Toilet won't flush properly, is this the cause...?

[Charnwood]

Off topic, but what on Earth is this?
View media item 38493

 

[Nige F]

It`s a bath trap All the OP. needs is a flapper valve instead of the syphon - as said before amongst the dozen or so ponderations and pontifications that make the plumbing forum a " special place "

 

[Charnwood]

It`s a bath trap

It just looks to be in an odd position, judging by where the overflow pipe seems to be going.

 

[st07]

Okay, so I've taken a look at the holes. There are three holes in total with the blue tab covering the lower two.

I'm assuming the toilet was set to 'eco' flush then. Rather than move the blue tab up, covering the middle and upper holes giving me a "full" and potentially wasteful flush, I decided to place the tab on the upper most hole allowing air to reach the middle hole. The twin-tab overhangs but that's no big deal really.

The flush now lasts longer, time will tell if this has been effective enough to remove most waste in a single flush

---

Left - how it was, Right - how it's set now

 

[Nige F]

It`s a bath trap

It just looks to be in an odd position, judging by where the overflow pipe seems to be going.

Overflow goes to a Banjo - the trap is one of those with a long flat bottom bend . Cistern still needs a flapper

 

[hammerswinger]

With respect to all of the advice already given, it could also be just a crap (pardon the pun) toilet pan.

We have recently just replaced the toilet in the 1st floor bathroom, it was an older toilet with a 9 litre flush, whilst the cistern flushed fine we still has problems, took a couple of flushes to get the solids to go away, even a few pieces of toilet paper would sometimes hang about for a few flushes, it was a nightmare.
We replaced the toilet with a new one (Toilet to go from B&Q), no modifications to the pipework just a new pan connector and now it works fine, one flush gets rid of the biggest blind Turtle with no problems, and considering the new toilet uses less water than the old one I can only come to the conclusion that it was down to the design of the old toilet pan.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.

 

[JohnD]

hammerswinger

possibly true, but did the new one have a better syphon or a flapper valve?

Down here, I have known the rim channels get choked with limescale, and cleaning them out improves the flush on an old WC

 

[JohnD]

Rather than move the blue tab up, covering the middle and upper holes giving me a "full" and potentially wasteful flush,

your choice of course, but

 

[hammerswinger]

hammerswinger

possibly true, but did the new one have a better syphon or a flapper valve?

Down here, I have known the rim channels get choked with limescale, and cleaning them out improves the flush on an old WC

H,
yeah the new toilet has a new type flapper valve if that's what you call them, it can do a full flush or a half flush with a button on top of the cistern.
I appreciate everything said but the old toilet flushed fine with an even flow of water around the rim so the rim channels weren't blocked or anything, in fact I know they weren't as when I removed it I smashed the living daylights out of it for causing us so much "flushing grief" over the years, the channels were all clean.

The new flapper valve may be a contributing factor but I honestly believe the poor solids removal was down to the shape of the S bend on the old Toilet.

Cheers.

 

[JohnD]

A Flapper valve gives a very energetic flush, it is far wider than the old-fashioned syphon, and has no obstructions. That's why Nige and I suggested one here early on, as a cure for an inadequate flush.

 

[st07]

Rather than move the blue tab up, covering the middle and upper holes giving me a "full" and potentially wasteful flush,

your choice of course, but

?

I've set it to the medium setting, rather try that and see if it cures the problem first before setting it to max. Why waste water if it isn't necessary?

 

[Nige F]

Good point , I`ve got 5 rainwater butts round my house and garden - I still use a 2 and a half gallon flush on one WC ( the other has a 6 litre) due to an old style pan - the comment about bad design was a good one - The real point is that low volumes of flushing water can lead to drain blockages . I know my house drains and that`s why I have an old WC on one of the runs . Having the 5 butts and not discharging rainwater to any surface water drain saves me £18 a year , forever . Just on the rebate for not discharging + of course the saving of £2.00 per 220 gallons supplied water

 

[HERTS P&D]

Nige you are very tight with your Butts.


Andy

 

[Nige F]

I have a plug for each of them

 

[hammerswinger]

I've set it to the medium setting, rather try that and see if it cures the problem first before setting it to max. Why waste water if it isn't necessary?

Is the flush any better now then?

Cheers.