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overflowing sistern with torbeck valves

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Martin Evans

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Jun 17, 2005, 5:09:25 AM6/17/05
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Hi,

If there is a FAQ somewhere on this I've missed please let me know.

I have 3 toilets all with torbeck valves and all overflowing into the
bowl. 2 are the same toilet, sistern and valve. 1 of these has never
worked since day one always dripping until full then overflowing into
the bowel, the other has only recently started doing this. On the 3rd
one (a different make) you flush the toilet, it fills, overflows for
about 10 seconds then stops.

We had a water meter fitted around about the time the 2nd toilet
started overflowing and I thought it might be dirt so I took the valve
to bits to clean it out - it looked OK.

Any ideas why this is happening and how to stop it?

Thanks.

Martin
--
Martin J. Evans
Wetherby, UK

Christian McArdle

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Jun 17, 2005, 5:19:15 AM6/17/05
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> then overflowing into the bowel,

The water level must be really high to do this. ;-)

> and I thought it might be dirt so I took the valve
> to bits to clean it out - it looked OK.

I've never worked with the Torbeck. However, if it is anything like the
Fluidmaster, it needs to be spotlessly clean. It is possible to dismantle
them and scrub the mating surfaces. It then needs to have a blast with the
cap off.

Of course, the Torbeck might be completely different.

Christian.

mun...@gmail.com

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Jun 17, 2005, 5:50:31 AM6/17/05
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For all the cost of a new valve it might be worth installing one and
seeing if this
makes a difference.
I fitted a Torbeck valve to my 50 gallon loft cistern (the "cold tank"
if that makes it
clearer - the thought of needing 50 gallons to flush a toilet...
sheesh! ;-) and after
about 6 months (I think) it started giving me some problems.
I probably posted the query here, but a quick email to the
manufacturers and they sent
me some replacement parts. Sounds like some design problem.
Hasn't been any bother since.

Mungo

Bob Eager

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Jun 17, 2005, 6:58:05 AM6/17/05
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 09:09:25 UTC, Martin Evans <boh...@ntlworld.com>
wrote:

> I have 3 toilets all with torbeck valves and all overflowing into the
> bowl. 2 are the same toilet, sistern and valve. 1 of these has never
> worked since day one always dripping until full then overflowing into
> the bowel, the other has only recently started doing this. On the 3rd
> one (a different make) you flush the toilet, it fills, overflows for
> about 10 seconds then stops.

Torbecks are sensitive to even tiny bits of crud. Unscrew the big ring
and remove the washer (there a small pin it fits over). Make sure it's
all clean - hard water areas make it worse. Put it back together and see
if it's then OK. (there are tiny balance holes that can get blocked).

Tip: Unclip the float (note the position!) before trying to undo the
ring. Less likelihood of the float rod getting broken if your hand
slips...

Message has been deleted

Christian McArdle

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Jun 17, 2005, 7:19:25 AM6/17/05
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> The one in my downstairs bog makes a 'boing' as the water shuts off. The
> others (upstairs and in the loft tank) don't. I've cleaned, inspected etc.
> all to no avail. Any suggestions?

Fit a water hammer arrestor close to it.

Christian.


4square

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Jun 17, 2005, 7:33:55 AM6/17/05
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I think Torbeck and Fluidmaster are both sensitive to dirt, and hard
water. I replaced all mine with conventional ball-valves in the end.
I did a search on Torbeck, and they can be troublesome.

4square

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Jun 17, 2005, 7:33:59 AM6/17/05
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Bob Eager

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Jun 17, 2005, 8:28:15 AM6/17/05
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 11:09:04 UTC, <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

> The one in my downstairs bog makes a 'boing' as the water shuts off. The
> others (upstairs and in the loft tank) don't. I've cleaned, inspected etc.
> all to no avail. Any suggestions?

Does it have the flow restrictor fitted?

Bob Eager

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Jun 17, 2005, 8:28:19 AM6/17/05
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 11:33:55 UTC, "4square" <cord...@whsmithnet.co.uk>
wrote:

> I think Torbeck and Fluidmaster are both sensitive to dirt, and hard
> water. I replaced all mine with conventional ball-valves in the end.
> I did a search on Torbeck, and they can be troublesome.

The Torbeck I fitted in our bathroom was trouble free until I had to
clean it earlier this year...in a hard water area. YMMV, as they say!


Martin Evans

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Jun 17, 2005, 11:33:20 AM6/17/05
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I unscrewed the valve again to clean it. It is a cylinder with a
rubber washer and plastic cap at one end and rubber diaphragm, small
plastic piece with a tiny hole in and a plastic pin at the other side.
Finally there is s small cap at the diaphragm end which pushes in with
a small locking tab and this cap has a tiny hole in it. All are
spotlessly clean - it still leaks from the output pipe which comes off
the top of the valve. The only thing I can see is that the small
plastic piece with a hole in it - the hole does not look perfect and
the small plastic pin seems very short and is falltened at the end
that goes through the hole. The float has a small rubber piece in the
arm that fits over the hole in the vale - this looks good too.

Wonder if I can get replacement parts for the inners of the valve - I
think I bought it from screwfix.

Martin

--

mun...@gmail.com

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Jun 17, 2005, 11:40:56 AM6/17/05
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How much is a full replacement from Screwfix?
Under a tenner?
Why not treat your cistern then.

Mungo :-)

Ian Stirling

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Jun 18, 2005, 12:41:40 AM6/18/05
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m...@privacy.net wrote:
> On 17 Jun,
> "Bob Eager" <rd...@spamcop.net> wrote:
>
<snip>

> The one in my downstairs bog makes a 'boing' as the water shuts off. The
> others (upstairs and in the loft tank) don't. I've cleaned, inspected etc.
> all to no avail. Any suggestions?

Install several other toilets, so you can play tunes.

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