Slow filling cistern

[dave1k]

Just bought a new house (mid 90's, terraced) and the cistern takes ages to refill after flushing.
Flushes at normal speed, but when filling up afterwards it will take 2-3 mins for the tank to fill it to the point when the ball-cock stops it.
Has anybody any idea what could be causing this? or what can be done to speed it up?
Generally water pressure to the bathroom seems little low, as hot water tap to the bath also seems incredibly slow, but cold water is no problem.

 

[ChrisR]

Usually a bit of scale or similar in the funnel shaped part with the hole which the water comes in through. May have wrong sized "hole" fitted, Should be about 3-4mm if on mains, but 6 ish if on gravity from the loft.

Slow HW Taps are often designed for high pressure systems (combis etc) but have been put on loft pressure ones by pl****rs. Or maybe you have a combi and their usual problems?

 

[JohnD]

May have wrong sized "hole" fitted, Should be about 3-4mm if on mains, but 6 ish if on gravity from the loft.

Let me know if you have the wrong size hole, I can sell you a 6mm hole for £5, or a 4mm hole for £6 (the smaller holes use more material). i also have holes in Imperial sizes. Postage is extra and you have to fit them yourself.

 

[dj damo]

maybe the ballcock just isnt dropping properly. Possibly it weas replaced at some point but with an incorrect one, and its being restricted in some way.

I would whip the top off the cistern, flush it again. whilst its filling, look to see if the ballcock appears to be moving correctly. If not give it a shove down and see if that increase the flow. It may require a little tweaking to free up its movement.

It could be that the cistern is (oddly) running off the header tank and not mains pressure. That could explain it, but this seems an odd configuration if all other cold seems ok

 

[dal5band]

Your water supply to the cistern is almost certainly a low pressure one.
If the valve is all plastic but with a ball float, it probably needs the diaphram washer changing. The diaphram washer gets dome shaped and won't lift away from the nozzel.
With mains pressure it dosn't matter but with low pressure, a new washer will spring away from the nozzel and give better flow.

 

[ChrisR]

I can sell you a 6mm hole for £5, or a 4mm hole for £6

Is that holesale?

 

[davekelsey]

Thanks to everyone who has posted a reply.
Done what was asked, taken top off the cistern and flushed, found that the ballcock does not have full travel, it gets stuck on a U shaped pipe that is in the cistern.
Will this cause the slow filling, as the ballcock does not rest on the water but on the pipe.

 

[dj damo]

It depends how much it opens before getting stuck.

Youve now seen how much water flows through it when it opens, so try removing the ball (hold the valve closed though!!!!), flush the loo, then let the lever drop all the way down to the bottom to see if the extra travel gives you better flow. if it does then you need to find someway of altering the ballcock so it doesnt get obstructed, pssiobly replacing it with a long or shorter one depending on what will work. or can you bend the arm enough to get the ball to move past the pipe (this is what I did with mine)?

 

[JohnD]

If you fit a Torbeck or Fluidmaster or similar valve, they are very small and probably will not reach your obstruction.

They are also very quiet.

 

[dave1k]

Cheers, i will try that tonight. I will let you know in the morning.

 

[dj damo]

If you fit a Torbeck or Fluidmaster or similar valve, they are very small and probably will not reach your obstruction.

They are also very quiet.

The ball valve in our loo makes one hell of a racket, Ill look into that. thanks