Calling any PH plumbers!
Discussion
Hot on the heels of my knackered shower (which I still haven't got round to sorting) I now have a problem with my plumbing 
The toilet has become incontinent and has been leaking a tiny amount of water into the bowl for the last couple of months. Nothing too bad, but enough to make the float in the cistern drop low enough to top it up every hour or so.
Took it apart the day before yesterday to see if tightening up a few bits or replacing some seals might sort it out.
Turns out the siphon is quite a weird heath robinson affair. Tightening up has had no effect, nor has cleaning the seals. Problem is, now it is much worse and barely holds any water in the cistern as the seals leak water very quickly into the bowl.
I have been to a couple of plumbing/bathroom places to get a replacement seal kit or a new siphon, who say they've never seen anything like it. Even cutting a new seal from a sheet of rubber won't work apparently because it's shaped.
I can't find any manufacturers name on the toilet - it's fairly recent as the previous owners fitted it, no more than 5 years old I would think. I would suspect it is MFI or something as they did most of the place on the cheap. Only references I can find are "Serel" on the toilet seat and "5317" on the underneath of the cistern lid.
I'd appreciate any advice on :
a) how to refit / refurbish the seal
b) where to get a new siphon
c) anybody seen anything like this before?
d) anything else useful.
Should have left well alone *sigh*.
Attached are a couple of pics - first is the cistern with the siphon out, second is the siphon "exploded" in the sink (LH end is the bit that clicks into the cistern). The white plastic disc to the right passes through the ring seal and supposedly seals it until the middle bit of the siphon at the top is pushed by the flush button (not in pic), where it unseals and lets the water through. I guess it is this that is not sealing... The left most seal is the one that seals at the bottom of the cistern (though this seems OK as when just that bit is in the bottom of the cistern water doesn't leak when it is up to the top of the plastic rim (over the seal).
Oh yes, in the second picture I know that the spring is upside down!
The weird thing is that the middle ring-seal doesn't fit very well, it's slightly too small for the plastic rim it fits over, but I can't see anywhere else it can go...
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>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 20th December 11:56
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 20th December 11:57
The toilet has become incontinent and has been leaking a tiny amount of water into the bowl for the last couple of months. Nothing too bad, but enough to make the float in the cistern drop low enough to top it up every hour or so.
Took it apart the day before yesterday to see if tightening up a few bits or replacing some seals might sort it out.
Turns out the siphon is quite a weird heath robinson affair. Tightening up has had no effect, nor has cleaning the seals. Problem is, now it is much worse and barely holds any water in the cistern as the seals leak water very quickly into the bowl.
I have been to a couple of plumbing/bathroom places to get a replacement seal kit or a new siphon, who say they've never seen anything like it. Even cutting a new seal from a sheet of rubber won't work apparently because it's shaped.
I can't find any manufacturers name on the toilet - it's fairly recent as the previous owners fitted it, no more than 5 years old I would think. I would suspect it is MFI or something as they did most of the place on the cheap. Only references I can find are "Serel" on the toilet seat and "5317" on the underneath of the cistern lid.
I'd appreciate any advice on :
a) how to refit / refurbish the seal
b) where to get a new siphon
c) anybody seen anything like this before?
d) anything else useful.
Should have left well alone *sigh*.
Attached are a couple of pics - first is the cistern with the siphon out, second is the siphon "exploded" in the sink (LH end is the bit that clicks into the cistern). The white plastic disc to the right passes through the ring seal and supposedly seals it until the middle bit of the siphon at the top is pushed by the flush button (not in pic), where it unseals and lets the water through. I guess it is this that is not sealing... The left most seal is the one that seals at the bottom of the cistern (though this seems OK as when just that bit is in the bottom of the cistern water doesn't leak when it is up to the top of the plastic rim (over the seal).
Oh yes, in the second picture I know that the spring is upside down!
The weird thing is that the middle ring-seal doesn't fit very well, it's slightly too small for the plastic rim it fits over, but I can't see anywhere else it can go...
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 20th December 11:56
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Tuesday 20th December 11:57
Our cisterns are very similar (I'm presuming yours has a double button on the top?) and are made by Roca. The problem is magnified if you put in bleach type cleaners into the cistern.I rang the manufacturers and they sent spare washers in the post free of charge.Roca can be contacted at :
Roca Limited
Samson Road
Hermitage Industrial Estate
Coalville, Leics.
LE67 3FP
Tel: 01530830080
Fax: 01530830010
or www.roca-uk.com
Another quick fix is to reverse to take out the washers,clean them and put them back on the reverse way round.This lasts for about six months.
Roca Limited
Samson Road
Hermitage Industrial Estate
Coalville, Leics.
LE67 3FP
Tel: 01530830080
Fax: 01530830010
or www.roca-uk.com
Another quick fix is to reverse to take out the washers,clean them and put them back on the reverse way round.This lasts for about six months.
Many foreign (and UK come to that) manufacturers like Roca use UK sourced flush valves (that's what it is, not a syphon) in their cisterns. A LOT of them are just shite, that one looks like a McDee or Polypipe effort. Normally I'd say chuck it and get a McAlpine, but if seals are available from Roca and they have been proved to work, I'd go down that route.
Two options, (well - sensible ones anyhow)
(i)fit 2 smaller tanks, linked at very low level with 2 @ 22mm tank connectors and copper/plastic tube.
(ii)fit a round tank, rather than the usual rectangular. They are more flexible (espec. if you get some boiling water into them) and can be partly rolled up to get through the loft hatch.
What a big wide world there is outside of the Noble Forum - must come out more often.
(i)fit 2 smaller tanks, linked at very low level with 2 @ 22mm tank connectors and copper/plastic tube.
(ii)fit a round tank, rather than the usual rectangular. They are more flexible (espec. if you get some boiling water into them) and can be partly rolled up to get through the loft hatch.
What a big wide world there is outside of the Noble Forum - must come out more often.
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