better pushbutton for a macdee siphon

[ashdale]

I'm on my third macdee siphon and they all fail the same way. Half flush is always fine, full flush (a few months after purchase) and it jams. I have to remove the thing, shake it loose and refit (not easy as I'm working blind from the side beneath the fixed worktop or whatever it's called in a bathroom). I can live with a half flush except that the pushbutton is so designed that my large finger can easily slip off the tiny half-flush segment and push on the remaining large full-flush button. A much better button with, say, equal semicircular section buttons would solve the problem.

Can anybody say from the attached pictures if the cable fitting section protruding at the end is standard and if all pushbuttons for cable siphons use a standard diameter front panel hole? (On mine it's 42mm)

 

[swissheavy]

Have you considered a mechanical rod driven valve rather than a cable valve? http://www.screwfix.com/p/thomas-du...ual-flush-outlet-valve/7971f?_requestid=74853

That one also has a larger half flush button.

 

[ashdale]

No, I hadn't considered going the whole replacement route! I had assumed that push buttons could be bought separately.

The base the valve fits into (I'm sure there's a technical term, but you drop the valve into it, then twist 45 degrees), is that a standard item that all flush valves match, or would I have to change that as well?

 

[swissheavy]

Nah the base fitting is usually unique to the valve. Another reason why I like syphons over valves as they are far easier to fix compared to valves, if they are a two part syphon anyway. Plus they don't leak even when they fail.

Because you were on your third I was wondering whether it would be better to change to a mechanical version rather than a cable version. Cables are notoriously annoying. You should be able to buy a new button easily enough. Www.cisternfittings.co.uk will be able to help.