Toilet repair
Most toilet problems have one of four causes: a worn flush valve seal that lets water trickle into the pan, a fill valve that will not shut off, a failed seal or connector that leaks onto the floor, or a blockage in the pan or waste. Each can usually be repaired without replacing the toilet, and we carry out toilet repairs as part of our plumbing service.
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Quotes are free and without obligation, and we aim to reply within 24 hours.
If water keeps trickling into the pan, the flush valve or its seal is usually letting water past. If the cistern keeps filling and water runs into the overflow, the fill valve is not shutting off at the right level. Lift the cistern lid and look: water flowing down the overflow pipe points to the fill valve, water trickling into the pan points to the flush valve.
Both are part replacements. Hard water and grit wear the seals over time, so a toilet that has run for months often needs the valve replaced rather than cleaned.
Water around the base of a toilet can come from several places: the supply connector, the joint between cistern and pan, the pan connector at the back, or condensation on a cold cistern. Dry everything, add a little food colouring to the cistern and wait; if coloured water appears on the floor, the leak is from the cistern side.
Do not leave a floor leak. Water under a toilet soaks into boards and joists, and a floor that feels soft around the pan usually means damage has already started.
A toilet that fills close to the rim and drains slowly is partly blocked, normally by wipes, too much paper or a small object. Stop flushing: each flush adds more water and risks an overflow. A plunger designed for toilets often clears a simple blockage.
If several fittings are slow, or the toilet gurgles when the bath drains, the blockage is further down the waste pipe or drain and needs a different approach. Our blocked drain guide explains those signs.
Only paper should go down a toilet. Wipes marked flushable still do not break down the way paper does, and they are behind a large share of blockages in pans and waste pipes. Cotton buds, sanitary products and fats cause the same problem further down the drain.
Inside the cistern, in-cistern cleaning blocks can speed up wear on rubber seals, so it is worth checking the flush valve if you use them and the toilet has started to trickle. Listening for a faint hiss after the cistern has filled is a quick way to catch a failing fill valve early, before it wastes water or runs into the overflow.
Blockages deep in the underground drain need drainage equipment. We will tell you if that is the case after checking the toilet and waste.
Toilet repairs are available across Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Malvern, Ledbury, Newent and Ross-on-Wye, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Related: toilet keeps running guide, blocked drain guide, common plumbing repairs, plumber near me.
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