Water consumption is always a regular topic, as more and more of us pay our water bills purely according to consumption. This means that your choices can have a direct impact on how much you pay for the water bill that drops through your letterbox. The internet is full of tips on how to save water, but one little thing that rarely comes up but has far-reaching consequences in terms of water consumption: the toilet.
For many people, the toilet is not a popular topic, which is understandable. However, it should be borne in mind that it is used on a daily basis and its very function is to carry away waste and keep odours at bay. Showers and toilets are the biggest consumers of water in the home: on average, they use 100 litres of water per person - every day. So it's important that the appliances in these areas work efficiently and correctly. In this text, we explain how to detect a potential leak in a toilet seat and what the worst-case scenario is.
Checking a leaking toilet seat
A leaking toilet is when water runs off the edges of the seat, even if the toilet is not flushed. This may sound like a minor annoyance, but it's not. Most leaks, especially incipient ones, are visible on the inside of the toilet.
Fortunately, detecting a potential leak is very easy. All you need is a couple of pieces of toilet paper. Then place the toilet paper against the inside wall of the toilet. If the paper sticks, there's probably a leak in the toilet. If the paper doesn't stick at all, you can rest assured. If you can see a clear ripple on the surface of the water, even if it's been a while since you flushed the toilet, you can be sure that the toilet is leaking.
For smaller leaks inside the toilet, there is no acute hurry, although a plumber should be contacted as soon as possible. However, a toilet that leaks onto the toilet floor should be repaired immediately to avoid water damage.
How much does a leaking toilet cost and can it be repaired?
As we said earlier, a small leak may not feel like anything more than a minor annoyance. But think about it this way: even a leak the size of a pinhead will waste so much water in a year that your water bill could rise by a ton - for every leaky toilet. These euros should be spent on fixing your own toilets.
Leaks are almost invariably caused by worn seals. Wear is perfectly normal and the older the toilet seat, the more likely it is that the seals have reached the end of their useful life. Fortunately, there are plenty of these seals available for different models in all the most common hardware stores, and the price is not prohibitive.
The design of the toilet seat is the most important factor in repairing the leak. Most Finns sit on a fairly common model of toilet seat, for which spare parts are readily and quickly available. At best, you can even repair the leak yourself, as long as you get the right spare parts. On the other hand, for cheap toilets, spare parts may not even be produced, leaving the only option to replace the entire toilet.
