Why Your Toilet Keeps Running
When the toilet keeps running, water is escaping somewhere between the supply and the pan. One of three parts is to blame: the inlet valve, the flush seal or the overflow. Our Everton Hills plumbers see this fault often, because cisterns across the suburb's detached brick houses mostly date from the 1960s into the 1980s.
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This guide sorts the three faults, gives the signs that tell them apart, and marks the line where home owner repairs stop and licensed work begins.
Inlet Valve, Flush Valve Seal and Overflow Explained
Three parts explain nearly every case: the inlet valve, the flush seal and the overflow. Each fails in its own way, and each leaves a distinct calling card:
The inlet valve
tops the cistern back up and shuts off once the float reaches its set level. A valve still running after that point is worn or partly blocked inside.
The flush valve seal
holds the stored water in place between flushes. Once the seal wears, water slips past into the pan, and the cistern refills itself every few minutes with nobody near the button.
The overflow
is the safety outlet that spares your floor when the level climbs too far. Water escaping through the overflow, or dripping from the outside pipe, means the valve has not shut off or the float arm sits high.
A constant hiss after the cistern has refilled is the inlet valve still working when the valve should have stopped.
Water Runs but the Cistern Stays Low
A cistern that refuses to fill usually comes down to three suspects: a worn or blocked inlet valve, a float arm set too low, or a stop tap left half turned.
The stop tap is the small isolation valve on the supply line to the cistern. A half-turned one throttles every refill, so the tap is worth a look first.
There is a stranger case, though. Water can run while the cistern level never climbs, because a worn flush seal can release water into the pan at the same rate the supply delivers it. A cistern that runs without filling has a different fault from one that fills without stopping, and the sound tells you which.
Where Home Owner Toilet Repairs Stop
Home owners may legally touch very little inside a cistern. The QBCC names three cistern parts as unregulated work: the suction cup rubber, the drop valve washer and the float valve washer, all open to anyone with the knowledge and skill for the job.
Even that work still has to meet the standard the plumbing codes and legislation set. Everything else inside a cistern counts as minor work, so a QBCC licensee handles it, with no permit and no lodged form.
In a Queensland rental, the owner or manager looks after the upkeep of the place, and the tenant passes on any fault without delay. That duty runs across the suburb's rentals, from the acreage blocks on the western side to the family streets near the Henderson Road college campus.
Check for a Silent Leak With Food Colouring
- 1
Tint the Cistern Water
Without flushing, add food colouring to the cistern until the water tints clearly. Close the lid.
- 2
Come Back and Look
Leave the toilet unflushed while you wait. Colour drifting into the bowl means cistern water is escaping into the pan between flushes, which convicts the flush seal. A bowl that stays clear means the seal is holding, and the inlet valve and level setting are next in line.
- 3
Rinse It Clean
Flush once you have your answer. The colouring washes away and leaves no mark on a ceramic bowl. No colouring in the cupboard? Hold a dry piece of toilet paper against the rear of the bowl, above the waterline. A damp patch on the paper means water is creeping down the pan wall, which confirms the leak.
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Does the Water Utility Cover a Running Toilet
No, the utility will not cover it. The concealed leak adjustment from Unitywater, the water utility for Moreton Bay, excludes water lost through leaking cisterns, along with dripping taps, hot water systems and other water appliances.
The property owner holds primary responsibility for leaks and the losses from them on their own side. A running cistern lands squarely on the owner's account, so catching the fault early is the owner's money saved.
When to Call a Plumber
Ring us when the noise will not stop, when the cistern refills itself overnight, or when water reaches the overflow and keeps going. Any fault past the QBCC's three unregulated parts belongs to a licensed plumber, and cistern internals in 1960s to 1980s brick houses often hide more wear than a single washer.
The full repair job, from diagnosis to a new seal or valve, sits on our toilet repairs page, along with what a fixed quote covers before we open the lid.
Everton Hills Running Toilet Questions
Call (07) 3523 6417Why does my toilet keep running after flushing?
Three faults cover most cases: an inlet valve that stays open, a flush seal worn enough to drip into the pan, or a level climbing past the overflow. A hiss or trickle once the tank has refilled points at the valve; a tank quietly topping itself up points at the seal.
Will Unitywater cover a running toilet in Everton Hills?
No, Unitywater will not cover it. Their concealed leak adjustment excludes water lost through leaking cisterns, along with dripping taps, hot water systems and similar appliances. The property owner holds primary responsibility for leaks and losses on their side, so the wasted water lands on the owner's bill.
What is the overflow in a toilet cistern?
The overflow is a safety outlet that carries excess water out of the cistern instead of letting it spill across your floor. It comes into play when the inlet valve stays open or the float sits too high. Water escaping that way means the valve or the float needs attention.
Who fixes a running toilet in an Everton Hills rental?
Queensland tenancy law puts the owner or manager in charge of the property's upkeep, and the tenant reports any fault as soon as they notice it. A blocked or broken toilet is on the Act's emergency list, but a running one is not, so the repair counts as routine and falls due within a reasonable time.
Ring Us About Your Running ToiletWe'll call you back.
Call (07) 3523 6417 to book a plumber in Everton Hills. We're available 24/7, with $0 call-out fees, flat-rate pricing and same-day where we can.
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