Toilet leak detection tablets are used to dye the water in the toilet tank to track down a leak. This method is used when you have a slow leak around your toilet flapper. The leak may be slow and not make any noticeable noise or disturbance in the toilet bowl.

Toilet tank leak dye tablets can be used to find even very slight leaks. If the dye gets from the tank into the bowl, you know you have a leak.

Not sure if this is your problem? See the article 'Troubleshooting Toilet Problems' and 'Home Plumbing Repair' for more information and a listing of all the toilet related problems.

Locating Toilet Leak Detection Tablets

There are several manufacturers that make these tablets. Such as Niagara Conservation Corp, New Resources Group and AM Conservation Group. They are relatively inexpensive, although prices can vary quite a bit. Hardware stores and home supply stores may have them in stock.

To find them online, search for 'Toilet Leak Detection Tablets' or 'Toilet Tank Leak Dye Tablets'. A couple of links you can try are 'Niagara Conservation' or 'Conservation Mart'. At the time of this writing, Conservation Mart had them for $0.17 a package.

 To find them locally, you may want to call ahead to your hardware or plumbing supply store to make sure they have them in stock. For such a small item, you don't want to be wasting time and gasoline driving around town.

Using Toilet Leak Dye Tablets

The toilet leak detection tablets need to go into the water inside of the tank. You use one or two tablets per the manufacturers instructions.

Remove the lid from your toilet tank. The lift straight up and should not be attached in any way. They are made of porcelain, so be careful where you set is down. Do not drop it, the toilet tank lid can crack or shatter.

Drop the tablet(s) into the water inside the tank as directed. Wait about 15 to 30 minutes for the dye tablets to dissolve or until you see the dye in the bowl. If you see dye in the bowl your toilet flapper is allowing water to drain into the toilet.

Obviously, water running down the drain for no good reason is costly. It can also be irritating since the tank will need to refill periodically. At night this can be bothersome.

Fixing Toilet Tank Leaks

For this type of leak it is one of two problems. The toilet flapper or the toilet flush valve. The toilet flapper is the easier of the two to fix. See the article 'Toilet Flapper Repair' for more information.

The other possible problem would be the toilet flush valve. The toilet flush valve is the part that the flapper is connected to. It provides the fill tube for the toilet and allows the water from the tank to enter quickly into the toilet bowl. Replacing this item is a bigger job, see 'Toilet Flush Valve Repair' for instructions.