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?

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.

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

.

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.

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

.

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.