//Quick answer
- Refills by itself every few minutes: the flapper is not sealing.
- Water spilling into the overflow tube: the float or fill valve is set too high or failing.
- Parts replaced and it still runs, or water at the base: time for a plumber.
01Definition
Why does a toilet keep running?
The tank holds the water for the next flush. When the flapper at the bottom of the tank no longer seals, water seeps into the bowl, the level drops, and the fill valve turns on to top it up. That cycle is the hiss or the short refill you hear at night when nobody has flushed.
Which part is it: flapper, fill valve or float?
Lift the tank lid. If water is running over the top of the overflow tube, the float is set too high or the fill valve is not shutting off. If the level is below the tube and the toilet still refills on its own, the flapper or its seat is leaking. Food coloring in the tank settles it: color in the bowl without a flush means the flapper.
02When it applies
What is safe to try yourself?
Adjust the float down so the water stops below the overflow tube. Check that the flush chain is not caught under the flapper. Turn the stop valve behind the toilet off if it will not stop running, and it can wait for a visit. Do not keep jiggling the handle as a fix; the leak continues between flushes.
When is it time to call?
When new parts did not stop it, when the tank refills and the meter still moves with the toilet shut off, or when there is water on the floor at the base. A toilet that rocks has broken its wax seal, and that leak runs into the subfloor, not the bowl. Done-Rite has not published a flat toilet repair price; there is no trip charge.
03What goes wrong
What does a running toilet cost if it waits?
Water on every cycle, which shows up as a higher bill with no change in use. A running toilet is also the most common reason a water meter moves with everything off, so it gets ruled out first before anyone looks for a leak under the slab.
04Proof
- Marilyn Lowry, Google, September 9, 2026: "Spoke with a very nice lady, told her what was wrong, and in less than an hour, Mr. Jon Hanzich arrived at our door, and in no time at all, all was fixed and working"
- No trip charge, a 1-hour response time, and 24/7 emergency service.
- 1 year minimum warranty on labor. Manufacturer warranty handling varies by manufacturer.
- California CSLB C-36 licence #998069. Licensed, bonded and insured, with workers compensation.
05Action
Get it fixed at the tank
Toilet repair is quoted on site; call for pricing. No trip charge, a 1-hour response, and 1 year minimum on labor. If the meter still moves once the toilet is fixed, leak detection is the next step.
//Keep going
Learn
//Terms used in this guide
Where this applies
Done-Rite runs these calls across Orange County from its shop in Anaheim, CA, with no trip charge in any city it serves.
Common questions
Water is seeping from the tank into the bowl, usually past a worn flapper, and the fill valve tops the tank back up. Replacing the flapper or its seat stops it.
Yes. It runs on every cycle, day and night. It is the first thing to rule out when a bill jumps or the water meter moves with everything off.
Not usually. Turn the stop valve behind the toilet off and book a visit. Water on the floor around the base is different: that is a failed seal and it should be looked at soon.
