Written by Gary Kunkel | February 6, 2014
Leaking toilets cause more water waste than any other fixture in the home. A silent toilet leak (the one you usually can’t hear) can waste around 500 to 800 gallons of water per day!
The ones you can hear will waste much, much more. Such waste can typically be attributed to a faulty water level adjustment or a leaky flapper.
Some Simple Math
500 = Gallons per day lost to silent leak
$.002 = Average cost of a gallon of water
Total cost per day = $1
Total cost per year = $365*
* Does not include sewer cost
Many toilets really do run only at night; that’s because people use much less water during these hours, and in many municipal water systems, the water pressure rises considerably during this time. It’s not uncommon for system water pressure to rise by 15 to 20 pounds per square inch (psi) and by as much as 30 psi in some situations.
This pressure rise could cause “water creep” in your gravity-fed tank by 1/2 inch or more. That’s why toilet manufacturers typically suggest the water level be set at approximately 1 inch below the top of the overflow tube.
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Gary started working at All Comfort Services in 2000. Gary says he learned everything he knows about plumbing from his father, Irenus. Gary’s earliest memories are of him following his father around learning the art of plumbing. Gary retired from All Comfort Services in 2022.