Toilets have very few moving parts and seem quite simple, but more can go wrong with them than you might think, from overflows to leaking to inefficiencies. Fortunately, your experienced plumbing contractor can usually diagnose and fix any toilet problems with relative ease.
So whether you're concerned it's leaking water down the drain or wonder if more efficient models are out there, here are four reasons your toilet may be wasting water.
1. It's an Older Model
Toilets are made of ceramic and operate with a minimum of machinery, so each one has the potential to last for decades. However, the trouble with having a decades-old toilet is that you have decades-old toilet design. And water efficiency is one of the biggest factors of newer toilet design.
In fact, an old toilet could be using five to seven gallons of water. This amount is in stark contrast to the newer models of toilet; WaterSense models, for example, use under two gallons per flush, meaning you could get three or more flushes with the same amount of water. Have your plumber install a WaterSense toilet to stop wasting water.
Alternatively, you can modify your existing toilet to use less water. If you have an old toilet, you can place one or two upright two-liter bottles, filled with water, into the tank. These bottles take up space in the tank that would otherwise be refilled with fresh water at each flush. You can also buy a product that hangs on the side of the tank and holds water, taking up additional space in the tank.
2. The Tank and Bowl Fill at Different Rates
After the flush is complete, your toilet's bowl and tank fill up again in preparation for the next flush. If one finishes filling up before the other, the refill doesn't stop; the extra water just goes down the drain. Some toilets can lose a gallon per flush this way.
If your toilet's bowl finishes filling before the tank does, you can easily fix the problem by buying a special water-saving fill valve that adjusts the water flow so the two receive proportionate amounts of water. Your plumber can install it for you.
3. The Flapper Doesn't Seal Well
Sometimes the flapper seal goes bad, allowing water to escape when it shouldn't. When this happens, you may notice that your toilet runs more often than it should or never stops running in between flushes. This can waste an incredible amount of water, so you'll want to get it fixed right away.
Another possible reason for constant running is that the fill valve float is set too high. The tank keeps filling up until the water starts to flow into the overflow, which causes the water level to lower, which causes the fill valve to turn on again. Your plumber can easily remedy this by adjusting the fill valve float.
4. The Handle Gets Stuck
If your toilet has a sticky handle, its flapper may not be able to close fully. This may not seem like a serious problem if you can just jiggle the handle back into position after each flush. However, all you have to do is forget once and the toilet will run for hours, wasting dozens of gallons of water. Having your plumber over to fix it is definitely worth the cost.
These are just four common reasons for toilet water waste. Other types of inefficiencies and leaks can also occur, so be sure to have any toilet problems professionally diagnosed by your plumber. Michigan Plumbing is always ready to help with toilet problems and other plumbing issues, so
get in touch with us today if you have any questions.
