Flapper valve v syphon on toilet.

[jobloggs]

Syphon valve discharges systern when lever is depressed and immediately released (if operating correctly)

With flapper valves does the flapper only stay open when the lever is held down or once opened do they stay open and only reseat when the cistern empties? Life's too short to hold down a lever!

 

[JPC]

if not handled one, but i'm led to believe it goes down slowly once pulled up, so u can let go straight away

 

[oilman]

Syphons are fail safe. When they don't work, water stops flowing. When flapper valves break, they can leak for ages before you spot it, wasting water.

 

[dal5band]

I've seen quite a few problems with flapper valves and the other spring-loaded flush valves - just with friends and neighbours who had new toilets fitted in the last few years.They do have good points - press button & dual flush options on some.
Never a problem with a syphon flush.

Flappers were banned in the UK for years but I think the EEC made the UK accept them.

 

[JohnD]

Nonononono!

the flapper is hinged at one side. It is made of a floating material. when you lift it by pullling the handle, it opens the flushing pipe, then floats upwards in the water in the cistern, retained by the hinge.

When the cistern has emptied itself there's no water for it to float in, so it flops down over the flushing pipe, like a bathplug.

The pressure of the water on top then presses it down (like a bathplug) and keps it ealed.

 

[Nige F]

.

Flappers were banned in the UK for years but I think the EEC made the UK accept them.

That`s Hundreds of years Since Thos. Crapper invented the thing.........about time we caught up with the rest of the world

 

[croydoncorgi]

Whatever you say about WC syphons, they CANNOT leak unless the water level is too high.
ANY type of flush valve including a hole below water level CAN leak.

I've installed a number of air-operated concealed cisterns and still think they're better than the traditional type - quieter, VERY easy / quick to fit AND easy to repair.

Fact remains, though, that I recently had to change the valve assembly of a virtually-new cistern because I could NOT stop it leaking very slightly - which triggered the booster pump every half-hour or so!

 

[--tom]

croydoncorgi, could you talk some more about push button flush valves of the kind that have become familiar over the last few years - how to strip them down and repair them and where i could see a break down diagram etc.