Is the toilet connected to Mains or Attic tank?

amytomjerry

Apologies for my ignorance but quick question about the toliet...does the cistern fill directly from the mains(well) or attic tank? thanks

Jimbo

Usually connected to the attic tank.
Only the kitchen sink should be connected directly to mains.

Joey the lips

Usually attic tank... Although bear in mind that sometimes when you turn off those red valves to operate on the tank they dont seal perfectly.

if i am working on a toilet i turn off the mains and drop the water(not to empty) in the attic tank below the cistern fill holes.

but then again i am a belt and braces person

indie armada

on a similar topic, ive connected a toilet in the attic to the mains due to the fact the cistern for the toilet is above tank level. i have a lever valve between the tee off the mains and the cistern, is there any other precaution i can take in this case.

Joey the lips

indie armada wrote: »

on a similar topic, ive connected a toilet in the attic to the mains due to the fact the cistern for the toilet is above tank level. i have a lever valve between the tee off the mains and the cistern, is there any other precaution i can take in this case.

Legally you should have used a pump here. A single impeller would have been fine...

However just check your not getting water hammer on your cistern fittings and you should be fine...

also,,, make sure they are internal overflow which all top flush are these days...

Although external overflow connected to the outside overflow pipe would alert your neighbours if your cistern is acting up while you are away....


although imo your chances are better on winning the lotto.

indie armada

Joey the lips wrote: »

Legally you should have used a pump here. A single impeller would have been fine...

However just check your not getting water hammer on your cistern fittings and you should be fine...

also,,, make sure they are internal overflow which all top flush are these days...

Although external overflow connected to the outside overflow pipe would alert your neighbours if your cistern is acting up while you are away....


although imo your chances are better on winning the lotto.

its a normal lever type cistern so it doesnt seem to have an internal overflow. a pump would be ideal but the funds are tight. is there anyway of retro fitting an overflow to these old type cisterns.

Joey the lips

indie armada wrote: »

its a normal lever type cistern so it doesnt seem to have an internal overflow. a pump would be ideal but the funds are tight. is there anyway of retro fitting an overflow to these old type cisterns.

Only if there is a hole for one...

What some plumbers do is use the inlet hole in the bottom of the cistern thats not used then useing pplumbing fittings and copper pipe set a new external overflow that works within the cistern

Its hard to kinda explain this though

Sparkpea

but sure most/all new cisterns (even lever) have internal siphons? I've not had to pipe an overflow in 5+ years..

is the south different?

same goes with the attic bathroom conversion... mains is whats used up north more often than a pump. sometimes the hot is pumped or a mains fed 10/15L stored hot water heater is used.

indie armada

Joey the lips wrote: »

Only if there is a hole for one...

What some plumbers do is use the inlet hole in the bottom of the cistern thats not used then useing pplumbing fittings and copper pipe set a new external overflow that works within the cistern

Its hard to kinda explain this though

i understand what you mean, take out the blank and fit a vertical piece of pipe to the required lenght. just tryin to think which connections you would use for that. anyway i just pushed the ballcock down while the cistern was full and it does have an overflow and seemes to be well capable of keeping up with the mains. didnt realise they were built into the flush mech. thanks for the replies and sorry for the hijack.

Buford T Justice

Joey the lips wrote: »

Legally you should have used a pump here

Why is that?

ntpm

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Why is that?

There should be no chance of water re-entering the mains.. contamination etc.

Generally only the kitchen sink ( drinking water tap) should be fed from the mains and all other services fed from the attic cold water tank.... exception is Combi-boilers.

I would suggest that you fit a non return valve on the pipe servicing the toilet.
IMO i would relate back to water regulation that apply to the filling loop for boilers.

Buford T Justice

ntpm wrote: »

I would suggest that you fit a non return valve on the pipe servicing the toilet.
IMO i would relate back to water regulation that apply to the filling loop for boilers.

Thanks for that, its good to know

Should you have a non return valve on a filling loop, or is there one built in?

Joey the lips

Sparkpea wrote: »

but sure most/all new cisterns (even lever) have internal siphons? I've not had to pipe an overflow in 5+ years..

is the south different?

same goes with the attic bathroom conversion... mains is whats used up north more often than a pump. sometimes the hot is pumped or a mains fed 10/15L stored hot water heater is used.

Dublin City council prefere external overflows especially in council housing

indie armada wrote: »

i understand what you mean, take out the blank and fit a vertical piece of pipe to the required lenght. just tryin to think which connections you would use for that. anyway i just pushed the ballcock down while the cistern was full and it does have an overflow and seemes to be well capable of keeping up with the mains. didnt realise they were built into the flush mech. thanks for the replies and sorry for the hijack.

Exactly what i ment...well done...I cant think of the fittings without seeing the pictures and codes either. If i had the list of fittings i would know but at this monemt time time i cannot think

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Why is that?

2 reasons... Once explained below.

ntpm wrote: »

There should be no chance of water re-entering the mains.. contamination etc.

Generally only the kitchen sink ( drinking water tap) should be fed from the mains and all other services fed from the attic cold water tank.... exception is Combi-boilers.

I would suggest that you fit a non return valve on the pipe servicing the toilet.
IMO i would relate back to water regulation that apply to the filling loop for boilers.

The second reason is that if you get a water cut you will have a supply in the tank (The pump is connected to the tank)

lastly and most obvios.... The ballcock actually slows down the mains even if the tank explodes and water flys everywhere the ballcock does not go at full tilt,

If you have full mains to a toilet and the toilet blocks then it will continually overflow... The toilet is the most blocked thing by kids...be warned...!

Having said that...you should be fine

ntpm

Fingers McGee:
Fit a non return valve and issolation valve in the supply pipe. Maybe cheaper than buying a boiler filler loop?

Joey the lips makes good point regarding back up if mains is off etc.

indie armada

good usefull info there, thanks lads