I have just had a new Torbeck Valve fitted to my cistern. The plumber had come back three times in a week because I have still the original problem i.e. the cistern keeps overflowing. He says it is dirt in the water that is causing it but he is now on holiday and the only way I can stop it is turn off the water. Has anyone instructions on how to fix it? I quite able to do this myself but would like to have some instructions before starting on it.

Lynda Skinner, March 2008

Thanks mudbathkeith. I flipped the tiny black seal and my toilet has stopped overflowing.

acsimpson, November 2021

In the valve end of the float arm is a very small soft seal, very like a conventional ball valve seal but is only about 3 mm diameter, mine had erroded in the center. With a very sharp pin you can lift this seal out and turn it over, hey presto it is fixed. It would be nice if this seal was supplied as a replacement with the main valve seal.

mudbankkeith, August 2017

I own two hotels so I've got dozens of toilets. Since starting to fit Torbeck valves a few years ago, we've had endless grief with noisey cisterns and valves which won't shut off, wasted water and loads of expensive callouts for plumbers. In my opinion, Torbeck valves are rubbish. I will never have another fitted. They are unreliable. I've just spent four hours trying to sort out a faulty Torbeck and it's now after midnight. Olive oil didn't work. I've got several spare Torbeck valves which I could cannibalise for spare parts but still no good. Then I refitted the original parts and - Presto! It's working again but for how many hours or weeks is anybody's guess.
This is how to fix a misbehaving Torbeck valve:
1) Replace it with a conventional ball valve, and -
2) Nothing else.
Torbeck valves are like Jimmy Savile or the Space Shuttle: They are brilliant right up to the moment they go wrong.

The Infamous Greg, January 2016

Thanks to Leaky Len from me too. I used a bit of lubricating grease, but this too did the trick.

SkiTuscanyCom, January 2014

total crap valve, undo and remove height adjuster and remove taper fitting check small nylon washer small nylon sealing washer is ok! mine was faulty. Fixed this. now dribbles from valve. going into bin!!!

mike ach, June 2013

Thanks guys, you are very true Olive or Sunflower oil worked for me too. Just screwed out the system and soaked sunflower oil on the rubber valve !!! I think the rubber valve hardens on the shelf or after you use the system for a while thus causing the problems.

dctplc, November 2012

Thank you so much to Leaky Len,oil is the answer! Torbecks answer was to wait and let the valve do its own thing!!

Happy Pete., April 2012

Oh Wow!!!! this has been leaky for maybe 18 months, and 5 minutes doing the sunflower oil thing seems to have fixed it for good!
Big kudos & thanks to Leaky Leonard :-)

Daniel, February 2012

Unbelievable but olive oil worked!! Why is that? I don't know but thanks for your comments as the constant seeping was really getting annoying. Good job I am not on a water meter.

Trevor, October 2011

Olive oil worked for me. Thank you Tim Berners-Lee for the internet, and you wonderful people on forums.

Anonymous, June 2011

Could it be that the adjusting stem on the float is touching the cistern lid, so not allowing the valve to shut off. To check this try leaving the top off and see if the problem disappears. If so then trim down the adjusting stem slightly.

Des, February 2011

Can anyone tell me why the overflow keeps running (only slightly) in to the toilet bowl when the actual cistern water is not up to the overflow level.Trish

Trisha, October 2010

THANK YOU Leakey Leonard!!!!

After messing about with the ****ing toilet for 4 hours, rubbing olive oil onto the black rubber stopped the dripping dead.

Grateful Gary, September 2010

you can also try massaging oil (sunflower etc) into the rubber diaphram which helps in a hard water area.

Leakey Leonard from ADL plumbing and thieving, August 2010

Here are step by step instructions: -

http://www.plumbers-mate.org.uk/Cisterns/Torbeck_valve_instructions.pdf

Nick, March 2009

change the diaphram in it if not just put a new 1 in

neil, September 2008

Try taking the diphragm valve out and examining it against a strong, back light source. You may well find a small split in it which is the problem. I had the identical symptoms to the ones describes above and this was the problem, solved by a new diaphragm for three pounds.

Mike P, Banbury, September 2008

Has he flushed the pipework through before he installed the Torbeck valve. These valves are notorious for failure due to debris. Turn your water supply off clean the valve and allow the system to flush through. You will have to collect the water so as not to make a mess. It may be possible to fit a strainer to prevent debris entering the valve mechanism.

joe, March 2008

Try www.lunns.net

Andrew, March 2008