Toilet & Faucet Repair in St. George, UT

Toilets

Running or refilling on its own

A toilet that hisses, refills every so often or runs nonstop is usually leaking past the flapper or the fill valve. The City of St. George says toilets can lose up to 100 gallons a day and suggests a dye test: add food coloring to the tank, wait 15 to 20 minutes without flushing, and look for color in the bowl (City of St. George Water Services, Collection and Distribution (FAQ)). If it shows, the flapper is usually the culprit. In hard water, fill valves also gum up with scale and stop shutting off cleanly.

Leaking at the base

Water around the base after flushing usually means a failed wax ring or a loose toilet. On a slab, that water can soak into the subfloor or travel under tile. The fix is to pull the toilet, replace the seal, check the flange and reset it level.

Weak or incomplete flushes

Mineral buildup in the rim holes and siphon jet is common with hard water. A partial clog in the trapway or vent can also be the cause.

Replacing a toilet

Utah law sets water-use limits for new fixtures, and the Washington County Water Conservancy District's standards require new installations to meet or exceed them (Washington County Water Conservancy District, Water Efficiency Standards (Oct. 2023)). Modern high-efficiency toilets flush well on much less water than older models. Measure the rough-in (the distance from the wall to the center of the floor bolts) before shopping.

Faucets and showers

Drips

Most modern faucets use a cartridge; older ones use washers and seats. Hard water wears both faster and can cement a cartridge in place. Replacing the cartridge with the manufacturer's part usually stops the drip. The EPA notes that a faucet dripping once a second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year (EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts).

Low flow

If one faucet or shower is weak, the aerator or showerhead is often packed with scale and debris. Soaking it in vinegar can help. If every fixture is weak, look at the main shut-off, the pressure-reducing valve or the softener bypass.

Shower valves

A shower that will not get hot, or that swings from hot to cold when someone flushes, may have a worn or scaled pressure-balancing cartridge. Water dripping from a tub spout with the valve off usually means a worn cartridge or seat.

Outdoor hose bibs

Hose bibs on the sunny side of the house deal with heat all summer and a few freezes each winter. A frost-free hose bib, installed with a slight slope and with the hose removed in winter, holds up much better.

Scale and your fixtures

The city's water quality report suggests softener settings of 13 to 24 grains per gallon (City of St. George, 2024 Drinking Water Quality Report), which tells you how much mineral is in the water. Without a softener, expect to clean aerators, showerheads and toilet rims more often, and expect cartridges and fill valves to wear sooner. See water softeners and hard water.

Related guides

• What Should Your Water Softener Be Set To in St. George?
• Protecting Your Pipes on Freezing Nights in St. George

Sources: City of St. George Water Services, Collection and Distribution (FAQ); City of St. George, 2024 Drinking Water Quality Report; EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts; Washington County Water Conservancy District, Water Efficiency Standards (Oct. 2023).