Leaking toilet and out of ideas to try.

almost_done

Hello, a bit long winded but I will try to keep it to the point as I would really appreciate the advice.

A few months ago, we had a new toilet installed. Almost from the off, the toilet made a really quiet dripping noise and seemed to fill every so often. We adjusted the inlet valve and the dripping seemed to stop. After a few weeks the dripping started again, and when we inspected the toilet, a tiny amount of water was leaking from the cistern into the pan (we were alerted more to this by the limescalemark it left).

We called back our plumber, who checked his settings and said everything was OK, he said he couldn't find a leak, or hear a drip.
I contacted the toilet retailer, who advised it could be a faulty flush valve. They sent us all the internal workings of the cistern.

Again, we paid the plumber to come out to change it all. The toilet still made a dripping noise, and ran a tiny stream of water into the pan. Got the plumber back again, he said he changed the valve on the flush valve, and the dripping seemed to stop (we didn't check the leak as we thought it had stopped too.)

Roll on 2 weeks and the toilet is making an intermittent drip noise again! We got a different plumber out to check this time. He told us it would be the flush valve that was leaking. I explained everything had been changed inside the cistern. We have the same toilet downstairs in the house so he got the flush valve from that toilet and tried it, but it was still leaking into the pan. That plumber didn't really want to know after that, he suggested it could be the toilet.

Again, I called the manufacturer, who agreed to send out a new cistern and again, all the internal parts of the cistern. We hadn't got any more money to pay a plumber, so this weekend we have replaced the cistern and all the fittings. Guess what? It is still leaking!!
Everything we have googled suggests it's a faulty flush valve, or dirt under the deal, but the toilet had had 3 full flush valves fitted and 2 new cisterns, and it still leaks! Both plumbers checked the settings in the first installation and said they were correct. We fitted it the second time without looking how it had been done previously, exactly as stated on the instructions, yet it is still leaking. The water level is at 6l.

We are just at a loss. Any advice would be really appreciated. So far it has cost £50 in plumbers fees and we still have a leaky toilet (and we are on a meter!)

Jonesya

You could go for the nuclear option - fit a cistern with a syphon flush and get rid of the flush valve altogether.

G_M

I assume you don't mean 'leaking toilet', you mean 'leaking cistern'?

ie the water is dripping from the storage tank (cistern) into the toilet pan (not onto the floor or anywhere else)?

If so, it is the flush mechanism, as this is what sends the water down when you flush, and holds it in the tank between flushes.

Since you have changed the flush mechanism, either you've been unlucky getting 2 faulty ones (maybe a poor manufacturer?), or a a poor plumber. Or it's simply a poor design.

try a different mecanism eg:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fluidmaster-push-button-cable-dual-flush-valve/51173

southcoastrgi

Pics of the inside of the cistern would help, full & empty, post them on a hosting site then post the links here without the http & put a space somewhere then the forum will think it's just text because you don't have enough posts to put links

almost_done

Eek, I'll have a go, my technical skills are on par with my plumbing skills!
The only reason we haven't considered trying a different flush system is that the flush valve from the same toilet we have in another part of the house works in the other toilet but does not work in the new toilet. The plumber who came out the second time just scratched his head and said he could not think of any feasible reason why that would be.

jk0

I bet the problem is a leak at the bottom of the cistern.

Did you/ your plumber use any plumber's mait on the large pipe that passes through the bottom of the cistern? (No-one ever does.)

Mr.Generous

had a similar experience with daughters toilet, dripping water down the pan with new flush mechanism. Cistern had a lump on the inside that I guess must have been causing it. new cistern and flush fitted, no leak. I had tried twice on the old one, big thick rubber washer you would think it would be ok. Very frustrating.