Toilet Problem - flush/re-fill

Tra77

A couple of days ago I noticed the toilet cistern seemed to be taking ages to re-fill itself after flushing.

It's a dual flush (purchased around 5 years ago from wickes, as part of one of their 'take away' bathroom suites) - silver button flush mechanism built into the centre of the cistern lid of which when I remove the lid there's another mechanism to the left of this from where the water comes up from the pipe to refil the cistern.

There's appox. 1 inch of water in the bottom of the cistern (at all times) and the 'inlet' system constantly 'sprays/trickles' water but the cistern doesn't seem to be re-filling (I have no idea where the water is going but it doesn't appear to be tricking into the pan at all).

I am able to re-fill the cistern with jugs of water (all the time small amounts are tricking down into the back of the pan - this stops once I have managed to fill up the cistern) and once the water reaches the desired level in the cistern the part on the mechanism (which I assume acts as a ballcock would) then stops the 'spray/trickle'.

The toilet then flushes fine/as normal. However, then the whole process begins again.

Any help/advice please???

EliteHeat

You need a new float valve. It also sounds like your cistern is letting by slightly - maybe there is some grit or something on the diaphragm (sp).

mikey72

It's a Torbeck valve by the sound of it. If you leave it does the cisterm fill very slowly? Maybe overnight.
Torbeck valves don't have a ball, it's usually a sliding float on the riser, then as it gets to the top the water pressure equalises on both sided of the washer, and stops filling.
If the washer splits you usually get a fine spray, and the cistern doesn't fill quickly. A new washer from Wickes should cure it.
Alternatively it could be a bit of grit stuck in the old one.

ormus

i very much doubt that a torbeck valve would be supplied by wickes as standard on a cheap/ish takeaway suite.
sounds like a typical inlet valve problem. sometimes just cleaning it out works wonders.
parts are very cheap and even a whole new valve is cheap.

kevsan

how spooky - my bathroom toilet starting having this exact same problem yesterday...

another job for the weekend.

Tra77

mikey72 wrote: »

It's a Torbeck valve by the sound of it. If you leave it does the cisterm fill very slowly? Maybe overnight.

yes, mikey72 that's exactly what happens!

Tra77

ormus wrote: »

i very much doubt that a torbeck valve would be supplied by wickes as standard on a cheap/ish takeaway suite.
sounds like a typical inlet valve problem. sometimes just cleaning it out works wonders.
parts are very cheap and even a whole new valve is cheap.

is 'torbeck' a brand or something, maybe mikey72 means an equivalent?

Tra77

kevsan wrote: »

how spooky - my bathroom toilet starting having this exact same problem yesterday...

another job for the weekend.

well let me know how/if you manage to fix it kevsan - I'll do the same if I can get my oh to check out ours after work today!


Thanks to all who have made suggestions. . . will be trying the cleaning advice and washer replacement first of all.

Sailor_Sam

I don't think torbeck is the brand name, it's just what the thing is called. Any local plumbers will have them, they're a bit like a rubber washer, and about the size of a sixpence.

Supercali

Our new toilet upstairs does this and after a few times of it happening I realised what was happening.

If you take off the cistern lid, one of the plastic flush 'buttons' hadn't come all the way up so by pressing it slightly it popped all the way back up and the cistern started filling up.

I think it is the larger of the 2 buttons that this happens to so I try and avoid pressing that one if possible but since I worked out what was happening it has only occured one more time.

Maybe it is the way the cistern lid was put on/aligned with the buttons?

mikey72

Torbeck is a bit like "hoover", it's a brand that has become a type of valve.
99% of the washers are interchangeable, they are just a different washer to a normal flat type of ballcock washer.
If you take the washer out you'll see the type needed.