Does a ghost seem to inhabit your toilet? Do you hear it running all night long? It may be leaking, which also means that you’re wasting water. To determine if your potty is purging, put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait a few minutes. If the water in the toilet bowl turns color, then you’ve got a leak coming from the tank into the bowl. If your toilet is leaking, one of the most common causes is a worn flapper valve. The flapper valve is a large rubber seal located in the middle of the bottom of the tank. It is usually attached by a chain to an arm that’s connected to the toilet’s handle.

You will need:

• Old towel
• Mineral-removing cleaner
• Screwdriver
• Pliers
• Replacement flapper

1. TURN OFF THE WATER SUPPLY. The best way to turn off the water for small repairs is to carefully turn off the supply valve to the faucet or toilet. (If plumbing repairs require that the water be shut off for the whole house, you may want to hire a plumber to do the repairs and provide a supply valve so you can do the next toilet or faucet repair yourself.) The supply valve is usually located under the lower-left part of the tank. Use caution when turning the handle, as these are notorious for breaking off. Have a towel handy to soak up any drips. Flush the toilet so that water drains out of the tank.

2. CLEAN OR REPLACE THE FLAPPER. Take off the lid of the tank and check the flapper valve. Make sure it’s clean and smooth. If it’s dirty or has a buildup of minerals or algae on it, it may not be able to seal properly. Also make sure that the tank drain is clean and smooth.

If either the flapper or the drain has any buildup on them, simply clean them with an old rag and, if necessary, a mineral-removing liquid such as Lime-A-Way, following the manufacturer’s directions.

If the flapper is dried, warped, cracked, or pitted, replace it. Check for cracks in the flush valve (the piece the flapper seals against). Cracks seldom appear here, but if they do, you may need a whole new toilet if the part cannot be found or the toilet is too old. The silver lining in this case is that the newer 1.6 gallon toilets may save you enough water to pay for the replacement.

3. CHECK THE FLAPPER CHAIN. Before you replace the tank lid, check the chain that links the flapper to the arm. Make sure there is some slack in it. If it’s too tight, it can hold the flapper open enough to allow the leak to persist. If there is too much slack, the chain can get caught between the flapper and the drain.

If you have taken all of these steps and the toilet is still leaking, it may be time to call a plumber or consider replacing the toilet completely.