Professional Toilet Repair in Durham, NC

A running toilet is almost always caused by one of three parts inside the tank: the flapper, the fill valve, or the overflow tube. These are inexpensive parts, but a toilet that won't stop running wastes a staggering amount of water — and money.

The 3 Parts That Cause a Running Toilet

The Flapper

This is the rubber seal at the bottom of the tank that lifts when you flush and drops back down to seal the tank. Over time, flappers warp, crack, or develop mineral buildup that prevents a tight seal. Water slowly leaks from the tank into the bowl, the fill valve detects the drop in water level, and it refills the tank. This cycle repeats endlessly. Flappers cost $5-10 at any hardware store and take about five minutes to replace. It's the most common cause by far.

The Fill Valve

The fill valve controls water flowing into the tank after a flush. When it fails, it may not shut off properly — so water keeps running into the tank and down the overflow tube. You'll hear constant hissing or water trickling. Fill valves are a bit more involved to replace than flappers, but still a manageable repair.

The Overflow Tube

If the water level in the tank is set too high, water continuously spills into the overflow tube and drains into the bowl. This usually means the float (attached to the fill valve) needs adjusting. On older ball-float models, you bend the metal arm down slightly. On newer fill valves, there's an adjustment screw or clip. If the overflow tube itself is cracked, the whole flush valve assembly needs replacing.

How Much Water (and Money) a Running Toilet Wastes

A running toilet can waste 200 gallons per day or more. That's over 6,000 gallons per month.

On Town of Apex utility rates, that translates to roughly $50-100 per month in extra water and sewer charges — and that's a conservative estimate depending on the severity of the leak. Wake County water and sewer rates have gone up over 15% in recent years, so that wasted water costs more than it used to.

Here's an easy test: drop a few drops of food coloring into the tank (not the bowl). Wait 15 minutes without flushing. If the color appears in the bowl, your flapper is leaking.

Other Common Toilet Problems

A running toilet is the most frequent call we get, but it's not the only issue homeowners deal with.

Toilet rocks or wobbles. The wax ring seal between the toilet base and the floor flange has failed, or the flange bolts are loose. A wobbly toilet will eventually leak at the base — and that water is sewer water. Don't ignore this one. Tightening the bolts sometimes fixes it, but if the wax ring is compromised, the toilet needs to be pulled, the old wax ring scraped off, and a new one set.

Weak or incomplete flush. Mineral deposits can clog the rim jets (the small holes under the rim of the bowl). Hard water accelerates this. You can clean them with vinegar and a small brush. If cleaning doesn't help, the problem may be a partially blocked trapway or a failing flush valve.

Toilet leaks at the base. This almost always means a failed wax ring. Water seeps out with each flush. Left alone, it damages the subfloor and can cause mold. This isn't a wait-and-see repair.

Phantom flushing. The toilet seems to flush on its own or you hear it randomly refill. This is just a slow flapper leak — the tank drains enough that the fill valve kicks on to refill. Same fix as a running toilet: replace the flapper.

Constant clogs. If you're plunging the same toilet regularly, the issue might be a partially blocked drain line further downstream, tree root intrusion in older sewer lines, or a first-generation low-flow toilet (early 1.6 GPF models from the mid-90s were notorious for poor flush performance). A drain camera inspection can tell you exactly what's going on.

Repair vs. Replace

Toilet internals — flappers, fill valves, flush valves, wax rings — are all repairable and relatively affordable. Replacing these parts can keep a good toilet running for years.

Consider replacing the whole toilet when:
- The porcelain is cracked (this can't be reliably repaired)
- It's an older model using 3.5-5 gallons per flush (modern toilets use 1.28 GPF and flush better)
- You're making repairs frequently on a 20+ year old unit
- You want to upgrade to a comfort-height or elongated bowl

Element Service Group offers a free plumbing inspection ($89 value) and same-day toilet repair with flat-rate pricing — you know the cost before we start. Our plumbers handle everything from a simple flapper swap to full toilet replacements and drain line diagnostics.

We serve Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Raleigh, and Durham. Veteran-owned, 700+ five-star reviews, and no surprises on the bill.