What the symptom usually means
| Likely cause | First step | |
|---|---|---|
| Water trickles into the bowl non-stop | A worn flush valve seal or a faulty inlet valve | Turn the stop valve off between uses until it's fixed |
| The cistern refills slowly, or not at all | The inlet valve, a part-closed stop valve or, on tank water, the pump or top-up device | Check the stop valve is fully open |
| Water around the base of the pan | A failed seal or connector | Stop using it: the water may be from the waste side |
| The bowl rises when you flush | A blockage in the pan or the drain beyond it | Don't flush again, and see our blocked toilet page |
Toilets in Adelaide homes
Cisterns on tank water
Where mains water tops up a house's rainwater tank, SA's plumbing code requires an automatic change-over or top-up device. If a tank-fed toilet stops refilling, that device or the pump is worth checking before the cistern itself.
Flush only the three Ps
SA Water asks everyone to flush only paper, pee and poo. Wipes, even ones sold as flushable, sanitary items and cotton buds go in the bin.
When more than the toilet backs up
The EPA notes that indoor drains, toilets included, run to the sewer, with a gully outside under a tap. If the gully overflows when you flush, the blockage is further down: call a drain specialist.
Renting?
At the 2021 Census, 28.4% of Greater Adelaide's occupied homes were rented. Report a faulty toilet to your landlord or agent before booking anyone.
Repair or replace?
Inlet valves, flush valves, buttons and seals can usually be replaced on their own. A cracked pan or cistern, or an old suite that keeps failing, is usually better replaced. A plumber can tell you which after a short look.
South Australia's eCOC list includes pipework and fixtures from the mains water supply or sewer. If a new toilet goes in, ask the plumber whether the job needs a certificate, and expect it within 7 days if it does. Our compliance certificates guide explains what it records.
What you can check before calling
- Whether the stop valve behind the toilet is fully open.
- Whether a few drops of food colouring in the cistern reach the bowl without flushing: if so, it's leaking through.
- Whether the toilet is on mains water or rainwater, and whether the tank pump is running.
- Whether other drains or the outside gully are slow or overflowing too.
Questions to ask the plumber
- Is it a part that can be replaced, or the whole suite?
- If we're on tank water, have you checked the pump and the top-up device?
- Is the blockage in the pan or further down the drain?
- Does this job need an eCOC?
What we would do
Do the food colouring test and check the stop valve first: those two answers tell a plumber most of what they need. If the toilet runs on tank water, say so up front, because the fault may be outside the bathroom. If flushing makes the outside gully overflow, skip the toilet repair and get a drain specialist to the blockage. For everything else, a plumber who fixes toilets every week will usually sort it in one visit.