Toilet Issues? Here are some easy DIY fixes anybody can do

How the Toilet Cistern Works

The toilet cistern’s function is to hold a quantity of water until you flush the toilet, at which time the water in the cistern rushes down through an opening in the bottom of the cistern and into the pan, forcing waste out of the pan and into the sewer. There are two major valves in the cistern that make this possible: The flush valve and the fill valve.

The toilet fill valve is the mechanism that fills the cistern with water. It is also known as a “ballcock” or a “fill valve”. The fill valve is usually located on the left side of the cistern as you look down from above with the cistern lid removed. Fill Valves come in four basic variations

• Brass ballcock: The oldest type, usually made of brass
• Diaphragm-type ballcock: Older styles may be brass, and newer types are plastic
• Float cup fill valve: A newer design, usually made of plastic
• Floatless fill valve: another newer design

Whatever the design, the fill valve works to automatically open the water supply valve when the water level falls in the cistern during a flush, then shuts off automatically when the water level rises to a specific level in the cistern. Depending on the type of design, the valve is operated either by a floating ball or a float cup that moves up and down with the water level in the cistern. Floatless fill valves operate by sensing water pressure at the bottom of the cistern.

If you remove the cistern lid and watch what happens inside the cistern during the flush cycle, you will quickly understand the mechanics of how a toilet flushes.

Replacing a fill valve

Fill valves come in several designs, and the older styles are commonly referred to as “ballcocks”, a term that refers to the hollow floating ball that operates the valve (cock) controlling the water

Although the term ballcock is sometimes used to refer to any type of fill valve, The mechanism of a traditional brass ballcock is very simple, and where adjustments to the water level are needed, it is done by bending the float arm up or down to change the point at which the ball float shuts off the water supply. For example, when a toilet continues to run after the flush cycle is completed, it is usually because the water level is too high in the cistern. By bending the float arm downward, the float ball will shut off the water at a lower cistern level. Adjusting the water level in the cistern is a matter of “fine-tuning” the point at which the float ball shuts off the valve.

*if this doesn’t work, and the water keeps running, it may be time to replace the washer or ballcock.

Ballcock valves are prone to problems, so if you have one of these, it is a good idea to replace it with a more modern float-cup style fill valve. Replacement is an easy DIY project

Before you begin:

Before you attempt to work on your toilet you should try to find the make and model of the part you intend to change if you can get the exact replacement these can often be installed with a click-out and a click-in no need for plumbing.

Turn off the water to the toilet by turning the screw or handle on the isolation valve. The fill valve is located on a water supply pipe coming out of the floor or wall near the bottom left side of the cistern.

Flush the toilet to empty the cistern, then remove the lid from the cistern and use a sponge to mop up any remaining water in the bottom of the cistern.

What You’ll Need

• Sponge and bucket
• Adjustable Spanner
• Scissors (as needed)
• Toilet fill valve

Instructions

1. Remove the fill valve

To remove the fill valve, first disconnect the water supply tube attached to the bottom of the fill valve tailpiece, using the adjustable spanner.

Next, loosen and remove the mounting nut that holds the bottom flange on the fill valve to the bottom surface of the cistern. You may need to reach down into the cistern from the top and grip the bottom of the fill valve with another set of pliers to keep it from rotating as you loosen the nut.

2. Prepare the new fill valve

Slide the rubber washer included with the kit onto the bottom flange valve tailpiece. This washer will provide an inner seal that prevents leaking around the base of the fill valve.

Adjust the height of the fill valve, if necessary. Different valves have different methods of doing this, but with most, it’s a simple matter of screwing the stem piece short or longer so the overall length of the fill valve will fit inside your toilet cistern. Ideally, the top of the fill valve should be slightly taller than the top of the overflow tube but not so tall that it will prevent the cistern lid from closing.

3. Install the new fill valve

Set the fill valve into the toilet cistern, inserting the tailpiece through the opening at the bottom of the cistern. Position the valve so the water outlet nipple is facing the overflow tube in the cistern.

Holding the fill valve with one hand, use the other hand to thread the mounting nut onto the tailpiece from below the toilet. Tighten the mounting nut so it is hand-tight. Use an adjustable spanner to tighten the mounting nut slightly further. Make sure not to twist the body of the fill valve inside the cistern.

Reconnect the water supply tube to the fill valve. Once again, hand-tighten first and then use an adjustable spanner to tighten a little more.

4. Connect and make adjustments to the fill valve

Turn on the water supply valve all the way and watch as the toilet cistern refills with water. Adjust the water to a height that is appropriate for your toilet, following the manufacturer’s instructions. The cistern should fill to a marked water line on the inner walls of the cistern; the water level should be about one inch below the top of the overflow tube.

Inspect the fittings on the bottom of the tailpiece and shutoff valve to make sure there are no leaks. You may need to tighten them slightly more if there is any seepage.

Repairing the Flush Valve

The second major component is the flush valve or syphon. Located in the centre of the cistern, which operates with a rubber or neoprene flapper or a float ball. The flapper or float ball seats against the valve opening and keeps water in the cistern until the flush button is operated. When the button is pressed, a rod or lift wire connected to the button lifts the flapper away from the valve seat and allows the water to flush down out of the cistern and into the toilet pan. When the cistern is empty, the flapper falls back down into the valve seat, sealing the opening and allowing water to refill the cistern.

*NOTE: Newer style toilets vary greatly in design and flushing mechanism, There can be a flapper, a disc, a plunger, or a Douglas valve. Before you attempt to work on your toilet you should try to find the make and model of the part you intend to change if you can get the exact replacement these can often be installed with a click-out and a click-in no need for plumbing.

Integrated into the flush valve is a vertical overflow tube that extends up into the cistern from the base of the flush valve. The role of the overflow tube is to prevent water from overflowing the fill valve doesn’t shut off sending the water directly into the pan. A small refill tube placed into the top of the overflow tube allows a small stream of water to flow down into the bowl during the refill cycle. This restores the level of standing water in the toilet bowl, keeping the trap sealed.

How to replace a flush valve

One of the most common and most frustrating toilet cistern problems is the running of water through the flush valve, down into the toilet pan. As the water continually leaks, the cistern water level keeps falling, causing the toilet fill valve to constantly run in a futile effort to fill it back up. It’s a wasteful and annoying problem.

Before you attempt to work on your toilet you should try to find the make and model of the part you intend to change if you can get the exact replacement these can often be installed with a click-out and a click-in no need for plumbing.

What You’ll Need:

• Screwdriver (if needed)
• Sponge
• Syphon
• Fixing bolts & Washer

Instructions

1. Turn off the water supply

Turn off the water to the toilet by turning the screw or handle on the isolation valve.

2. Remove the remaining cistern water

Once the cistern is drained and the old flapper is removed, there will still be a small amount of water left in the very bottom of the cistern. Soak up this water with a sponge until the cistern is empty.

3. Remove the Cistern from the Pan

Under the cistern will be 2 wing nuts that connect the cistern to the pan there are 2 different ways of connecting the pan to the cistern bolts that go through the cistern or a plate that fastens to the syphon before the connection is made to the pan there is also a washer commonly referred to as ‘Doughnut washer’ that seals the cistern to the pan. Over time the fixings can become rusty, and the washer miss shaped these will also require changing.

4. Install the new syphon

Now, with the cistern detached from the pan, you can install the new syphon, modern syphons have a cradle that is fitted to the cistern before installing them (this makes changing the syphon in the future a much easier job). Make sure there is no debris in the bottom of the cistern that will stop the cradle or syphon from sealing to the bottom of the cistern, now insert the cradle or syphon through the hole with the sealing washers and tighten with the locking nut once this is in place you can click the syphon into the cradle.

5. Fasten the Cistern to the Pan

You now need to attach the cistern to the pan with new fixings firstly replace the doughnut washer that sits on the pan if you have the close coupling plate this needs to be attached to the syphon before the cistern is located on the pan with the bolts located through the holes in the pan then tighten the wing nuts if you have the bolts that fit through the cistern use all washers supplied and make sure that you create a water tight seal when the bolts drop through the cistern now sit the cistern on the pan making sure the doughnut washer is in place and tighten the wing nuts.

6. Turn on the water and fill the cistern

Turn on the water supply, let the cistern fill up, and then check the flush operation. You may need to adjust the overflow to achieve proper operation.

A toilet that won’t fully flush

One of the most common toilet problems is having to hold the flush lever down completely to flush the toilet. The problem is caused by the syphon not working properly commonly caused by the washer being perforated. It is possible to replace the washer but is just as easy to replace the entire syphon.

Fix a toilet that continues to run after flushing.

Sometimes water in the cistern will continue to flow into the pan even after the flush is completed. The problem is annoying and it can waste hundreds of gallons of water if it isn’t fixed. An easy way to check if it is the fill valve or syphon that has failed is to turn off the water to the cistern and if the water empties from the cistern you know it is the syphon that has failed.

The usual cause of the cistern constantly overflowing is the fill valve not shutting off you can first replace the washer alternatively if you are unable to get the correct washer or this doesn’t fix the problem fit a new fill valve if water continues to constantly flow into the pan you will need to change the syphon.