I have a problem with a toilet that will not flush properly.
Ordinarily the handle moves as if it meets less resistance
than it should and nothing happens. I can see inside the part
of the device where the water should be pushed upwards and
the water is not moving up enough. Initially the problem
was intermittent. Now it is permanently not working.
The solution I have discovered was to take the top off the
cistern and over fill it beyond the overflow right to the top
and pump the handle furiously until I got the water high
enough in the internal workings to flush.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is as I can see nothing
obvious?

wrote:
I have a problem with a toilet that will not flush properly.
Ordinarily the handle moves as if it meets less resistance
than it should and nothing happens. I can see inside the part
of the device where the water should be pushed upwards and
the water is not moving up enough. Initially the problem
was intermittent. Now it is permanently not working.
The solution I have discovered was to take the top off the
cistern and over fill it beyond the overflow right to the top
and pump the handle furiously until I got the water high
enough in the internal workings to flush.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is as I can see nothing
obvious?

The syphon is probably buggered.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/toilets.htm

Si

wrote:
I have a problem with a toilet that will not flush properly.
Ordinarily the handle moves as if it meets less resistance
than it should and nothing happens. I can see inside the part
of the device where the water should be pushed upwards and
the water is not moving up enough. Initially the problem
was intermittent. Now it is permanently not working.
The solution I have discovered was to take the top off the
cistern and over fill it beyond the overflow right to the top
and pump the handle furiously until I got the water high
enough in the internal workings to flush.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is as I can see nothing
obvious?

Most likely you will find inside the syphon head (dismantling required)
there is a flap of polythene sheet over the driving piston (the bit
actuated by the lever). This has probably failed. I believe you can buy
them from plumbers' merchants for very little. Failing that you can
fabricate one out of 500 gauge polythene sheet.

John Schmitt

Been there, done that.

John Schmitt wrote:
Failing that you can
fabricate one out of 500 gauge polythene sheet.

John Schmitt

Been there, done that.

Or an old land-rover inner tube, BTDTT

You need to replace the plastic flapper valve within the 'U' shaped part
that you can see the water not moving up enough. It's this valve which
pushes the water up and over the top of the 'U' and then the rest of the
water syphons out of the cistern.
It probably started as a small tear in the plastic hence the intermittent
part and now it's completely torn and now doesn't work.

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/diy/webpages/333.htm shows you exactly how
to do the repair.

Dave D.


wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a problem with a toilet that will not flush properly.
Ordinarily the handle moves as if it meets less resistance
than it should and nothing happens. I can see inside the part
of the device where the water should be pushed upwards and
the water is not moving up enough. Initially the problem
was intermittent. Now it is permanently not working.
The solution I have discovered was to take the top off the
cistern and over fill it beyond the overflow right to the top
and pump the handle furiously until I got the water high
enough in the internal workings to flush.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is as I can see nothing
obvious?