opens up to let the water flow from the tank into the bowl when you pull down on the toilet handle. Over time, the flapper can build up minerals, or simply decay. Replacing them can be an easy fix, and parts can be found at most hardware stores.

(Tip: Bring the old flapper to the hardware store to make sure you buy the flapper that fits your toilet model. Don’t forget to turn off the water to the toilet before removing the flapper!)

If the problem is not just an old flapper, and you need to replace a leaky toilet, look for one with the WaterSense label to ensure the most water efficient appliance. WaterSense labeled products must achieve independent, third-party testing and certification to prove they meet EPA’s criteria for efficiency and performance. Check with the water department, prior to purchase, to make sure that your toilet qualifies for a rebate!

Stop that Drip!

The following are a few ways to identify and repair dripping faucets and leaky showerheads in your home. In most cases, replacement parts can be installed by do-it-yourselfers, and will pay for themselves in no time.

• Analyze your water bill. If a family of four exceeds 8,000 gallons per month in the winter, check for leaks!

• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.

• Old and worn faucet washers and gaskets frequently cause leaks in faucets. Check on-line for video tutorials on how to make this simple fix. If necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense labeled model.

• Some leaky showerheads can be fixed by making sure there is a tight connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem, and by using pipe tape or Teflon tape to secure it.

• Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

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The Stoughton Water & Sewer Department has partnered with the Neponset River Watershed Association to improve awareness and promote water efficiency in town. Residents may be eligible to receive rebates when purchasing water efficient toilets and clothes washers. For more information visit: www.stoughton.org