Very noisy pipe

[Roger465]

For some months now, when the upstairs toilet is flushed and the cistern starts to refill, a pipe somewhere vibrates so loudly you’d think the house was coming down. Is there any way I can track it down and do something about it? I assume it’s some kind of airlock?

It’s next to impossible to get a plumber round here to come out for a small job – I’m pretty handy, but don't know a vast amount about plumbing.

A few details: the toilet’s on the top floor of a 5-year-old three storey Redrow house. Obviously the cold water comes in to the kitchen, directly below; there’s an airing cupboard right next to that bathroom, if that’s relevant.

There’s one of those little isolating taps just below the cistern, and I think the noise MIGHT be coming from round there – running the cold tap in the same bathroom doesn’t make a noise.

Very grateful to anyone who may be able to help.

 

[CBF]

change the washer in the toilet ballvalve/fill valve

 

[Roger465]

change the washer in the toilet ballvalve/fill valve

OK... thanks. Where would I get a washer, and is it the sort of thing that someone quite handy but with little knowledge of plumbing could figure out easily enough?

 

[CBF]

yes you should be able to do it just turn the water off first, you can get most replacement washers from the sheds or plumbers merchants, can you post up a pic of it ?

 

[HERTS P&D]

This might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPpcaiayE58

Andy

 

[Roger465]

This might help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPpcaiayE58

Andy

Very useful, thanks – inspired, I looked at some other similar ones on Youtube, and I think maybe I can get away with just replacing the washer? I’ve posted a picture of my valve… one video seemed to suggest I could just screw the top off, change the washer, and that’s it?

If so, would I just take the old washer in to the plumber’s supplies and ask for a packet the same or something?

 

[Agile]

You are lucky, its the standard large one!

They are about 30 mm diameter. That's guessed and not measured!

 

[HERTS P&D]

See below:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/diaphragm...DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item43b07c3885

Andy

 

[Roger465]

Wow thanks

 

[Roger465]

OK you’ve got me going now… I actually have two of these toilets. The other one doesn't make funny noises thankfully, but there’s a constant slight trickle of water into the bowl, which I assume means that a different washer is leaking – inside the actual flush unit presumably. Is that equally easy?

Think you can see what kind it is in the pic...

 

[HERTS P&D]

If water is leaking into the bowl and is not the fault of the float valve overflowing, then it will be the fault with the washer on the flush valve. It might be hard to match it up, I always fit a new flush valve.

Andy

 

[Roger465]

If water is leaking into the bowl and is not the fault of the float valve overflowing, then it will be the fault with the washer on the flush valve. It might be hard to match it up, I always fit a new flush valve.

Andy

Thanks again Andy – no, the cistern isn’t getting too full; I’m sure it's the flush unit. I’ll look on Youtube for a fitting guide!

 

[Roger465]

One simple washer... silence

Thanks so much guys. I realise that this is infant school stuff to you, but to me it verges on the supernatural... a bit like when I fix people's laptops.

 

[Nige F]

!st. year Plumbing apprentice stuff . But stay around and you`ll be useful on the Computers forum - I don`t even have a laptop or a smartphone - but I could do with a faster running computer

 

[HERTS P&D]

Nige, is the plug turned on?

Andy