how can i stop water running down the pan past the syphon on ideal standard cistern its about 4 years old duel push button type thanks

l barnes, July 2009

Also; push button cisterns have modern types of valve flush mechanisms, not a true syphon as used on all old w/cs before about 10 years ago when water regulations were changed to allow dual flush. Valve types suffer from leaking seals (constant trickle into pan - wasting water) which are often hard to find or unobtainable (i.e for derwent pacific), when they need replacing. You end up replacing the whole thing - £30 or so plus labour. Built in obsolescence! A traditional syphon £10 - will not usually fit & anyway requires a lever to operate - so you'd have to replace your 3 year old w/c! Trad syphons can now be adapted to variable flush - see interflush.co.uk

flowboy, August 2009

Good!

nice to get feedback - most unusual - thanks to you...

P, July 2009

tightened the wing net at cistern and it has stopped running ps just the job many thanks peccavi

l barnes, July 2009

If it's a close coupled cistern the syphon tube comes through the bottom of the cistern with a rubber sealing washer on the inside and a large nylon nut on the outside, underneath.

The nut and tube sit on a donut washer...

http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz/wickes/invt/420067/420067-ab0-00co_full.jpg

and the tube passes through this to deliver water to the WC pan. The donut washer is pulled down and compressed hard by a metal plate with two wing nuts that you can see at the back of the pan - one each side.

The leak you have may be from the donut washer and if lucky you may be able to fix it by just tightening the wing nuts.

If you need to remove the cistern it's not difficult - isolate the water inlet and flush the loo - disconnect the water supply - remove the wing nuts from the donut plate - remove two screws that hold the cistern to the wall and lift it off - tip any residual water away. It really is a 5 minute job.

You can then inspect the integrity of the syphon tube and the condition of the donut washer.

TIP - squint sideways along at the donut washer - a thin black line between cistern and pan - if it's parallel and the cistern is level with respect to the pan then OK but if the donut washer is thin at the front and fatter at the back then the syphon tube may be interfering with the pan preventing a good seal - just cut an eighth of an inch from the end of the syphon tube to get it level.

Peccavi, July 2009