ResidentialFixtures
Toilet Repair: Running, Rocking, Leaking
Most toilet problems fall into three groups: it runs, it rocks, or it leaks. Each has a small number of causes, and most are fixed in one visit.
A sleek kitchen faucet on a granite countertop with modern appliances in view.
- Flapper, fill valve and wax ring checked one by one
- Closet bolts and flange inspected for rot or rust
- Floor kept dry and protected while the bowl is off
- Several flushes run to prove the seal and refill
- Licensing details confirmed when you call
- Residential
- Commercial
- Markham & York Region
How the job runs
- Flapper warped or covered in mineral scale.
- Chain too short or tangled.
- Fill valve not shutting off.
- Overflow tube set lower than the water level.
What's included on this job
What we open
The tank lid, the flapper and fill valve, and the bolts at the floor if it rocks.
What we bring
Adjustable wrench, sponge, a spare flapper and fill valve kit, and shims.
What we replace
Flapper, fill valve, flush valve seal, tank-to-bowl gasket, closet bolts and wax ring.
How we prove it
Five flushes in a row, a dye test in the tank, and a hand on the base for any movement.
Signs you need this
- Tank refilling every few minutes
- Toilet rocks on the floor
- Water at the base after flushing
- Handle has to be held down
A toilet that runs
When a tank hisses or tops itself up between flushes, it is usually losing water through a perished flapper or a float adjusted too high. It may not look like much, but a tank that never stops refilling can pour away litres by the hour and push up your bill.
A toilet that rocks
A wobbly toilet breaks the wax seal at its base. Once that happens, every flush can let a little water out onto the subfloor. Common causes include loose closet bolts, an uneven floor after a tile install, or a flange that has cracked or sits below the finished floor.
A toilet that leaks
- Water at the base: wax seal or flange problem.
- Water from the tank bolts: worn gaskets.
- Water at the supply line: loose nut or failing braided hose.
- Sweating tank in humid summers: condensation, not a leak.
How we handle the job
- We check the tank parts, supply and base seal.
- We replace worn parts with quality ones, not the cheapest kit.
- For rocking toilets, we pull the toilet, repair or extend the flange, set a new seal and shim it level.
- We test several flushes and check for leaks.
From the van: Add a few drops of food dye to the tank and wait half an hour without using the toilet. Tinted water in the bowl means the seal at the bottom is letting go.
A running toilet can pour a lot of water away without anyone noticing. A drop of dye shows it.
Markham notes
Many homes built in the 1990s and 2000s here were fitted with early low-flow toilets that do not flush as well as modern designs. If you are repairing one of these again and again, replacement may make more sense.
What changes the cost
Part choice, flange condition and tile around the base matter. A worn flapper is a quick fix; a rotted subfloor is not.
Call before it gets worse
Leaks at the base damage subfloors quietly. Fix the wobble before it becomes a soft spot.