Plumbing: Ghost flushing - Please help!

[FlyingFish]

From the sounds of your postings, your probably best to get a plumber in to fix your toilet and remove any worries and apprehension you have about taking advice from a computer chat forum and doing the job yourself.

Nobody over the internets can confirm anything for you 100% without going out and looking at the job in hand, so wishfull thinking if thats what your after.. Sorry m8.

If you have a bit of common sense, quite handy, and can accept that **** happens then have a go, it isnt a hard job nor an expensive job. But thats my perspective, where somebody else could view it as a nightmare.

Choice is yours
Mick

 

[diverse180]

Is there a part / model number on the syphon?

Maybe it would be worth taking a quick look online for a manual or problems relating to the actual model you have before just 'grabbing it, twisting it, and pulling it off'

Just curious RMB, but how much did you have to fork out for a plumber just to change the float valve? If you don't mind me asking that is?

 

[RastaManBob]

Just curious RMB, but how much did you have to fork out for a plumber just to change the float valve? If you don't mind me asking that is?

Rather embarrassing - Too much!

Rang around a few plumbers and the majority said that to replace the unit would be £60 - £75 including labour and parts. I rang another guy that sounded a lot better and said he could pop round that evening to have a look. He said he'd charge £40 labour (minimum one hour) and whatever it cost for the part (said I could source it myself if I wanted). Apparently his merchants charge £20 so we looked on the Homebase and Wickes site and found one for £12. He then said he was happy to go out and collect it, etc, and fit it there and then (despite the fact he said he'd finished for the day and had come round just to check what the problem was).

Therefore, in total it cost £52. He seemed a genuine bloke and did it all there and then. He was still cheaper than the other quotes I'd had. I don't know if charging "one hour minimum labour" is the norm but it was still cheaper than others, and I guess including the time from him first arrival to his leaving (including going off to buy the part) was about an hour even if fitting it only took five to ten minutes.

I was a bit gutted when he did it considering that replacing it was exactly as I had read, apart from I was not being hard enough on the nut in the previous thread; I guess I did not know how much force I should/could exert without breaking anything. He only used water pump pliers... I guess it's all experience.

I still think it was the right thing to do anyway, albeit embarrassing how simple it appeared (though I'm not talking it down, it obviously couldn't have been that "simple" or I'd have done it correctly first, right?). Either way though I'd have paid for the parts so it "only" cost £40 more and as I've got an invoice this way I can inform the landlady and see if I can get the money back. Plus, if I'd have done it I'd be paranoid that this new problem was related (and my fault).