Hi - help? Toilet keeps running..

Snowseer

Hi all

Since this morning, my toilet won't stop running - the water doesn't stop running into the cistern. I have taken off the lid, and I can drain the cistern manually, but, when the tank fills up again, the fill valve doesn't close properly (using terms that I've learned today from Googling about this).

This is how it looks when it's empty.



This is how it looks when it's full. The bit I circled in red is not attached to anything (think it's broken), but I *think its only purpose is to stop the float from getting too high. I could be wrong though. The bit I've circled in blue is the top of the pipe where the water comes out of.



Would anyone know how I could fix this?

Thank you!

GreeBo

Can you manually stop it filling by raising the float?

It will be a bit of plastic possibly with polystyrene in it thats attached to a vertical plastic bar, it should float on top of the water and when it reaches the top, closed the valve. If you manually raise it you might be able to see if this closes the valve, if so then you just need to fiddle with the float to make sure its both floating and free to rise up and close the valve.

Snowseer

Hi GreeBo

Thanks. Well, the float (grey, so hard to see) is fully floating. I put in another pic below - it's highlighted.

GreeBo

Ok, so it should be attached to the valve by a lever of some description, firstly is it still attached and secondly if you manually lift it higher does it shut off the water?

Also I presume you have confirmed that the water is not stopping because its overflowing into the white area, rather than the flush gasket just hasnt seated properly and its flowing out the bottom?

goat2

I don't see a ball stop, like I have on mine, if that got stuck down or is broken, this could be the problem

GreeBo

goat2 wrote: »

I don't see a ball stop, like I have on mine, if that got stuck down or is broken, this could be the problem

A lot of the modern ones dont use the ball float any more, I guess it was too reliable!

Though they did take up a bit of space.

Snowseer

GreeBo wrote: »

Ok, so it should be attached to the valve by a lever of some description, firstly is it still attached and secondly if you manually lift it higher does it shut off the water?

Also I presume you have confirmed that the water is not stopping because its overflowing into the white area, rather than the flush gasket just hasnt seated properly and its flowing out the bottom?

Hi. Well, the valve - if that is the pipe where the water comes out of (in blue in the second pic in my OP), it's not attached. I've put the broken bit back on (that's the bit in red in the same pic), but I can't see that it's helping, other than to stop the float (ball stop equivalent) from floating too high. That's my very layman's opinion though..

Yep, manually lifting the float does not shut off the water. The water keeps running -it's not overflowing into the white area, but, when the tank reaches over the white area, the water starts to flow into the toilet again - which is a good design in this situation I guess!

No plumbers are available here yet on a Sunday. I'm still trying calling them, but it will also cost a fortune if I do manage to get one. Seems like there is something stupid that I'm missing to stop this thing running!!

Snowseer

Snowseer wrote: »

Hi. Well, the valve - if that is the pipe where the water comes out of (in blue in the second pic in my OP), it's not attached. I've put the broken bit back on (that's the bit in red in the same pic), but I can't see that it's helping, other than to stop the float (ball stop equivalent) from floating too high. That's my very layman's opinion though..

But, this bit is where I'm wondering if the mechanism to close the valve is underneath the float - that when it raises, it cuts off something that it was sitting on - if that makes sense? I'm reluctant to start taking the whole thing apart, unless this actually could be the solution though..

GreeBo

The bit that stops the float from rising should also be closing the valve.
Can you manually stop the valve in any way, to confirm that the valve is working and that the issue is "just" that the float is no longer hooked up to the valve?

The rising float should be closing a valve by lifting a lever.

Snowseer

GreeBo wrote: »

The bit that stops the float from rising should also be closing the valve.
Can you manually stop the valve in any way, to confirm that the valve is working and that the issue is "just" that the float is no longer hooked up to the valve?

The rising float should be closing a valve by lifting a lever.

Hey there. Thanks again. Yeah, I thought maybe that the bit that stops the float from rising might hit something to close the valve. It connects with an underside connected to the valve pipe when the float is up, but there's nothing there that I can find to shut off the water. I turned the water off at the mains for now, and there's a plumber coming tomorrow - at least there isn't a water shortage here where I am.. yet!

Thanks a lot for your help!

GreeBo

This might help as I think its the same type of filler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCdI5yvUGUs

K.Flyer

It looks to me that the filling valve is not being held in place and as the water rises the entire valve rises with it.
Looking at the image you posted, it would appear that the brass section should be held down somewhere. Most likely pushed into and held in place where the green arrow is pointing at.
Try to move it over to there if you can get the hose into position that it is not interfering with any of the flush mechanism.



Sorry had to post it again as I forgotten to attach the image.

GreeBo

^

Good spot, thought it would seem strange that it just came loose suddenly, it kinda looks like it was this way forever as I cant see how it would pass the flush?!

OP if this is indeed the problem (each to check, just hold down the white section while the toilet fills!)
Then I would suggest routing the braided wire hose under the inlet and behind the flush mechanism. It does look like the bracket is rebated nicely to fit the left hand side of the valve (visible in the first pic you took)

Though unless its push fit, I cant see what holds it.
Tbh it looks like it was designed for the pipework to come out of the right hand side of the inlet rather than the left.

Snowseer

Thanks guys! Well, I got it fixed with an emergency plumber (and many monies ). Pipes started making weird noises after I turned off the water, so I managed to finally get somebody over before everything exploded.

Anyway - just in case anybody else has the same - what he did was stick / superglue somehow that top bit that I've circled into the underside of the pipe. There was a screwdriver involved at some stage. So, before, when the water was lowering, this bit would drop down as well (that's where I thought the broken bit came into play - but the broken bit has nothing to do with anything in this situation - its function is to connect the flush button to the lever that opens the water from the tank into the toilet).



Looks like the pictures I uploaded didn't really show the problem. So, Thanks to you all - nice bunch of people here!

GreeBo

Snowseer wrote: »

Thanks guys! Well, I got it fixed with an emergency plumber (and many monies ). Pipes started making weird noises after I turned off the water, so I managed to finally get somebody over before everything exploded.

Anyway - just in case anybody else has the same - what he did was stick / superglue somehow that top bit that I've circled into the underside of the pipe. There was a screwdriver involved at some stage. So, before, when the water was lowering, this bit would drop down as well (that's where I thought the broken bit came into play - but the broken bit has nothing to do with anything in this situation - its function is to connect the flush button to the lever that opens the water from the tank into the toilet).



Looks like the pictures I uploaded didn't really show the problem. So, Thanks to you all - nice bunch of people here!

No worries, glad you got sorted.

That'll be €80 please, I'll invoice you in the morning.

V8 Interceptor

I've got the very same problem happening right now. When fiddling around I left the lid of the cistern hanging off with the flush wire holding it and it couldn't take the weight and fell. I've now got a chipped lid and a broken flush button......and the dang thing still filling