Water heater sound, & possible leak into septic tank....

[Vintageliving]

With all faucets shut off, there is a small water flow into my septic tank. No faucets drip. The toilet is fine. There is a sound in the water heater closet, which to me, sounds like water running. Due to the noises outside, that sound is inaudible when standing outside the mobile home with the door open to the hot water heater closet.

The water heater is gas. The pop-off pipe is cold, which, if I have it right, means it seals properly and I'm not paying to heat water to run out the tank.

I've turned off the hot water heater, and the sound is still there, perhaps more faint.

The manager and workers of the park drained the septic tank yesterday, and I saw the slow stream, barely more than a drip, for myself, going into the bottom of the septic tank.

Don't know if the two are related. It's possible the leak is coming from somewhere else.

Does anyone know what I can check to find out where else the leak might be coming from?

And what the sound might be in the hot water heater closet?

Many thanks for your help.

[NMBowtie]

A leaking hot water heater has no way to get water into the plumbing to enter the septic tank. Hot water heaters have one cold water line running in (from the well/water service), one hot water line running out (to the faucets in the house) and a pop-off overflow which is just drained out under the house. My guess (and it's just a guess) would be a toilet with a slow leak if there is a leak at all. You may have just had some residual waste water in the lines that was slowly working its way to the septic tank.

[Greg]

Put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank before you go to bed some night, check the bowl in the morning for any sign of color. This would indicate a leaking flapper valve (cheap fix). Greg

[Vintageliving]

Thanks for your posts. I appreciate it. A neighbor listened to my hot water heater from outside and through the panel wall on the inside. He said that the sound is probably water going into the water heater, and that it sounds normal.

The park manager and workers, and the gas company man, worked today and fixed a broken water line. Tomorrow, they will check to see if there is still something leaking into my septic tank. The broken water line was flooding into my septic tank, which was making the matter more complex. The end of the line from my septic tank was getting rather swampy.

Thanks for the idea about the food coloring.

A neighbor with a lot of know-how replaced the inner workings of the toilet a few days ago, so I hope the toilet isn't leaking. It's nice to have a way to find out!

I'm grateful for your help! Many thanks.

[Vintageliving]

I didn't have any food coloring, but, used laundry bluing. Worked great! I appreciate the tip.

Turned out the leaking into the septic tank, from all sides, was completely due to the broken water line in the park.

They finally got everything put back together and the holes filled in.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Yanita]

Hi,

Your welcome.

I am going to to lock this topic now. Glad you got this resolved.

Yanita