Skip to content 
Plumber for Running Toilet
Running toilet, ghost flushing, leaking base, toilet that won’t flush — same-day toilet repair across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Licensed, insured, and dispatched within 60 minutes.
Same-Day Toilet Repair • Los Angeles & San Fernando Valley
A running toilet wastes up to 200 gallons a day — we fix it today.
Licensed plumber dispatched within 60 minutes · Upfront pricing
A toilet that runs continuously, won’t stop cycling, or leaks at the base isn’t just an inconvenience — a constantly running toilet can waste 200 gallons or more of water every single day, and a leaking wax ring can silently damage subfloor material for months before it’s visible. Michael’s Valley Plumbing provides licensed toilet repair across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley — including Burbank, Glendale, Van Nuys, Woodland Hills, Sylmar, and Chatsworth — with a real licensed plumber dispatched to your home, not a handyman with a toolbox.
Most toilet repairs — flapper replacement, fill valve service, wax ring replacement, flush valve repair — are completed in a single visit with parts our technicians carry on their service vehicles. We diagnose before we recommend, which means you’re never told you need a new toilet when what you actually need is a $15 flapper and 30 minutes of labor.
What we fix
Common Toilet Problems We Fix
Running Toilet
The toilet keeps running after a flush, or cycles on and off without anyone touching it. The culprit is almost always a worn flapper, a float set too high, or a faulty fill valve. Left running, a single toilet can waste over 200 gallons a day and noticeably inflate your LADWP water bill within one billing cycle.
Toilet Won’t Flush
A toilet that doesn’t flush at all, or produces almost no flushing force, typically has a problem with the flush valve, a disconnected or overly long chain, a blocked rim jet, or an underfilling tank. We diagnose the specific mechanism rather than recommending a full replacement when only the internals are failing.
Weak or Double Flushing
A toilet requiring two flushes, or flushing with poor volume, may have a partially blocked trapway, a flapper that closes too fast, or mineral scale built up inside the rim jets. Hard water scale is a leading cause of flush performance degradation in Los Angeles homes and worsens steadily over time without treatment.
Leaking Toilet Base
Water pooling at the base after flushing is almost always a failed wax ring — the seal between the toilet base and the drain flange. This seepage can go unnoticed for months while silently damaging subfloor material beneath tile or vinyl. We replace the wax ring and inspect the flange for corrosion or damage before reinstalling.
Overflowing Toilet
Turn the water supply valve behind the toilet clockwise to stop flow, then call us. Overflow is usually caused by a blockage in the trapway or main drain line, or a stuck float. Do not flush again — each attempt pushes more water into a bowl that can’t drain and will make the situation worse.
Ghost Flushing
That quiet sound of the toilet refilling on its own — with no one nearby — is ghost flushing. Water slowly leaks past a worn flapper into the bowl, dropping the tank level until the fill valve kicks on. It’s a minor repair, usually a flapper replacement, but it runs constantly and wastes significant water. Most ghost flushing repairs take under 30 minutes.
What we do
Toilet Repair Services We Offer
Running Toilet Repair
Repair toilets that continuously run or cycle on and off. We diagnose and fix the root cause — worn flapper, failed fill valve, or float position — in a single visit.
Toilet Leak Repair
Fix leaks from tank bolts, supply lines, and toilet bases. Persistent moisture around or under a toilet causes subfloor damage if left unaddressed.
Wax Ring Replacement
Replace failed wax seals causing leaks around the base. We lift the toilet, inspect the floor flange for damage, and install a fresh wax ring before reinstalling.
Fill Valve Replacement
Restore proper tank filling and eliminate constant running. A failed fill valve is the most common reason a toilet continues to hiss or run after a full tank refill.
Flush Valve Repair
Repair or replace damaged flush valve assemblies. A corroded or cracked flush valve seat prevents even a brand-new flapper from sealing correctly, causing ongoing water waste.
Toilet Installation & Replacement
Install new high-efficiency and comfort-height toilets. We remove the old unit, inspect the flange, set the new toilet with a fresh wax ring, and test before we leave.
Warning signs
Signs You Need Toilet Repair
Constant Running Water
Water running continuously in the tank after a flush — or cycling on and off with no one nearby — is the clearest sign of a toilet repair need. You’ll usually hear it as a faint hissing from behind the bowl. It’s almost always a worn flapper, a fill valve that won’t fully shut off, or a float out of position.
Higher Water Bill
A water bill that’s increased without a change in household usage patterns is a common early sign of a toilet that’s running when it shouldn’t. LADWP bills every two months, so a running toilet can add up significantly before you notice. If your usage spiked and you can’t explain why, check your toilets first.
Water Around the Base
Water on the floor around the base of the toilet — especially water that appears after flushing — almost always means a failed wax ring. Even a slow seepage can cause significant subfloor damage and potential mold growth beneath flooring over time. It will not resolve on its own.
Gurgling Sounds
Gurgling from the toilet bowl, or from nearby drains when the toilet is flushed, often points to a partial drain blockage or a venting problem in the drain-waste-vent system. It can also be an early indicator of a developing sewer line issue. Gurgling rarely resolves on its own and typically gets worse with time.
Toilet Rocks or Moves
A toilet that shifts, rocks, or feels unstable when you sit on it usually has loose floor bolts or a compromised toilet flange. A rocking toilet will eventually break the wax ring seal — creating a secondary leak at the base. We reanchor and reseat the toilet, replacing the wax ring and inspecting the flange in the same visit.
Why it happens
Common Causes of a Running Toilet
Worn Flapper
The flapper is the rubber valve at the bottom of the tank that seals the opening to the bowl between flushes. Over time — accelerated by chlorinated water and LA hard water mineral deposits — it warps, cracks, or accumulates scale around the seat, preventing a proper seal. Water slowly drains from the tank into the bowl, causing the fill valve to cycle repeatedly. Flapper replacement is typically a 20–30 minute repair.
Faulty Fill Valve
The fill valve controls how water refills the tank after a flush. When the fill valve wears out, it may not shut off completely at the end of the refill cycle — causing a constant trickle or a hissing sound even after the tank is full. Fill valve replacement is a standard repair that resolves most cases of chronic running water that a new flapper doesn’t fix.
Float Set Too High
The float controls the water level inside the tank. If it’s set too high, water rises above the overflow tube and continuously drains into the bowl — appearing as a slow, steady run that never stops. You’ll often see water going down the overflow tube when you remove the tank lid. This is a simple adjustment but easy to misdiagnose without opening the tank.
Flush Valve Problems
The flush valve is the assembly the flapper seats against at the base of the tank. If the valve seat is corroded, cracked, or has mineral buildup around the rim, even a brand-new flapper won’t seal correctly. In these cases, the entire flush valve seat needs to be replaced or resurfaced — a repair that’s more involved than a standard flapper swap but still typically completed in one visit.
Loose Handle & Chain
A chain that’s too long can get caught beneath the flapper after a flush, holding it slightly open and causing the toilet to run. A chain that’s too short prevents the flapper from closing fully. A handle that’s loose or doesn’t spring back after flushing can also leave the chain in the wrong position. These are the quickest fixes in toilet repair — and easy to overlook.
What happens when you call
Our Toilet Repair Process
Call Us 24/7
A real person answers every call, 24 hours a day. Tell us what’s happening — running water, no flush, water at the base — and we’ll send the right technician. For standard toilet repairs, we typically have a plumber available same-day across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
Diagnose the Problem
Our technician inspects the toilet from tank to base — flapper, fill valve, flush valve, float, wax ring, flange, and supply line — before making any recommendation. Many homeowners are quoted a full toilet replacement when the actual problem is a worn flapper. We diagnose before we recommend.
Upfront Written Quote
Written quote before any work begins — covering exactly what’s being repaired and why. No verbal estimates that change at the end of the job. No labor-only quotes that leave out parts. The number on the quote is the number on the invoice.
Same-Day Repair
Most toilet repairs — flapper replacement, fill valve replacement, wax ring replacement, flush valve service, supply line replacement — are completed in the same visit using parts our technicians carry on their service vehicles. We don’t schedule a separate diagnostic and then a repair visit for standard toilet work.
Final Testing
After repair, we run the toilet through multiple flush cycles, check the tank fill, inspect the base for any residual seepage, and verify supply line connections before we leave. We don’t mark a toilet repair complete until the problem is confirmed resolved and the toilet is working normally.
While you wait for us
Before We Arrive
Four steps that limit damage and help our technician get straight to work.
Shut Off the Water Supply
Locate the toilet supply valve — the oval or football-shaped knob behind and below the toilet tank — and turn it clockwise until it stops. This prevents water from continuing to fill the tank. If the supply valve won’t turn or is corroded, call us immediately — we’ll advise you on the next step over the phone while help is on the way.
Avoid Repeated Flushing
If the toilet bowl is at or near the rim — whether from a blockage or an overflowing tank — do not flush again until we arrive. Each attempted flush pushes more water into a bowl that can’t drain fast enough and risks putting water on your floor. Shut off the supply valve and wait.
Dry Standing Water
If water has already pooled around the toilet base or on the bathroom floor, use towels or a mop to remove it before we arrive. The less contact time water has with flooring, baseboards, or subfloor material, the better. Place towels around the base as a precaution even if pooling appears minor.
Take Photos if There’s Water Damage
If water has reached the flooring, baseboards, or the ceiling of the room below, photograph the damage before any cleanup. Clear documentation of when and how the damage appeared can support a homeowners insurance claim — a sudden supply line failure or wax ring failure is the type of accidental water damage that may qualify under your policy. We provide detailed invoices and can write a description of what we found and when.
Transparent pricing
Toilet Repair Cost
Toilet repair is typically among the most affordable plumbing services — most repairs are completed in under an hour with parts our technicians carry on their trucks. The exact cost depends on a few factors.
Typical Repair Times
| Repair | Typical Repair Time |
|---|---|
| Flapper Replacement | 20–30 minutes |
| Fill Valve Replacement | 30–45 minutes |
| Wax Ring Replacement | 1–2 hours |
| Flush Valve Repair | 45–90 minutes |
| Toilet Installation | 2–3 hours |
An exact written quote is provided before any work begins — you know the number before we pick up a tool.
Making the right call
Repair or Replace Your Toilet?
Repair Is Usually Best When…
- The toilet is less than 15–20 years old
- Only one or two internal components have failed — flapper, fill valve, or wax ring
- The porcelain tank and bowl are crack-free and undamaged
- The toilet is an ADA-height, comfort-height, or model you prefer to keep
- The floor flange is intact and in good condition
Replacement Makes More Sense When…
- The toilet is over 20 years old and has had multiple component failures
- The porcelain tank or bowl has a crack that can’t be sealed
- You want to upgrade to a low-flow or dual-flush model for water savings
- The floor flange is severely corroded and requires significant repair as part of the job
- Repeat repairs have been needed within a short window — replacing once makes more sense than repeated service calls
Toilet Repair Before & After
Real toilet repair jobs completed across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.
Maintenance tips
Prevent Future Toilet Problems
Replace Worn Parts Early
Flapper and fill valve kits are inexpensive. If your toilet is more than 10 years old and has never had its internal components replaced, proactively replacing them — especially in an LA home with hard water — prevents the water waste and service call that come from waiting for full failure. Ask our technician to inspect the internals at your next plumbing service call.
Watch Your Water Bill
An unexplained increase in your LADWP bill — without a change in usage — often means water is going somewhere it shouldn’t. Toilets are the most common culprit. Check each toilet with a simple dye-drop test: add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, don’t flush, and check the bowl after 15 minutes. Color in the bowl means your flapper is leaking.
Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaners
Liquid drain cleaners poured into a slow-draining toilet can damage the wax ring, corrode flapper seats, and degrade rubber internal components over repeated use. For a slow or partial toilet blockage, a plunger or a call to us is a safer option than chemicals that may clear the immediate symptom while accelerating wear on components you’ll need replaced sooner.
Annual Plumbing Inspection
An annual plumbing inspection covers more than just the toilet — supply lines, shut-off valves, drainage performance, water heater condition, visible pipe sections — but it’s also a good time to have a licensed plumber verify that your toilet’s internal components are in good shape. Catching a marginal flapper or aging fill valve during a routine visit costs far less than a service call at 11 PM.
Built for local conditions
Why Los Angeles Homes Have More Toilet Issues
Toilet failures are more frequent in Los Angeles than national averages suggest. Three specific factors drive this: hard water mineral deposits, aging plumbing infrastructure, and higher-than-average water pressure in many neighborhoods. Understanding these factors helps explain why toilet components in LA homes often need replacement earlier than the manufacturer’s expected lifespan.
Hard Water Mineral Build-Up
Los Angeles water ranks among the hardest in the United States, with high calcium and magnesium content. These minerals accumulate inside fill valves, coat flappers and flush valve seats, and clog rim jets over time. Toilets that would last 10–15 years in softer-water markets often need internal component replacement every 5–8 years in LA homes. Hard water scale is also a leading cause of weak flushing that progressively worsens without descaling or part replacement.
Aging Plumbing Systems
Many homes throughout Burbank, Van Nuys, Glendale, and the wider San Fernando Valley were built in the 1950s through 1970s. Toilets in these homes often have supply lines, shut-off valves, and floor flanges that are original or near-original — long overdue for inspection. A service call for a running toilet sometimes reveals a corroded shut-off valve that hasn’t been exercised in decades, which becomes a separate repair at the same visit if it fails when we try to turn it.
High Water Pressure
Water pressure in some Los Angeles neighborhoods runs above the recommended 60–80 PSI range. Elevated pressure shortens the lifespan of rubber components — flappers, fill valve diaphragms, supply line connections — and can cause fill valves to run longer than they should at the end of each fill cycle. If the same toilet repair recurs within 12 months, water pressure may be contributing and worth measuring at your next service call.
Why homeowners choose us
Why Homeowners Choose Us
Licensed & Insured
Full CA contractor’s license, bonded and insured for residential and commercial toilet repair throughout Los Angeles.
60-Min Response
Fast dispatch across Greater Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley — same-day for most toilet repairs, every day of the week.
Upfront Pricing
Written quote before any work starts — no surprise charges at the end, no verbal estimates that change once the job is open.
Real Person Answers
No call center, no voicemail maze — 24/7. Our dispatcher answers and gets you on the schedule in the same call.
Need Toilet Repair Right Now?
Same-day toilet repair across Los Angeles & the San Fernando Valley. We fix running toilets, base leaks, flushes that won’t work, and more — one visit, done right.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does toilet repair take?
▼Most standard toilet repairs — flapper replacement, fill valve replacement, supply line replacement, or wax ring replacement — are completed in one visit and typically take between 30 minutes and 90 minutes depending on the scope. If the floor flange also needs repair, or if specialty parts need to be sourced for a non-standard toilet, the timeline may extend to a follow-up visit.
Can you fix a running toilet the same day?
▼Yes — in most cases. Our technicians carry flappers, fill valve assemblies, flush valve seats, supply lines, and wax rings on their service vehicles. Running toilets are among the most common repairs we perform, and the parts involved are standard stock items. We book same-day appointments throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley subject to availability.
How do I know if I need a wax ring replacement?
▼The most reliable sign is water on the floor around the base of the toilet, especially water that appears after flushing. You may also notice a sewer gas odor in the bathroom, soft flooring near the toilet base, or staining at the base of the toilet. A wax ring replacement requires removing the toilet, replacing the wax ring, and reinstalling — a job that includes inspecting the floor flange for damage while the toilet is lifted.
What causes a toilet to keep running after flushing?
▼The most common causes are a worn flapper that no longer seals tightly, a fill valve that doesn’t fully shut off at the end of the refill cycle, a float set too high (causing water to overflow into the overflow tube continuously), or a flush valve seat that’s too corroded to accept a good seal from a new flapper. In some cases, a chain that’s caught under the flapper is the cause — a quick fix. We diagnose the specific cause before recommending a repair.
Is a running toilet a plumbing emergency?
▼A running toilet is not a water-damage emergency the way a burst pipe or sewer backup is, but it is a significant ongoing problem. A toilet running continuously can waste 200 gallons or more of water per day — which adds up to thousands of gallons over a billing cycle. LADWP charges per tier, so high water usage is also expensive. We recommend scheduling the repair promptly rather than waiting, even if it’s not a middle-of-the-night situation.
How much water does a running toilet waste?
▼It depends on the severity. A minor flapper leak may waste 25–50 gallons per day. A fill valve that won’t shut off, or a float that’s set to overflow continuously, can waste 200 gallons or more per day. At LA water rates, a toilet running for two months can add a meaningful amount to your LADWP bill — often more than the cost of the repair itself.
Can hard water damage my toilet?
▼Yes — and it’s a particularly relevant issue in Los Angeles. LA has some of the hardest tap water in the country. Mineral deposits accumulate on the flapper seat, inside fill valves, and in rim jets over time, causing flushing performance to degrade and internal components to fail sooner. Toilets in LA homes typically need fill valve and flapper replacement more frequently than national averages. A water softener or regular descaling can extend the life of toilet internals significantly.
Should I repair or replace a toilet that keeps clogging?
▼If a toilet clogs once or twice a year from use, that’s normal for a toilet in active use. If it clogs repeatedly and quickly — with normal use and no foreign objects flushed — the issue is likely a partial blockage in the trapway, a low-flush model that struggles with the load, or a drain line issue further downstream. We can assess whether the problem is the toilet or the drain and recommend accordingly.
Do you replace toilets as well as repair them?
▼Yes — we handle full toilet replacement when it’s the right call. We remove the old toilet, inspect the flange, set the new toilet with a fresh wax ring, connect the supply line, and test before we leave. We can advise on low-flow, ADA-height, dual-flush, and comfort-height options if you’re choosing a replacement, or we can install a model you supply. We’ll tell you honestly whether repair or replacement makes more sense for your specific situation.
Service area
Toilet Repair Throughout Los Angeles
Also serving: Montrose, La Crescenta, North Hollywood, Studio City, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Calabasas, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, Canoga Park, Reseda, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, San Fernando, and North Hills
Full-service plumbing
Explore Our Other Services
From drain cleaning and sewer line repairs to water heater service — one licensed team, every plumbing need.
Need a Toilet Plumber in Los Angeles?
Let’s Fix Your Toilet Today
Same-day toilet repair across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Licensed, insured, and available now — running toilets, wax rings, fill valves, flush valves, and full replacements.
Call (877) 976-4242