# Plumbing day



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

At around midnight last night after the last flush the cistern decided to carry on working, I flushed twice more thinking maybe it would clear whatever the problem was, but no so I turned off the water.

So me being me, this morning with great difficulty because its a stupid cistern, I took the top off to have a look, took off the two bits for flushing and tried to take the cartridge out, no way can I get it out, there must be a very special trick. 
Now then, I have discovered this two flush is a one flush because both the things come up together.
The cistern doesn´t fill to the dirty line, but when it has finished putting this much water in there is a very faint hissing, like you hear when gas is escaping, and after some time its full to the top and a little drip of water going into the bowl. Picture with two lines when it stopped putting water in seemingly and the other 30 mins later when its right to the top and water dripping into the bowl. 
So I think my plumbing day is over and have asked my friend Alex to find me a plumber urgently.
Here are a few pictures of this weird arrangement that I can´t find on youtube.
And the disgusting state of the inside of a toilet cistern. :frown2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Told ya, hope it gets sorted quickly for you Gert.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

The cistern has to be lifted off the toilet bowl to remove the central column. The water leaking into the bowl points to a fill level adjustment not working properly, likely gummed up.

The central flush columns are relatively cheap, your plumber will likely replace rather than fiddling with it. Biggest issue can be getting at the nuts holding the cistern to the bowl and the reselling it, best to use a new foam type washer to seal them back together.

Happy flushing

Terry

Edit. Just noticed the float level adjustment screw on the red part of the inlet valve.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

Be worth trying adjusting the screw to see if it will stop the fill valve and save on the plumber costs.

Terry


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

One thing is for sure I am glad I looked I now have some idea of how it works AND found the cistern shut off valve is INSIDE the actual cistern, is that normal? It´s the stainless knob in the second picture.

I have left the top off so I can turn it off and on when I need to and a bucket of water for little flushes :smile2: Haven´t heard about a plumber yet.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

JanHank said:


> One thin is for sure I am glad I looked I now have some idea of how it works AND found the cistern shut off valve is INSIDE the actual cistern, is that normal? It´s the stainless knob in the second picture.
> 
> I have left the top off so I can turn it off and on when I need to and a bucket of water for little flushes :smile2: Haven´t heard about a plumber yet.


Those foreigners do funny things with plumbing, never seen an isolating valve inside a cistern before.

Terry


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

dghr272 said:


> Be worth trying adjusting the screw to see if it will stop the fill valve and save on the plumber costs.
> 
> Terry


I have tried that Terry, the only way I can stop the hissing is to turn the water off, so it wait for a plumber, still haven´t heard anything.

All these things that were going to be done last year when he came out of hospital and of course have not been done, one was to change this stupid cistern and maybe the whole lot.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I dunno how old it all is Jan but they are not built like they used to be and the life can be only 10 or 12 years now without attention. 
We have one thats as old as the house or 30 years and still going strong but another one has been replaced 3 or 4 times in the 24 years we have had the house.
The syphon and floats are cheap and expendable. Yours really does look past it's shelf life.

Ray.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Agree, time expired system. The likelihood is that calcareous deposits are stopping it sealing properly so it is filling tot the overflow level and running onto the bowl.

A new stop cock and flush mechanism is around 30 Euros (Cant find the Euro symbol on this keyboard), it will take a plumber perhaps an hour to replace the entire gubbiins and adjust. He will need to take the cistern off the bowl probably as there is a plastic nut that holds the flush mechanism onto the bottom of the cistern with seals above to stop the whole thing leaking constantly. Not a difficult job but a plumber is probably a good idea as several seals have to be dismantled and remade and you do not want floods...

Like others, I have never heard of an isolating valve inside the cistern, a plumber may well decide to put one outside for ease of access - that is where all of ours are fitted.

Good luck.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Yes, well, see, you lots not in Deutschland is ya.

As the house is only 14 years old that's how old the cistern is and it has already had a new blue bit and I have just had a WhatsApp to say Alex is coming to have a look and if he can´t fix it the plumber will be here tomorrow at 4pm.

I think I will have to have one of those water softeners installed, I will see what Alex or the plumber says.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

My friend Alex has been, he couldn´t help with the cistern so I have to wait until tomorrow.
He did however help with my dish washer, took the thing off from under the sink, saw that it was not chalked up put it back, turned on the water and hey presto my dish washer works again :grin2: He thought it was the thing being over sensitive and shutting it off.
I can hear it working away merrily now, so no more washing up for me, it will probably take a fortnight to fill it mind you. :grin2:


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

*Oh no, now what*

There I was, stood standing under the shower, shampoo still on my hair and the buddy water goes off, for some reason there was a spurt more, just enough to get the shampoo off and I was done, but if I had still had my long hair it wouldn't have been enough to since it off. So thinks I, what the heck has gone wrong now. yesterday the toilet cistern today the whole system. Oh well at least I'd had a cuppa before the shower, so just got dressed to take Motley and see if other peoples water was off, just got outside the door looked up the road and there was the water van, digger and 4 men, one of them Horst because there was a big hole in the side of the road, now no man can resist looking in there :grin2: Anyway it was a burst water main lots of water all over the road. We had our walk, I asked on the way back if they had any idea how long before I could have my breakfast, because they were in the van having theirs. They are waiting for material, should be done in about an hour.
Well thinks I, I will have to use some of the water from my water supply it will be OK once its boiled, but I had a small water supply a 5 ltr. can I had put in for use on day trips, so that's now in the coffee machine making my breakfast drink. There's a lot more than one advantage of having a Motorhome.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You live such an exiting life Gerty luv.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> You live such an exiting life Gerty luv.


I could do without this sort of excitement thanks. 
Goodness knows when I will be able to get away if anything else goes wrong.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Make sure you turn off the gas and water before you leave home.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

You and me both Jan. The electric company has decided to plant new concrete poles for the power lines across my land and the field next door today in the rain.
The heavy truck that drills and positions the poles is going to make a right mess of my lawn apart from sticking the new post in a totally different position to the old one. Not much I can do about it now apart from show I'm watching.

Ray.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

*Ho, ho, ho,*

Good job the temperature has dropped because now look what else is being dropped.
As long as it stays cool and the slight wind we have is blowing the stink away I will be OK in the house, but I did intend cutting the grass today so thats cancelled because I don´t think a mask will stop the smell.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

*Water man has been*

I need a new cistern, as he can`t do it until next week we are going to leave it until October when I am back from my travels. Turn off water at the mains and nothing can happen can it Kev :grin2:

I can now prepare all, grass must be cut, a few more home jobs and then I can go, probably at the weekend.

Muck spreading been going on all day and they are ploughing it in. Funnily so far there is no smell, it is quite warm, but 10° cooler when they made a false start last week when it was 33°C and no fresh air to breath. Today is a very comfortable 23° a little breeze going in the right direction, away from me.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

They are spreading around here too, although it's nigh on 30C. Like you, no stench, no idea why but pleased to be able to say it.

It reminds me of the song about "sling it here, sling it there, if you stand in line then you'll all get your share"

But sadly I can't find it to link to....


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Penquin said:


> They are spreading around here too, although it's nigh on 30C. Like you, no stench, no idea why but pleased to be able to say it.
> 
> It reminds me of the song about "sling it here, sling it there, if you stand in line then you'll all get your share"
> 
> But sadly I can't find it to link to....


I didn´t get the Flinging.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We used to sing other words to that tune. 

"I come from the country may name it be Giles,
I´ve travelled one hundred and twenty five miles"

I can´t remember how it carries on.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

1: I come from the country, me name it is Giles,
And I’ve travelled a hundred and twenty odd miles;
For a simple old farmer I know I’ve been took,
But a ain’t such a fool as you think that I look.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

2: Now I comes up be train and the journey was fine,
On the London and Brighton and South Eastern line;
Of snails and hot harness I’ll give such talk,
If I wants to get home in a hurry I’ll walk.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
Now it took all night and best part of next day,
Folks got out and gathered wild flowers by the way.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

3: Now the Angel at Islington I hadn’t seen,
So I took a bus up to Islington Green;
There were scores and scores of them dainty young things
Now they all had fine feathers but not one had wings.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
They all called for drinks and they asked I to pay,
Said I, “If you’re angels, go on fly away.”
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

4: I saw Nelson’s Column one day from The Strand,
And a chap standing by said, “Isn’t that Grand?”
I said, “Your pardon, may n’t I beg
For down on me farm I’ve a pig with five legs.”
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
“I beat thee this time, mister, so what do e say?
You don’t get five hams off one pig every day.”
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

5: I went to a theatre in Leicester Square,
And I’m very glad that me missus weren’t there;
’Cos there were lots of young ladies all dressed up in tights,
And me missus, her won’t let me look at such sights.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
I’d go every night if I had me own way,
’Cos one girl winked at me just as if to say:
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

6: I went up to the National Gallery,
And a very fine picture of Venus I see;
Now I gazed at it once and I gazed at it twice,
I says, “If that there be Venus she must have been nice.”
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
There’s only one thing I’ve got for to say,
I wish my old woman were built the same way.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.

7: I went up to Westminster and saw parliament,
And a very enjoyable time there I spent;
There were lots to laugh at and lots to admire,
And one gentleman called another a liar.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.
There’s only one thing I’ve got for to say*,
’Cos if they don’t do much they got plenty to say.
Right toora lye oora lye oora lye ay.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I know I have heard the words before Drew, but I can´t remember where probably someones party piece to sing on a coach trip or in the pub..

I think we probably remembered the first 2 lines and that was it.


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