Free Personal Plumbing Info.

Martini

OooohMatron wrote:

Can someone please tell me what the 'doughnut' is on a toilet/cistern?

It is a large rubber seal (doughnut shape) between the "close coupled" toilet cistern and the rear of the toilet pan. The base of the thread from the cistern syphon sits in it and the cistern is then bolted to the toilet pan. This squashes the doughnut which seals (hopefully) the cistern to the pan.

saucysasp

Hi, I've never had central heating until I just moved into a new house and am wondering about the bathroom radiator. It is hot at the bottom but cold at the top - any ideas what I'm supposed to do?

bernlyn

It is hot at the bottom but cold at the top - any ideas what I'm supposed to do?

try bleeding the radiator there is probably air in the radiator thats why it is cold at the top

joemack

Hi ian.
Which pipe should get hot first, the one with the thermostat on or the one on the other side of the radiator. On my system some work one way some the other, which one is right, and have some been fitted wrong. Thanks

saucysasp

I know this probably sounds daft but how do I bleed the radiator?

tanith

Hi, any suggestions how I can turn seemingly stuck stopcocks the ones under my sink seem stuck in the on position and I know you are supposed to move them now and then so they don't get stuck..... :eek:

What can I do..?

ariba10

joemack wrote:

Hi ian.
Which pipe should get hot first, the one with the thermostat on or the one on the other side of the radiator. On my system some work one way some the other, which one is right, and have some been fitted wrong. Thanks

It depends which way the valve is fitted. If you look closely you should see some arrows on it, the water should flow in the direction of the arrows.

ariba10

tanith wrote:

Hi, any suggestions how I can turn seemingly stuck stopcocks the ones under my sink seem stuck in the on position and I know you are supposed to move them now and then so they don't get stuck..... :eek:

What can I do..?

It is chancy to try and free a stuck stopcock. It might move O K with a bit of leverage or it could snap the handle.

I know it is not of much use now but when you open any valve you should close it back about a quarter or half a turn to stop it sticking to its seat.

JDPower

saucysasp wrote:

I know this probably sounds daft but how do I bleed the radiator?

Its very simple and worth doing at least once a year to all your radiators (in my opinion):

You need a bleed key (its a little metal key with a square hole at one end), you can get one from any DIY shop if you haven't got one. Usually on the side (or sometimes on the back) of the radiator at the top is a hole with a square piece of metal in it. The bleed key fits this square bit. When the radiator is cold (or you may get scolded) you put the key in and turn it till you hear it start to hiss (this is the air escaping). Then you just wait till the air stops coming out and water is starting to seep out, this may take a little while if there is a lot of air in it but don't be tempted to loosen it further or you'll end up with water squirting out when the air has escaped. As soon as that happens turn the key in the opposite direction to what you did at the start to tighten the valve again (make sure its tight enough that no water is coming out). I would also make sure you hold a rag over it while you're bleeding it as the water that seeps out after the air is usually dirty and you don't want it staining your wall or carpet.

Hope this makes sense, I'm not a plumber but saw your post hadn't been answered and its really easy (and safe) to do

happyhero

AQUALISA cartridge problem and letting by, help please.

Hi, can you advise me please.

Sorry by the way I posted this as an ordinary post and then saw this place to post. Don't know how to put that right now.

I have an Aqualisa shower connected to the hot and cold supplies( no pumps). I used to have a gravity system, ie tanks in the attic but then changed the boiler to a combi with no tanks and so I beleive my shower is now fed with the equivalent of mains pressure.

Ever since this was done it has let by slightly. In the beginning it was so little and sometimes stopped but gradually over the months it has got worse. I was holding off until I decorated and maybe got a new shower but that may be quite a while yet and now it has escalated to a trickle, which was cold water but now seems to be hot so now it's costing me money.

Can you confirm that it is because it has the wrong cartridge, and so if I replace it for the correct one it will stop letting by considering the cartridge seems to be 90% of the mixer valve, ie change that and you have changed nearly everything?

Also can you tell me what colour cartridge I need?

Do I have a choice of cartridges ( maybe offering different facilities)?

Where is cheapest to get one?

Any help appreciated