Dear Ken: Several times during the night we hear sounds of water flushing. Should we be concerned? — Margo
Answer: About wasting water, yes. It’s one of your toilets trying to tell you that it needs help. Most toilet valves have a built-in “leak detector” to let you know there’s a problem. That’s the noise you hear as water drips ever so slowly down into the bowl. It’s easy to find out which one is acting up. Dump a little food coloring in each tank and wait a half-hour or so. When you see diluted color in the bowl, you’ve got the right one. Simply replace its flapper valve with a new one, and you’re all set.