So, a couple of years ago I replaced my Victorian Armitage Shanks with a new-fangled piece of cheap crap.

Seems the inlet valve now isn’t shutting off. In the old ballcock days it’d be a case of pulling a split pin and replacing a thrust valve and a rubber washer before my doubleentendreometer exploded.

With this thing though, I haven’t a clue. The blue float, well, floats up with the water level but the attached lever doesn’t shut off the supply and it carries on filling until it starts running out of the overflow. Presumably there’s a washer inside but I can’t fathom how to open it up without risking destroying the gossamer-thin plastic in the process. I don’t have to replace the entire thing, surely?

Apologies for the grot BTW, next time I’ll steam-clean my crapper before posting a picture.

It’s the pan you’re suppose to shit in, not the cistern ffs.

I think the pieces of junk they put in cisterns these days are just replaceable.

I’m not going to be much help here but if that were my bog i’d make sure I knew where to turn off the water then get a bit experimental on it. Worst case you end up with a broken inlet valve, (which is effectively what you already have) Best case you fix it, feel smug, save on a replacement/plumber and the Mrs thinks you are a god.

If you manually lift the lever does that stop the flow?

There’s an isolation valve on the inlet, that’s not a problem. But I’m not going to kybosh it at 10pm.

Manually frobbing the lever makes no difference, no.

I have a very methodical approach to these as follows:

**** around with every bit that looks adjustable while poking prodding and wiggling moving parts to try and establish what they do.

If this works then stop.

If not shout naughty words and go.to b and q for a replacementb after work the next day and then waste another evening fitting one that works all for the sake of 15 quid.

Have a well earned beer

whole thing is usually replaceable I think.

mine is WAAAAAY muckier than that.

try working on one that’s in the wall, where the flush lever is the face plate cover thing. it’s like trying to do maintenance through a letter box!

mine’s a valve, as all non UK ones are, and I think some scale got lodged, preventing it from sealing properly. that took some patience trying to flush all the cack thru.

if it needs any proper replacement fixng… I’m calling a man to come fix it for me.

Take out the entire flush valve pictured and take it into a branch of PTS. They should be able to match it up for you.

Shouldn’t cost more than £15

some scale got lodged, preventing it from sealing properly

I’d guess this may be the problem. I have a similar looking inlet valve and recently had some work done on a pipe elsewhere in the house and some debris got into the line and some tiny bits got lodged under the valve seal so it wouldn’t shut off completely. Don’t know if you kept the instruction sheet when you installed it, but on mine, the sheet had a way to flush out debris that got under the valve.

Take out the entire flush valve pictured and take it into a branch of PTS. They should be able to match it up for you.

Shouldn’t cost more than £15

Seriously?

No wonder our landfills are overflowing (like my toilet) and I’m broke. For a 15p washer that’s shit.

I think what I might do, then, is replace the thing next week, ideally with something serviceable, and then strip it down without concern for demolishing it.

Don’t know if you kept the instruction sheet when you installed it,

I didn’t install it, a Very Nice Man in blue trousers did it for me.

Looks like the top should twist round then lift off. The washer will be in there. Doesn’t look like one I recognise. Most plumbers merchants should have a decent selection of diaphragm washers on the shelf.

Looks like the top should twist round then lift off

What Northernmatt said–that is the way you flush debris out with my similar valve.
You shut off the water source, unscrew the top and remove it. Place a cup or glass over the open vertical pipe and turn the water source on for a few seconds (the cup will keep you from washing the ceiling in the process). That cleared mine up in one try. What could possibly go wrong 😆

Looks like the top should twist round then lift off.

I thought the same; the clips look to me like they should either screw 45′ or be levered open with a blade. Trying to turn it didn’t yield anything and I was loathe to force it further in case I destroyed it in the process.

If that’s the consensus, I’ll have another go when the shops are open. Ta.

From experience the new flush valves that the picture would seem to indicate are not serviceable and are designed to be replaced not repaired.

I know it’s a crap idea but it makes more money for the manufacturer.

From experience the new flush valves that the picture would seem to indicate are not serviceable and are designed to be replaced not repaired.

Assuming that to be the case, can I replace it with a serviceable one so that I don’t have the same problem again in 10 months’ time?

They seem to keep improving on those kind of plumbing products, so bet you can find one that will be more hassle free. As some mentioned above, at least the valve assembly isn’t too pricey. I replaced one a couple months ago with a much improved assembly and here in the USA it was about $17 as I recall—-and really easy to install.
EDIT

15 quid where are you shopping Harrods.. 3 quid.. 15 minutes to fit and most of that is draining the water from the thing.. (cordial bottle cut down to 10cm to bale it out.. nice thin edges for scooping out the dregs.. followed by a car wash sponge.

get a compression tap flexy at the same time £1.30 and save the faff with new fibre washers.. enjoy .. (ps charge householder 65 quid plus 15 for materials plus vat..)( thats 96 quid.. to justify i’d take a copy of the daily star into the bathroom to peruse for 15 mins once you ve finished..)

get a compression tap flexy at the same time

What’s one of those then?

If you do have a go at removing the top bit, try pushing down slightly before turning/twisting. I have a memory of that being the technique for removal on something very similar.

Take a gander at this doc – I don’t think it’s the exact model but it might help…

http://assets.grahamplumbersmerchant.co.uk/product-docs/10415/10415.pdf

I’ve had a quick look again this morning before work, and it certainly looks like it should twist. There’s definitely no ‘push’ movement in it though.

if you’re pining for the fjords, you could always go back to the good old days with a bottom entry ball valve.

£4 plus post

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Opella-Delchem-Adjustable-bottom-entry-ballvalve-9-5-/120779313871?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item1c1f0212cf

It’s the pan you’re suppose to shit in, not the cistern ffs.

🙂

Sounds to me as if the throggle grommit has gone. Pick a new one up from BPS, pop it in and Bobs your Uncle.

a bottom entry ball valve.

I am not, under any circumstances, going into a plumbing merchant and asking for a bottom entry ball valve (especially one that looks like it might foul on my outlet).

That raises a good point though. Assuming for the sake of arguing on the Internet that I replace it with something else, can anyone recommend something Not Crap to fit instead? Any brands I should look for?

Fluidmaster IM(limited)E

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fluidmaster-bottom-entry-fill-valve-uk/84007

The one above is a piece of piss to fit. Just make sure your cistern’s deep enough to accommodate it – it sometimes fouls on the lid.

it sometimes fouls on the lid.

Don’t give him ideas, he needs to learn to use the pan….

Fluidmaster IM(limited)E

The one above is a piece of piss to fit. Just make sure your cistern’s deep enough to accommodate it

That is the one I recently used as a replacement. It is adjustable in height as the bottom riser screws up and down into the top, so unless the tank is really shallow, it might work. Mine has worked flawlessly. Another feature is if you have any debris in your water line that gets into the inlet valve, it’s easy to manually flush it out.

Fluidmaster fill valves are good but get the one with the brass thread as it lets you tighten it up properly without fear of stripping a plastic thread. About £15 I think.

Job jobbed.

Cheers all. Turned out, the old one did unscrew, but required more brute force than I was willing to provide without a spare on hand. Couldn’t see anything wrong with it when I did get it in bits. For the sake of eight quid from Screwfix it wasn’t worth messing about with.

wait a minute – surely thats a picture of a different toilet to the one in the OP. I’m beginning to suspect you’ve solved the problem by simply moving house.

wait a minute – surely thats a picture of a different toilet to the one in the OP

Suspiciously clean…..

I think he’s just taken a stick photo and used that…….

I think he went to B&B instead of B&Q

wait a minute – surely thats a picture of a different toilet to the one in the OP. I’m beginning to suspect you’ve solved the problem by simply moving house.

Actual ‘lol’ there, thanks for that.

I did, of course, give the thing a superficial wipe down before I started on the job. Good rule for life really, that.

8 quid on new valve.. 10 quid on bleach etc to clean the shameful shitter.

Yeah, and I’m sure you lot all have your handmaidens licking their cisterns clean wi’t tongue on a daily basis.