A leaky toilet can waste over 20,000 gallons of water per year. Fortunately, the most common cause of a leaky toilet is a leaking flapper valve which can easily be replaced. In fact, most homeowners with basic mechanical skills can do the job themselves. If you are unsure of your ability, your plumber can handle replacing the flapper valve and any other toilet and bathroom plumbing repairs.
A simple test can quickly identify a leaky flapper valve. Remove the lid from the toilet tank and add a few drops of food coloring to the water in the tank. Wait about 15 to 20 minutes to see if the water in the bowl changes color. If it does, then your flapper valve is leaking.
The flapper valve is the rubber flap at the bottom of the toilet tank that is usually attached by a small chain to the handle. Moving the handle lifts the flapper valve and causes the toilet to flush by releasing some of the water from the tank into the bowl.
To replace a leaky flapper valve, turn off the water to the toilet and then drain the tank by flushing the toilet. You may need to flush three or four times to drain all of the water out. Next, carefully disconnect the pull chain from the flapper, unhook the rubber flapper from the valve, and remove it from the tank.
Take the old flapper with you to the hardware store or home improvement center to make sure that the replacement flapper will fit properly. Installation is the reverse of removal. You may need to adjust the length of the pull chain for the toilet to flush properly.
