How to Fix a Running Toilet

What you’ll need

• replacement parts for your cistern model (many hardware stores sell universal kits)
• sponge
• towel

Step by step

1. Take the lid off and watch a flush to see where water is escaping.
2. If water trickles into the bowl, the flush valve washer is leaking: replace the seal.
3. If the water level rises into the overflow, adjust or replace the fill valve.
4. Turn the water back on, flush a few times and check it stops cleanly.

When to call a pro

concealed (in-wall) cisterns, cracked cisterns, or leaks at the base of the toilet are jobs for a licensed plumber.