Leaking stop cock and toilet cistern

My plumbing problems like to come in pairs...and just bfore I sell the house too!

I have two problems at present.

1. I have an Ideal Standard toilet with a torbeck valve in it which is not working. The cistern currently overflows and pours water down the outside of the house. To stop it, I've cut the water off. I have taken the assembly apart, cleaned it out and re-assembled it, put it still doesn't work. The float arm comes up alright as the cistern fills, but the flow to the cistern remains at the full flow rate. There does appear to be a slight leak from the valve while the cistern is filling but this stops when the float arm raises up. I do get the impression that the float is not coming up fully also.

2. While turning off the water at the stop cock, the stop cock has started to leak. There is evidence of corrosion on the screw, but I am unable to tighten it due to the poor access I have to it (it's behind a partition with only a 3 inch by 3 inch hole for access). The dripping from the screw increases when the water is on, and reduces to a slow drip when off. I don't want to rip the partition out as I've just sold the house. Is there some way of sealing round the screw?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

1 change it

2 tighten the packing gland on the stop cock no other way I am afraid

Thanks for that.

The cistern has now stopped leaking of it's own accord.

The stop cock has stepped it up a notch. As I don't have the tools to get sufficient leverage on the stop cock to tighten the packing nut I will probably have to call a plumber. Either that or cut out the partition wall (which is very damp).

chicanery said:

The stop cock has stepped it up a notch. As I don't have the tools to get sufficient leverage on the stop cock to tighten the packing nut I will probably have to call a plumber. Either that or cut out the partition wall (which is very damp).

Click to expand...

Eh? Sufficient leverage? Ah...see what you mean from reading op. Small adjustable spanner oughta get to the nut or, once closed, take off the stopcock cover and use a box spanner if it'll go down to the nut, no? Not clear of the layout of it.

It's not a difficult job (famous last words)....just be careful not to break the stopcock.

This thread might help:

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46146

Break out the damp portion of the wall and get to the stop cock - the plumber is likely to need to do that anyway.

In the meantime if you fully open the stop cock you can usually back seat it and thereby stem (no pun intended) the flow past the gland.