Water keeps dripping into the toilet bowl so the cistern doesn't fill up. It's not a ballcock problem, it's just that the water keeps going into the bowl.

How do you adjust the water inlet level/stop water flowing in the pan? It's an old-fashioned loo with handle that you pull down to flush.

I have zero experience of fixing loos so would be very grateful for really detailed reply. On a previous reply to a similar problem, Nobby has said "adjust water inlet level", but I wouldn't know where to look/how to do it. All help gratefully received!

Melanie, March 2009

Thanks Peccavi and Ma for your help!

melanie

Melanie, March 2009

Take of the cover and have a look inside.
Is the cistern full or is the water drained off immediately
as it comes in.

If there is a water level does not rise it means that the water is draining out immediately !

ma, March 2009

YOU HAVE TOO MUCH WATER IN THE CISTERN NOT TOO LITTLE - IT IS OVERFLOWING

Take the lid off the cistern

Flush the loo and watch what happens - several times if necessary.

A float of some sort will fall down as the water level drops

As the float rises with the incoming water, an arm will bear against the water inlet valve and slowly turn off the flow - lift the floaty thing by hand - pull it up as far as it will go and observe how it shuts off the water.


Sometimes you get too much water in the cistern because the valve doesn't shut off properly - water continues to enter the cistern and overflows (used to be outside the house on the really old cisterns but the more modern ones now overflow into the pan).

There are two ways to make the valve shut sooner - adjust the float to be lower down in the water (means it rises up more and closes the valve sooner) - OR - adjust the little nylon screw thingy that operates the shut-off valve (there's usually a lock nut on the screw which you will have to undo a bit to make your adjustment) screw the adjuster in a few turns and operate the flush - see how the water level changes when it shuts off - when you're content do up the lock nut.

Remember you need to lower the water level to stop the overflow - about half an inch below the overflow pipe should do.

If it's like this just bend the arm down...
http://www.diydata.com/plumbing/ball_valves/float_valve.gif

Here's a really sexy one where you screw the blue float up and down to adjust it...
http://img.alibaba.com/photo/52195531/float_valve.jpg

Some look like this...
http://images.productserve.com/preview/1228/14398295.jpg

Good luck...

Peccavi, March 2009