Is it traditional to use the half-hour gap between visiting relatives
to re-plumb toilets over Christmas? 8-(

For the last few weeks, the toilet has been dripping. The close-
coupled cistern isn't firmly attached to the wall, a visiting gorilla
swung on the flush handle and the rubber doughnut no longer seated
snugly into the pan. A replacement close-coupling-coupler was duly
purchased and sat awaiting tuits.

Today was the day (Tomorrow is 5 extra rellies). I soon realised that
the rubber washer on the overflow standpipe was gloopified, but no-one
sells them as spares (I think http://www.screwfix.com/prods/65267/
Plumbing/Toilet-Fittings/Fluidmaster-Blanking-Off-Plug-White is the
nearest). That was one trip for parts.

Then I tried to re-connect the water supply and couldn't get the rigid
copper pipe to mate with the mashed thread on the bottom entry valve
without leaking. Cue a 2nd trip in the opposite direction for a new
Fluidmaster valve. Previously I'd been a Torbeck fan, but these seem
faster, quieter, and don't have such tiny orifices at risk of scale.
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/84007/...ilet-Fittings/
Fluidmaster-Bottom-Entry-Fill-Valve-UK

The doughnut incidentally was no trouble,..

Now it's all back together and leak-free, but seems to have trouble
with the flush itself - the syphon doesn't stop syphoning. My
suspicion is that the fast-filling Fluidmaster simply starts to re-
fill the cistern before it's fully emptied and breaks the syphon.
After all, Delchem's design is based around a flapper valve rather
than a syphon. Is there anything I can do to regulate this? At present
I've just left the supply ball valve at 45o, which isn't quite ideal.