Can a Toilet Tank Leak be Repaired? 

We have a 20 plus year old toilet that is working just fine, until the other day when I discovered water on the floor. We emptied the tank, dried the floor and then refilled with a small amount of water and inserted food dye in the tank to see where the water was leaking from. It was revealed there were some tiny hole punctures in the bottom of the tank. Can these be repaired?

- Martha and Ed, Dewey, Arizona

If indeed these are just tiny holes and not some sort of fracture, more than likely the pinhole can be repaired. Please keep in mind these pin holes indicate that your tank after 20 plus years is deteriorating and failing. You have gone well beyond the limits toilet life. The best thing to do is to replace your toilet with a new more efficient toilet that will be able to give you many years of service. Your current toilet is more than likely using up to 5 gallons per flush and we must all be conscience of water conservation. It is possible that your toilet can rupture and then you will have a vast amount of water damage in your home. This can lead to expensive repairs that will cost considerably more than replacing the toilet. If you insist upon repairing the toilet, you can do so with plumbers epoxy putty. The tank must be totally dry. You will then roll a piece of the plumbers putty until it is the consistency of a soft dough and apply it over the pin holes. The putty must then dry and harden before you fill the tank with water. Keep in mind, this repair is not recommended, and we suggest you purchase a new toilet and have piece of mind.