Health & Fitness
Why Do Toilets Leak?
More than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That's why WaterSense is reminding Americans to check their plumbing fixtures during Fix a Leak Week, March 12 to March 18.
A common reason why toilets will leak is an old or worn out toilet flapper (sometimes called a "valve seal").
Flappers are inexpensive rubber parts that can build up minerals or decay over time. Replacing them can be a quick and easy fix for one's water woes. To fix this leak, consult a local hardware store, home improvement retailer, or licensed plumber.
Here are some online resources from WaterSense partners:
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- Spartanburg Water has a useful video tutorial on detecting leaky toilets .
- The Regional Water Providers Consortium has a step-by-step video on how to fix a leaky toilet.
Bring the old flapper to the hardware store for comparison to buy a new flapper that fits the toilet model. One can also check the owner's manual, or the manufacturer's website for the appropriate replacement part number for the flapper.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
Find out what's happening in Sharonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Source: EPA WaterSense Program
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