This week will be the first of a multipart series in how to find the leak you may have in your toilet. This tip will help you if you have water puddling on the floor or you think your toilet might be running but aren’t sure.

Step 1: Clean the Toilet!
Cleaning the toilet and make sure the surrounding area is dry will go a long way towards making this process easier.

Step 2: Add Food Coloring to your toilet tank (red is easiest to spot) then flush the toilet.
After you’ve flushed the toilet give it a few minutes that take a dry paper towel and wipe around where the toilet meets the floor. If your paper towel turns red you now know where the leak is. (Most likely it’s the wax flange that the toilet rests on.)

Step 3: If you think the toilet might be running and want to be sure…
After you flush the toilet then add food die when the tank is half full. As the tank begins to fill, if it’s working properly the water should stay inside the tank. If you come back 45 mins later and see that water in the toilet bowl turning a red color you know that yes your water is running because you’ve got a leaky stopper.