Water leaks are a huge waste of money. Some, like a dripping faucet or shower head, are easy to spot. Others, not so much. This home inspector shared a video to TikTok showing you how to easily detect a toilet leak that you may not even know is happening, but costing you every month on your water bill.
The scoop
All you need to pull this hack off is a packet of Kool-Aid, a little bit of time, and the desire to save money. TikToker AJ (@inspector_aj) posted a video showing you how simple it is to detect a leak armed with only those three things.
@inspector_aj @jordan_the_stallion8 ♬ original sound - The Home Inspector, CMI®
In the video, AJ points out the components in the toilet tank, zeroing in on the flapper, the little rubber part that lifts up when you press the handle.
AJ goes on to say, "If you put food coloring or Kool-Aid in the back of the tank and you come back in a few hours and you notice that the water has changed colors, well, you've got a bad flapper."
Chances are you don't even need to wait for a few hours. Once the Kool-Aid dissolves, it should start showing up in the bowl fairly quickly depending on how bad of a leak you have. You may even notice streaks running down the side of the bowl.
The good news is that replacing a flapper, in most cases, is one of the easiest DIY projects there is. There are different kinds of flappers, so just be sure to get the right one. When you switch out flappers, run your thumb along the ring where it sits to make sure it's smooth.
How it's working
A bad flapper can waste hundreds of gallons of water a day. Even if it's not a bad leak, that's a steady stream of water loss around the clock. The worse shape the flapper is in, the more water, and money, is being wasted. Something as simple as a bad flapper could cost you hundreds of dollars per year.
On top of that, if you live in an area like the American Southwest that is stricken by drought, where reservoirs are on the verge of running dry, stopping the waste of hundreds of gallons of water per day is doing everyone a favor.
What people are saying
One commenter watched the video and took the repair a step further, saying, "Sir … I watched that vid, and it took seconds for the water in the bowl to turn red. I replaced all tank parts, since I still had the floating ball."
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Bathroom 🚽 Another was grateful for the knowledge, commenting, "We're here for TikTok University! So much great knowledge."
While another commenter had a great idea for a prank, posting, "Do this secretly when visiting someone else's house … it'll freak them out next time they flush."
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