Guides
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User's Guide
Battery Replacement
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Leave Behind Brochure
7 Reasons & 5 Reasons
Why Dye Tabs are Inneffective
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Water Myths
Videos
LeakAlertor 6000 Basics
Alerts
Resetting the LeakAlertor
Testing & Evaluating
Simulating a Running Toilet
Simulating a Leaking Flapper
Simulating a Faulty Fill Valve
Installation
Changing the Battery
Frequently Asked Questions
Installation
Where is the unit placed for the best performance?
The LeakAlertor can be placed anywhere along the rim of the toilet tank. More important than the location, is to make sure that the sensors do not touch each other or the side of the tank. Be sure the sensors are clear of any parts inside the tank such as the flapper, fill valve, etc. If the sensors are touching each other, the sides of the tank, or parts inside the toilet, gently bend the sensors away from the obstruction. The sensors do not take a lot of effort to bend. While making adjustments, support the sensors by holding the protective plastic tubing between your thumb and forefinger, and make adjustments with your other hand.
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Can the LeakAlertor be put inside of the tank?
No. The LeakAlertor 6000 is designed so that the enclosure hangs outside the tank, with the sensors inside the tank (as shown in the installation video). Only the LeakAlertor Wireless PRO is designed to be installed inside the toilet tank.
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Can I bend the sensors?
Yes, but do so gently. The sensors do not take a lot of effort to bend. When you are adjusting the sensors, hold them between your fingers where they enter the plastic tubing for support with one hand, while you adjust the sensors with your other hand. You may need to adjust/bend the sensors during your initial installation if they are touching each other, the tank sides, or parts inside the toilet. Once the unit is installed, you should not need to make any further adjustments.
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Operation
My LeakAlertor isn't flashing any lights when I flush the toilet...is this right?
No. The LeakAlertor provides an indication during every flush, even if your toilet is functioning properly. (See the Alerts Chart). If no lights flash at any time during a flush, you can test the LeakAlertor by pressing the reset button. Hold the RESET button until the RED lamp flashes. The unit will then flash all three lamps at once and beep. The unit then flashes just the GREEN lamp one to two times per second for approximately one minute. When the RESET is completed and all three LEDs flash, flush the toilet. If the unit does not flash at all, the battery probably needs to be replaced. (See Battery Replacement Instructions)
How loud is the LeakAlertor?
We describe the audible alert as being louder than the “chirp” you hear when your home’s smoke alarm battery is going bad, but quieter than when the smoke alarm is actually going off. You should be able to clearly hear the LeakAlertor from at least 30 feet away, even if the bathroom door is closed.
What are the wires sticking out of the LeakAlertor?
The wires are actually “sensors” that connect to the circuit board inside the LeakAlertor. As the water rises and falls along the length of the sensors, the LeakAlertor is able to calculate the rate of change of the water height. The proprietary software developed by our engineering team analyzes this information in order to determine if your toilet is leaking, constantly running, or is about to overflow.
My LeakAlertor was working fine but now it beeps and flashes RED every time I flush. The toilet’s not running and I checked for leaks, is it broken?
The LeakAlertor is not broken, however, it has discovered a new problem with your toilet. The LeakAlertor is designed to detect and alert for common toilet water-wasting problems when they first start. This means the amount of wasted water may actually be too small to see, hear, or detect with dye tablets. But, nevertheless, the toilet has developed a problem. Most often it’s a flapper which has started to leak, but check the Alerts chart to determine what type of problem the toilet has developed. Also, we’ve had customers purchase the LeakAlertor to alert for running toilets, only to discover it also detects leaking flappers and faulty fill valves, so they are pleasantly surprised to find out it detects more than just a single problem.
I changed my battery and now my LeakAlertor doesn’t work, what happened?
When we get calls from our customers with this question usually the LeakAlertor is working, but not in the way the customer is expecting.
When the battery is inserted the unit will beep and flash, but it will not do anything else UNTIL it’s placed on the toilet. Once the unit is placed on the tank it will then complete the start-up function. If you have a GEN-1 unit, this process takes up to an hour to complete. The LeakAlertor will not respond to any commands, alerts, or indicate a flush during this hour. If you are trying to get the unit to respond during this start-up time it may appear it’s “not working”. The same is true for GEN-2 units, but the start-up time has been reduced to just a few minutes.
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If during the battery change the sensor wire was damaged, the unit will no longer function. The GEN-2 LeakAlertor has a built in Damaged Sensor Alert which will start once the unit is placed in water. (The unit will flash both the RED and YELLOW LED, but not the GREEN LED, with no beeps). For GEN-1 units, please be sure to follow the battery change instruction, ensure the battery is installed correctly (+ side up), and that the unit is installed in the toilet. If you still are not seeing any flashes, beeps, or your GEN-1 unit does not appear to be working, please contact us for help.
A leak was detected...now what?
I just replaced my flapper - do I need to reset my LeakAlertor?
Yes, simply press the reset button.
I just replaced by flapper, and my LeakAlertor is still indicating a leak... why?
Once the reset operation is complete if the LeakAlertor is still indicating a problem, unfortunately you probably still have a leak. We suggest contacting a local plumber to find out the cause.
What causes my flapper to leak?
The primary reasons that a flapper might leak:
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The flapper deteriorates over time due to cleaning solvents, repetitive use and/or hard water.
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A small piece of foreign matter may be lodged under the flapper lip.
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The flapper in your toilet may not be the correct make, model, or size.
What should I do if my toilet is leaking or if the flapper is stuck?
In most cases, the flapper should be replaced. Flappers are readily available in the plumbing aisle of your local hardware or home improvement store. You can also call your local plumber to replace it for you.
My LeakAlertor has alerted for a leaking flapper. I’ve used dye tablets, and there's no dye in the bowl. I can’t see or hear any leaking. What’s wrong with my LeakAlertor?
Very likely the LeakAlertor has detected the earliest stages of a leaking flapper or faulty fill valve. It may take a long time for the toilet to leak enough water for the fill valve to open and refill the tank (sometimes up to an hour). Even if you mark the water height inside of the toilet, properly use dye tablets (which only detect leaking flappers not faulty fill valves), or try to “see” the water leaking into the bowl you may not be able to detect the leak, but the LeakAlertor 6000 can. It’s why we created it.
If you’re still not sure, there is a test you can try if you have two toilets in your home and a second LeakAlertor. Take the LeakAlertor (we’ll call this one LA1) which has indicated a leak, pull the unit from the toilet and hit the Reset button. Go to a different toilet which has a LeakAlertor installed on it. Pull its LeakAlertor (we’ll call this one LA2) out and hit the Reset button. Now place LA1 in the second toilet, and LA2 in the first toilet, switching the location of the units. Once the Reset has completed on both units, all three LEDs were flashing and you flushed the toilets to complete the reset wait a few days. If LA1 (this is the one which indicated a problem and is now on a different toilet) is silent, AND LA2 (which is now on the suspected toilet) begins the same type of alert, you’ve confirmed the problem. Make the suggested repair on the toilet and you’re all set.
General Questions
Can I move the LeakAlertor to a different toilet?
Yes. Unlike previous versions of the LeakAlertor, the LeakAlertor 6000 can be easily moved from one toilet to another. Press the reset button on the LeakAlertor, remove the unit from the current toilet, and place it on the rim of the new toilet. Press the reset button again, it’s that simple.
Although you can transfer the LeakAlertor to different toilets, we recommend placing a LeakAlertor on each toilet in order to maximize the opportunity to detect leaks when they actually occur, as well as identifying wide-open flappers and imminent overflows.
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Previous versions of the LeakAlertor would go off when I was in the shower or using a hairdryer. Will the new LeakAlertors do the same thing?
No. The LeakAlertor 5000 – a previous version of the LeakAlertor – was designed to detect and analyze water movement inside the toilet tank through translational vibration (noise). This occurs when water moving inside of the tank causes the tank to vibrate slightly, which produces distinct sounds. Unfortunately, hair dryers, bathroom fans, running showers, etc., also produce a lot of sound, which could sometimes lead to a “false positive” indication on the 5000. Both versions of the LeakAlertor 6000 work in a completely different way. The LeakAlertor 6000 operates by directly measuring the rate of change of the water in the toilet tank, so vibration and sound is never a problem.
How do I stop the LeakAlertor from beeping?
Press and hold the reset button until the red light comes on (solid, not blinking). If you’re working on the toilet we recommend removing the battery until your repairs are completed.
The sensors go into the water...can I receive a shock?
No. The LeakAlertor is completely safe to use and harmless.
Can the unit get wet? What happens if I accidently drop it in the toilet or in the tank?
The LeakAlertor has been designed so that it can be cleaned or even sprayed with water without affecting its operation. If the unit is accidentally dropped in the water, remove the top cover and remove the battery. Leave the unit and battery somewhere safe for 48 hours to allow time for the moisture to evaporate. After 48 hours, install the battery and put the top cover back on. The unit should power up normally and can now be placed back on the toilet. Do not attempt to dry the unit off with a towel, paper towel, hair dryer, etc. Doing so may damage the product and void the warranty.
Ask the Engineers
Is the LeakAlertor 6000 able to collect information?
No, this is not an option with the LeakAlertor 6000. The software operating the LeakAlertor 6000 is very dynamic. It performs a wide range of operations in order to monitor and analyze your toilet’s operation. The LeakAlertor 6000 is designed for use in homes and small businesses, and although it is able to process a large amount of data, the 6000 does not collect or store this information.
Our LeakAlertor Wireless PRO has the ability to wirelessly transmit data by text and email and create notifications on a cloud-based Dashboard. The Wireless LeakAlertor PRO is designed with property managers in mind.
I flushed my toilet, green flash, no problems. But then a few minutes later the LeakAlertor starts to beep and flash red and won’t stop until I press the reset button.
While we were developing our wireless technology product, we discovered yet another way toilets can fail and need repair. Normally when a toilet has completed a flush the water fills the tank to very nearly the same height (within a fraction of an inch) every time. What we discovered is that some fill valves develop a problem where the float cup can periodically get stuck while the water is rising. Though there is enough water in the tank to turn off the fill valve, the water height is lower than normal. The LeakAlertor tracks water height in the tank over time and will detect this issue. It’s interpreted what’s occurred as a potential overflow and begins the alert (RED flashing LED and beeps until the problem is corrected or the unit reset).
When you check the toilet, you see there’s no water flowing, the fill valve is turned off and the unit is alerting. What you may not see is that the float stuck just a little bit lower than normal on this flush. You can give the top of the fill valve a few taps, did the water turn on for just a few seconds? While this isn’t a water wasting problem, it is an indication you have a fill valve which is no longer working and may begin to fail in a way which could cause a leak, or worse, a running or overflowing toilet. Though this problem is not common and won’t happen on every flush, in fact it may only happen once, we suggest you keep an eye on the fill valve, and an ear out for alerts.