Ignite Plumbing & Heating
Why Your Toilet Keeps Running — and How We Fix It
A constantly running toilet wastes 400 litres a day. Here's the cause and how it's fixed — usually in under an hour.
The constant hiss — what's happening
The cistern should fill, float rises, fill valve closes. If the fill valve doesn't close, water continues flowing into the cistern and out through the overflow. You hear it as a constant hiss or trickle.
Failed fill valve (ballcock)
The most common cause. The fill valve diaphragm or seat wears and can no longer seal against water pressure. The fix is replacing the fill valve — a part costing £15–£40 that we carry on the van.
Failed flap valve (flapper)
The flap valve at the bottom of the cistern seals the flush outlet. When it fails, water seeps from the cistern into the pan continuously. You'll see water gently trickling down the back of the bowl.
Float set too high
If the float is adjusted too high, water reaches the overflow before the float triggers the fill valve to close. We lower the float setting — a 5-minute adjustment.
The cost of ignoring it
A continuously running toilet wastes approximately 400 litres per day. On a metered supply (increasingly common in Norfolk), that's around £300 per year down the drain — literally. The fix costs less than the first month's wasted water.