A toilet that will not flush properly, runs constantly, or rocks when you sit on it is one of the more disruptive plumbing faults in a household. We repair toilets across Cheam and Sutton, covering everything from cistern mechanisms to a toilet that has come loose from the floor.
Most toilet faults come from a handful of common causes: a worn flush valve or fill valve inside the cistern, a failed flush handle linkage, or a cracked component that has started to leak. An engineer will usually be able to diagnose the fault by lifting the cistern lid and checking each part in turn.
If your toilet is completely blocked rather than faulty, that is usually a drainage issue rather than a mechanical one, and we treat it slightly differently, see our blocked toilets page for that.
Common toilet faults
- Constantly running or refilling cistern
- Weak or incomplete flush
- Flush handle or button not engaging properly
- Toilet rocking or loose at the base
- Cracks in the cistern or pan causing leaks
What an engineer checks
Inside the cistern, the fill valve (ballcock) and flush valve (siphon or flapper) are the most common points of failure. An engineer will check whether the fill valve is shutting off correctly, whether the flush valve is sealing properly, and whether the flush mechanism linkage is intact.
A rocking toilet
This is often due to worn fixing bolts at the base or a failing wax or rubber seal underneath, which can also lead to leaks at floor level if left.
What you can check yourself first
If the cistern keeps running, check whether the water level inside is above the overflow line, which usually points to a fill valve that is not shutting off. Jiggling the flush handle can sometimes temporarily stop a running cistern but will not fix the underlying fault.
How charging works
Toilet repairs are charged by time at our standard hourly rate, plus parts such as a fill valve, flush valve or fixing kit. See /our-rates for current rates.
