Running Toilet? Quick Checks Before You Call
A cistern that never stops wastes water every hour. Here is how to tell and what to do.
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Signs
- hissing or trickling after the flush has finished
- a thin stream running down the back of the bowl
- the cistern refilling by itself
- a higher water bill
Food colouring test
Add a few drops to the cistern, not the bowl, and wait twenty minutes without flushing. Colour in the bowl means the flush valve seal is leaking.
Common causes
- worn or dirty flush valve seal
- inlet valve not shutting off
- water level set too high
- sticking button
Simple checks
Make sure the button is not jammed and nothing is caught under the seal. Avoid chlorine cistern tablets, which damage rubber seals.
When to call
Worn seals and valves need the right parts for your cistern brand. We carry common parts and fix most in one visit.
Leak allowances
If a running toilet led to a big bill, your water corporation may offer an allowance once it is repaired. Keep the invoice.
Old cisterns
Very old cisterns are often worth replacing with a water-efficient model.
Dual-flush buttons
In dual-flush cisterns, the button mechanism can stick or misalign, so one flush runs on. A small adjustment or a new button set usually fixes it.
Concealed cisterns
In-wall cisterns are serviced through the button plate. We carry tools and parts for common brands.
How much water is wasted?
A steady trickle into the bowl can waste thousands of litres a month, often without anyone noticing. A visible stream wastes far more. Fixing it quickly saves water and money.
Leaks at the base
Water on the floor around the pan is a different problem, usually the pan connector or seal. Call us before it soaks into the floor.
Quick fix while you wait
Turn off the small isolation valve on the wall behind the toilet. Turn it on only to refill before flushing.
Noble Park pipes at a glance
Most of Noble Park was built between the late 1940s and the 1970s, so original houses usually have clay sewer pipe, galvanised or early copper water pipe and gas hot water outside the laundry. Newer townhouses on subdivided blocks have PVC drains, plastic or copper water pipe and continuous-flow or heat pump hot water. We use cameras, locators, pressure tests and leak detection gear to see what is going on before anyone digs or cuts a wall.
Related services
- Emergency plumbing
- Blocked drains
- Hot water
- Gas fitting
- Hot water replacement
- Heat pumps
- Leaking taps
- Burst pipes
- Toilets
- Leak detection
- Pipe relining
- Stormwater
- Bathroom renovations
- Roof and gutters
- Commercial plumbing
- Backflow testing
More guides
Why Noble Park calls us first
We pick up
Ring and you talk to a plumber who can tell you what to do right now.
Old pipes, new builds
Galvanised pipe from the fifties or a brand-new townhouse, we know both.
Price before work
The fault is found first, then you get a fixed price. No rates, no surprises.
Left clean
Tested, tidied and the paperwork lodged before we drive off.
Get a free quote
Tell us what is going on and a licensed Noble Park plumber will ring you back.
How quoting works
Ring 03 8658 7042 or send the form with a short description, and a photo if you have one. A licensed plumber rings you back and books a time. On site they find the cause, explain your options and give you a fixed price. Nothing starts until you agree, and bigger jobs get a free written quote.
Need a plumber in Noble Park?
Noble Park, Noble Park North, Dandenong, Springvale, Keysborough and nearby. Quote-only: we find the fault, then give you a fixed price.