Should I repair my toilet or replace it?
Repair it if the pan and cistern are sound. Most faults are in the valves and seals, which are made to be replaced, and a repair costs much less than a new toilet.
Replacement makes sense when the china itself has failed or parts can no longer be found. We'll tell you honestly which is the better option from your photos.
- Repair: running or overflowing cistern
- A new fill valve or flush valve usually sorts it.
- Repair: leak at the base or behind
- Usually a seal, washer or pan connector.
- Repair: weak flush
- Often a valve, a low water level or limescale.
- Replace: cracked pan or cistern
- Cracks spread and can't be safely repaired.
- Replace: obsolete cistern parts
- Some older cisterns no longer have parts available.
- Replace: new bathroom look
- A style or height change is a replacement job.
What does replacing a fill valve or flush valve involve?
Both are usually done in one short visit. The fill valve refills the cistern after a flush; the flush valve (or siphon, on lever toilets) lets the water into the pan.
Our guide on why a toilet keeps running explains how to tell which one is at fault. Once we know, we isolate the water, empty the cistern and fit the new valve. A fill valve swap is usually quick. On a close-coupled toilet, replacing the flush valve often means lifting the cistern off the pan, so we also fit a new seal between the two (often called a doughnut washer) and new cistern bolts. Universal valves fit most cisterns, and where a toilet needs a specific part, we tell you before ordering it.
Why is my toilet flush weak?
A weak flush usually means not enough water is reaching the pan, or it's reaching it too slowly. The cause is often in the cistern, but limescale and part blockages play a part too.
Leicester's water is hard, so limescale builds up in the rim holes and the flush valve over time, and a flush that was strong a few years ago can fade gradually.
- Water level set too low
- The fill valve shuts off early. Usually an adjustment.
- Worn flush valve or button
- The valve doesn't lift fully or drops back too soon.
- Worn siphon diaphragm
- On lever toilets, you need several pulls to flush.
- Limescale in the rim
- Blocks the holes that send water around the bowl.
- Partial blockage
- Water rises high in the pan, then drains slowly.
Why is water leaking around the base of my toilet?
The most common cause is the pan connector, the seal between the toilet outlet and the soil pipe. It leaks only when you flush, so the floor is wet afterwards but dry in between.
Other leaks are constant: a seal between cistern and pan, the cistern bolts or the supply connection. A cold cistern can also 'sweat' in winter, with drops of condensation running down the outside, which looks like a leak but isn't one. Wipe everything dry, flush, then watch with a dry piece of tissue to see where the water first appears. Don't leave a leak at the base for long, as it can soak and rot the floor underneath.
What type of new toilet should I choose?
Measure first. The distance from the wall to the centre of the soil pipe, and whether the pipe leaves through the wall or the floor, decide which toilets will fit without moving pipework.
A common job is replacing an old toilet with a new one in the same position, which keeps the work simple. Pan connectors can bridge small differences, but a toilet bought without measuring is the most common reason a simple swap turns into a bigger job. Send us photos and the product link, and we'll check before you buy.
- Close-coupled
- Cistern sits on the back of the pan. The most common type.
- Back-to-wall
- Pan sits flush to the wall, with the cistern hidden in a unit.
- Comfort height
- A taller pan that's easier to sit on and stand up from.
- Rimless
- No rim to hide dirt and limescale; easier to clean.
Can you unblock a toilet?
We clear blockages in the toilet and its pipework; a blocked main drain or sewer needs a drainage company. Your photos and a few questions usually tell us which it is.
If only the toilet is slow, the blockage is usually in the pan or the soil pipe close by. If the bath, shower and sinks are slow too, or an outside drain cover is full of water, the problem is further down the drain and a drainage company with jetting equipment is the right call. Drains shared with neighbours, or outside your boundary, are usually Severn Trent's responsibility, so check with them first. Please avoid flushing wipes, even ones labelled flushable, as they cause many of the blockages we see.
What affects the price of a toilet repair or replacement?
A new toilet sits higher, depending on the type and how much the pipework has to change.
You get one fixed price before any work starts. These are the things that move it:
- Repair or replacement
- A valve costs far less than a new toilet.
- Close-coupled cistern lift
- Some repairs mean taking the cistern off the pan.
- Toilet type
- Back-to-wall units and concealed cisterns take longer.
- Soil pipe position
- A matching outlet keeps the swap simple.
- Condition of the floor
- Soft or rotten boards are priced separately if found.