Toilet trickling into pan

Participant · 15 Sep 2013 at 20:34

Hi all

I've just replaced my toilet as it had a small crack in the trap and was leaking. All seemed to go well, however there's a very very VERY slight trickle (it's very slight

) from the cistern into the pan.

Initially it was worse hence I noticed it, so I removed the cistern and tightened up the nut that holds the flush valve tight against the bottom of the cistern. This improved things but the trickle remains.

It's a leaky flush washer though, right? Could it be anything else? Why would it be leaking when it's brand new and I've tightened it as much as I can with my hands?

Makhaira · 15 Sep 2013 at 20:52

Where is this trickle? Do you mean it's like there is a tiny "flush" going on the whole time? If so, check the adjuster screw for your overflow - it's possible that it's filling up to just above where the intake tube is, and therefore permanently trickling down.

Participant · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:01

The trickle is at the back of the pan and yeah it's like a tiny flush all the time, but only at the very back. The overflow's not the issue as I adjusted it so the water line is a few cm below it. I've watched the trickle with eyes on the waterline at the same time.

I'm fairly sure it's the washer but it's brand new and I tightened it well, so this is where I'm stuck.

Cheers though.

Slam62 · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:05

Its the internal overflow whatchamacallit

Read the instructions and adjust the fill level

Participant · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:17

Internal overflow? The overflow is here as far as I know (this is my actual toilet):

...and it's nowhere near it? However if your theory is right, then the trickling should have stopped by the morning

.

bitslice · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:21

Internal overflow

where it says 'spillover', it's spilling over
but I don't think that applies to your version.

On yours I think there is a blue slider nearest the front of the big tube, slide it up (or down) a bit to adjust the flush
other versions have a tube that rotates up and down.

OR (the more likely solution)
adjust the fill level

see the thin tube to the left, undo the U shaped clip and pull the tube up a bit, refit clip
(I forget which option fixes it tbh)

Participant · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:37

Sorry if I'm being thick, but the water in my cistern hasn't passed the spillover dotted line in your pic.

And just to clarify, by big tube, do you mean the central one that controls the flush?

Unfortunately there were only instructions for the inlet valve.

bitslice · 15 Sep 2013 at 21:48

big tube - in the middle, the button connects to it.
when you press the button, it lifts the valve until its chamber refills/empties(?) then it drops the valve shut again

inlet float valve thing is on the right (not connected to any of this, all it does is fill the bowl to level X)

internal overflow pipe is thin tube on the left (if it was overflowing here, it would be trickling into pan, pour in some coloured toilet cleaner down the tube to check),
if the inlet float thing goes faulty, this empties the excess water down the pan instead of over your floor.
I don't think this design is a good one personally, an external overflow to the outside of the building is more visible and not affected by blockages

this is what you have

GSXRMovistar · 16 Sep 2013 at 09:00

Participant said:
Internal overflow? The overflow is here as far as I know (this is my actual toilet):

...and it's nowhere near it? However if your theory is right, then the trickling should have stopped by the morning .

Can't see all the pictures in this thread due to work access however I had the same problem last year, the seal which opens and closes when you flush (the bit in the middle on your pic) wasn't sitting correctly.

First managed to fix it but undoing the unit and resitting it, but after a month the small leak came back. Ordered a replacement unit off ebay for a few pounds, swapped it out and its been fine since.

Participant · 16 Sep 2013 at 18:33

Cheers all. I've just been upstairs and dismantled it completely, checked the flush valve washer seal and it's perfectly smooth, as is the seat where the washer seals on the bottom of the cistern. I re-tightened everything and...it's still doing it.

I think GSXRMovistar might be on the money here, mainly because it's the only thing I haven't adjusted / inspected. Luckily I kept the flush valve from the previous toilet that flushed perfectly just in case, so I'll try putting that one in later.

Incidentally (or not) the entire thing was less than £50 from Screwfix, which is ridiculous really, so it was obvious that the quality of the parts would be less than perfect. I just had to see what a £50 toilet was like though! That and I'm an accountant and a bit tight

.

bitslice · 16 Sep 2013 at 19:30

Not sure what has been tested so far?

brightside229 · 16 Sep 2013 at 20:01

Hi have you made sure that the donut washer is in the correct place? i had the same problem with my b&q toilet, the fittings are really crap, i bought a new donut washer, new cistern nuts and washers as the ones supplied were pants and could not tighten that tight, make sure you have installed the washers between the plastic locknut you tighten up make sure theirs a washer at the bottom and at the top, thats the place mine was trickling from.

the way i found where it was coming from was to do the following, dismantle the top half of the toilet and take it outside, fill it up with water and hold it in the air and look where its coming from, hope that helps

Participant · 16 Sep 2013 at 22:21

By donut do you mean the washer between the cistern and the pan? If so, I don't think that can be the problem because the water must be leaking out of the cistern to be trickling into the pan. If the donut was the problem, it would only leak when flushed.

I think it's the washer that seals the flush valve when the flush button is released. It could also be the washer that seals the flush valve against the base of the cistern, though I've checked this visually and all looks fine.

Bitslice - I've just taken it all apart and re-assembled. Not sure how to test things apart from trial and error and replace whatever part I find to be faulty.

Participant · 17 Sep 2013 at 10:25

Seems fine today. Bizarre. Maybe when I said it was still doing it before, it was just remnants of the flush.

There definitely was a problem initially though, as it was still trickling having been left overnight and not flushed. My diagnosis: badly seated flush valve washer, or flush valve not sealing intermittently.

Thanks for all the help anyway.

brightside229 · 17 Sep 2013 at 10:26

Participant said:
By donut do you mean the washer between the cistern and the pan? If so, I don't think that can be the problem because the water must be leaking out of the cistern to be trickling into the pan. If the donut was the problem, it would only leak when flushed.

I think it's the washer that seals the flush valve when the flush button is released. It could also be the washer that seals the flush valve against the base of the cistern, though I've checked this visually and all looks fine.

Bitslice - I've just taken it all apart and re-assembled. Not sure how to test things apart from trial and error and replace whatever part I find to be faulty.

To me it sounds like its most likely the plastic lock nut that is at the base of the cistern, that is where mine was trickling from, and it was only very slightly but after 10mins or so the toilet filled itself back up, as i said take the top cistern off fill with water outside and have a look where its coming from.

You say its not leaking anymore, is that because the water in the cistern has gone down so not as much water in the cistern?

HangTime · 19 Sep 2013 at 12:19

I've got the same issue with one of my toilets, I found that the cause (perhaps not root cause) is that half of the button on top does not always fully return after being pressed, so it stays slightly down and not completely level so it is applying very slight pressure on the valve(?). My 'solution' is after flushing to raise the cistern lid slightly and then drop it back which seems to return the button to it's correct position.

Not sure what the actual underlying/root cause is though i.e. why the button doesn't reset properly.

d_brennen · 19 Sep 2013 at 12:26

HangTime said:
I've got the same issue with one of my toilets, I found that the cause (perhaps not root cause) is that half of the button on top does not always fully return after being pressed, so it stays slightly down and not completely level so it is applying very slight pressure on the valve(?). My 'solution' is after flushing to raise the cistern lid slightly and then drop it back which seems to return the button to it's correct position.

Not sure what the actual underlying/root cause is though i.e. why the button doesn't reset properly.

In a toilet I used to have, there was a spring under the two part button which was fairly feeble. Replaced it with a random spring I had in my junk box which was much thicker and it was fine after. The toilet didn't leak mind, just the button wouldn't return level with the top