WC - loads of water, poor flush.

[TheLastMan]

Just moved to a new house with a rather old downstairs WC. It is a large low level cistern connected by a pipe to the back of the pan.

When we flush the loo there is a huge deluge of water into the pan, I would reckon about 15 litres or more. The water comes out fast and is reasonably well distributed around the rim. Despite this we get a gradual build up of poo at the bottom of the bend over a couple of days. It appears to be almost flattened but no amount of flushing seems to shift it.

When we moved in the owner had put one of those blue tablet things in the cistern which obscured the problem for a day or two and they also left behind a loo brush (this was practically the only thing in the house that was left behind that was not nailed down) so clearly the problem is not new.

The U bend seems unusual in that it has a kind of flattened bottom to it rather than being a smooth curve. This forms an angle where the bottom of the bend meets the back of the bend, if you can visualise that, and it is at this point that the build-up occurs.

The following is an ASCII art attempt of a vertical cross section of where the bottom meets the back. The lower case "o" characters are where the poo builds up:
[code:1]
\ \| /
\ /
\ooo__/
Back Front
[/code:1]

Anyone come across this before?
Would cleaning any limescale out of the rim help?
Could this pan actually have been designed to work with a high level cistern?
Would it be worth getting a plumber in before we go out and buy a new WC?

All assistance gratefully received!

 

[JohnD]

eat more fruit

Your idea about a high level cistern - does it look very old? is there any sign of the brackets for a cistern above head height?

 

[TheLastMan]

No, there is a window just above the cistern and no sign of brackets over the window. I just thought a previous owner might have wrongly installed the toilet - using a high level cistern and pan in a low level configuration.

The fact that the poo appears almost to be hammered flat might actually suggest that somehow the force of water is too great. My hunch though is that this is simply poor design. What I really want to know is whether it is worth calling out a plumber for this or whether he would simply say "buy a new WC".

 

[Paul Barker]

We are taught in water regs training that there is only one correct cistern for a pan, never change one fo the two in isolation. Your only answer probably lies in a new wc. This always fixes the problem. I won't waste my time trying to make such a loo work as you describe.

 

[Paul Barker]

Actually I have no time for landlords that want such problems titivating, they pay for a new loo or they find a cowboy. Most opt for the latter approach and the tenants continue to follow through with a bucket of water and a pooh stick. The beauty of open fires is you can put your pooh stick on the fire afterwards. Also no need for a shredder.

 

[Nige F]

No, there is a window just above the cistern and no sign of brackets over the window. I just thought a previous owner might have wrongly installed the toilet - using a high level cistern and pan in a low level configuration.

The fact that the poo appears almost to be hammered flat might actually suggest that somehow the force of water is too great. My hunch though is that this is simply poor design. What I really want to know is whether it is worth calling out a plumber for this or whether he would simply say "buy a new WC".

Side wall mounted cistern with diagonal flush pipe Aint you lot seen nutin