toilet overflow

[bazmartin]

Hi, My Dad's toilet, which has been installed for 6 months, has just started to overflow into the pan. It is an Ideal Standard close coupled affair with a long and short flush on the top. Normally I would've taken the top off and checked the ball valve but on these particular toilets you can't get the top off. Someone told me you can remove the ring around the flush buttons and gain access that way. Do the float on these toilets normally give any grief? Any help would be very much appreciated


Barry

 

[salem2000]

On the one I have the whole syphon unit is removed by pushing down and turning it a quater turn anti-clockwise, its fitted with a bayonet fitting.

 

[bazmartin]

Cheers, I'll try that. Does anyone know if it would be a problem to have the toilet on the mains or must it always be from the tank?

 

[Mr.T]

Ball valves can be fed from either mains or C/W tank, the only difference is if its a normal Part 2 diaphragm ball valve; the plastic seat inside is different.(The one with the large hole-Low Pressure/tank feed & the one with the small hole-High Pressure/mains feed) You need to fit the right one.If it's a 'Torbeck' type valve (one with a very small float) You need to fit a restrictor in the inlet connection if it's going to be mains fed. Hope that explains!

 

[ChrisR]

This one may not have a ball valve! Float of some sort though, yes.

If the thing is overflowing, the water will be going into the pan. If you remove the lid you'll see the level. The filling valve could be one of several sorts, all with more or less common washers.

To get the top off the cistern you often push one of the buttons down to reveal a small undercut in side of the other. Use that to lift the button (s) off, Then you look under where the buttons were for a large plastic screw and undo it, or jam a couple of fingers in and unscrew the chrome bit. Then the cistern lid will come off.

If the water os overflowing it'll be going down the tube in the middle. If its lower than that the flush valve is leaking.

You will then have an assembly of plastic bits in the middle. Very often, by squeezing two vertical strips, at each side of that assembly, you release most of it, and it lifts out. You may find a bit of dirt stopping the annular washer seating correctly.

 

[salem2000]

oops.

Forgot about integrated overflows, and that was the reason I chose the one I have in the first place. Tw@t

Salem.

 

[bazmartin]

Thanks Chris, I managed to get the top off and found the float wasn't cutting the water off. I didn't understand Mr.T's explanation though. Can I put the toilet on the mains or not?

 

[ChrisR]

Yes you can put any old bog on the mains. But you might have to adjust something fairly simple . Very often you don't need any adjustment - depends on mains pressure where you live. If its high you may need to understand Mr T cos he's right! A plumbers merchant would help you with the right bit if you explain to them what you have.