Running Toilets, Dripping Taps and Weak Showers: Christchurch Fixes

Running toilet

A toilet that keeps running, or refills every few minutes with no one using it, almost always comes down to the inlet valve or the outlet valve inside the cistern. The inlet valve (ballcock) controls how the cistern refills; if it's worn it can let water trickle in constantly. The outlet valve seals the water in the cistern until you flush; if the seal is worn or the flapper has warped, water leaks slowly into the bowl.

You can test which one it is by adding a few drops of food colouring to the cistern and waiting without flushing. Colour in the bowl within twenty minutes means the outlet seal is leaking.

Dripping tap

• Older compression taps: a worn rubber washer is the usual cause, cheap to replace
• Modern mixer taps: a worn ceramic cartridge, which needs replacing as a unit rather than repaired
• A tap that drips only under pressure can also point to high water pressure needing a pressure-limiting valve
• A constantly dripping tap over months can waste thousands of litres and stain the basin or bath

Weak shower

Weak shower pressure has a few common causes in Christchurch homes: a clogged showerhead from mineral build-up, a failing mixer cartridge restricting flow, or a hot water cylinder and pipework not delivering enough pressure to begin with.

Low-pressure (gravity-fed) cylinders, common in older Christchurch villas, are the main reason older homes have gentle showers compared to newer mains-pressure systems. A pump can sometimes boost this, but it's worth getting your system assessed before buying one.

Quick checks before you call a plumber

• Unscrew and soak the showerhead in vinegar overnight to clear mineral build-up
• Check whether other taps in the house are also low pressure, which points to a supply issue rather than one fixture
• Listen for a toilet that's still filling twenty minutes after flushing
• Feel for water at the base of a tap when it's fully closed

Why these small jobs are worth fixing promptly

A running toilet can waste several hundred litres a day, which shows up on a water-metered property's bill and adds unnecessary load to older cisterns and valves. A dripping tap wears its own seat further over time, turning a washer job into a full tap replacement.

When it's more than a simple part

If a toilet cistern is cracked, a tap body is corroded, or a shower mixer is an old style with parts no longer available, replacement is usually more sensible than another repair. We'll tell you straight if that's the case rather than keep patching an old fitting.

Frequently asked questions