My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

I've just had the same lack of succes on the new under stairs wc that
I've built. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe its that spongy
big coupling washer - or maybe it's the seal between the flush
assembly and the ceramic cistern. I'll go back and check when i've
finished sulking.

I put a smear of silicone around the nuts and washers thinking it
might help. Perhaps i shouldn't.
Could anyone give me pedantic step by step instructions please?

And ditto the small sink waste. Can't do it first time. Plughole,
waste/connection to trap. ***** slight drip from that too :-(

Many Thanks...

Bad mood!
Tony

On Feb 2, 1:39*pm, tonyjeffs wrote:
My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

I've just had the same lack of succes on the new under stairs wc that
I've built. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe its that spongy
big coupling washer - or maybe it's the seal between the flush
assembly and the ceramic cistern. I'll go back and check when i've
finished sulking.



I found that it was very important that the cistern and loo were
properly aligned otherwise the spongy washer does not seal. For
example, if the loo sits on a slightly sloping floor, for example, and
the cistern is upright then you can get leaks (I did anyway).

I'd smear the spongy washer with vaseline so it can get itself in a
comfortable position.

You say you aren't sure if its the spongy washer or the flush
mechanism that leaks. If it's the washer then it will only leak when
the thing is flushed surely.

Robert

You say you aren't sure if its the spongy washer or the flush
mechanism that leaks. *If it's the washer then it will only leak when
the thing is flushed surely.

Robert


Good bit of logic - Why didn't I think of that?
- It's definitely the washer.
It is all well aligned, though. Maybe the washer slipped - I'll check
-- and I'll apply some vaseline.

I feel a bit more confident

Thanks
Tony

tonyjeffs wrote:
My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

I've just had the same lack of succes on the new under stairs wc that
I've built. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe its that spongy
big coupling washer - or maybe it's the seal between the flush
assembly and the ceramic cistern. I'll go back and check when i've
finished sulking.

I put a smear of silicone around the nuts and washers thinking it
might help. Perhaps i shouldn't.

I used silicone grease rather than sealant - keeps a seal but without
setting. (CPC sell it in small tubes - handy to keep one in the plumbing
bag for plastic / rubber lubrication).

Could anyone give me pedantic step by step instructions please?

Not really had much problem with these. Grease and fit donut, plonk
cistern in place and do up the screws. Make sure you have the blanking
plugs in any places you need them (like the alternative base entry
position for the filler).

And ditto the small sink waste. Can't do it first time. Plughole,
waste/connection to trap. ***** slight drip from that too :-(

Now these (especially if the poncy chrome ones) can be a right PITA to
get sealed. Make sure all bits are assembled in the right order with all
rings, washers and sleeves greased. Do up tight (you may need to use
water pump pliers to nip up the rings rather than just hand tight)


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In article
,
tonyjeffs wrote:
My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

I've just had the same lack of succes on the new under stairs wc that
I've built. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe its that spongy
big coupling washer - or maybe it's the seal between the flush
assembly and the ceramic cistern. I'll go back and check when i've
finished sulking.

If the cistern is attached to the wall and the pan to the floor they have
to be pretty square for the seal to work - can you try assembling the two
before fixing them down and see if things line up properly? Old houses are
often miles out as regards things being square.

I put a smear of silicone around the nuts and washers thinking it
might help. Perhaps i shouldn't.

They don't proved a seal - just clamp the two items together.

Could anyone give me pedantic step by step instructions please?

And ditto the small sink waste. Can't do it first time. Plughole,
waste/connection to trap. ***** slight drip from that too :-(

Did you bed the waste into the sink with plumber's mate or similar?
Ceramic sinks near enough always need this as they aren't very accurately
made.

--
*If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

tonyjeffs wrote:
You say you aren't sure if its the spongy washer or the flush
mechanism that leaks. If it's the washer then it will only leak when
the thing is flushed surely.

Robert


Good bit of logic - Why didn't I think of that?
- It's definitely the washer.
It is all well aligned, though. Maybe the washer slipped - I'll check
-- and I'll apply some vaseline.

I feel a bit more confident

Thanks
Tony

Not entirely sure I would endorse Vaseline for this purpose. If the
washer is rubber, doesn't Vaseline affect many rubber products? I used
thick silicone grease for similar purposes.

Any opinions? Maybe the rubber will not get affected, or it is not
rubber, or the scale of the effect is minimal?

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod wrote:
tonyjeffs wrote:
You say you aren't sure if its the spongy washer or the flush
mechanism that leaks. If it's the washer then it will only leak when
the thing is flushed surely.

Robert


Good bit of logic - Why didn't I think of that?
- It's definitely the washer.
It is all well aligned, though. Maybe the washer slipped - I'll check
-- and I'll apply some vaseline.

I feel a bit more confident

Thanks
Tony

Not entirely sure I would endorse Vaseline for this purpose. If the
washer is rubber, doesn't Vaseline affect many rubber products? I used
thick silicone grease for similar purposes.

It will perish natural rubber. Chances are the foam is synthetic, but I
always use silicone grease to be on the safe side.




--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Rod wrote:

Not entirely sure I would endorse Vaseline for this purpose. If the
washer is rubber, doesn't Vaseline affect many rubber products?

It certainly eats bike inner tubes. I used it to grease an educational
apparatus that used strips of inner tube to provide elasticity, and they
all perished in a couple of weeks.

Pete

Pete Verdon wrote:
Rod wrote:

Not entirely sure I would endorse Vaseline for this purpose. If the
washer is rubber, doesn't Vaseline affect many rubber products?

It certainly eats bike inner tubes. I used it to grease an educational
apparatus that used strips of inner tube to provide elasticity, and they
all perished in a couple of weeks.

Here's the contraption: http://twitpic.com/1b00x

The strange-looking man in the picture is the creator, I merely designed
and built it for him.

Pete

tonyjeffs wrote:
My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

I've just had the same lack of succes on the new under stairs wc that
I've built. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Maybe its that spongy
big coupling washer - or maybe it's the seal between the flush
assembly and the ceramic cistern. I'll go back and check when i've
finished sulking.

Close coupled WC's leak in one of two places. The joint between the syphon
and the cisterm or the joint between the cistern & the bowl.

Fit the syphon to the cistern with a liberal application of LSX. Ignore any
idiot instructions such as 'sealant is not necessary'. It is.

Fix the bowl to the floor, but don't tighten up the fixings holding the
cistern to the wall untill you have done up the nuts & washers holding
cistern to bowl. If leak persists, remove cistern & apply liberal amount of
Plumbers Mait around donut washer.


I put a smear of silicone around the nuts and washers thinking it
might help. Perhaps i shouldn't.
Could anyone give me pedantic step by step instructions please?

And ditto the small sink waste. Can't do it first time. Plughole,
waste/connection to trap. ***** slight drip from that too :-(

LSX is your friend. But bear in mind waste systems need to be perfectly
lined up to seal.

Plumbing aparatus is by & large designed by morons IME.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:

tonyjeffs wrote:
My technique is rubbish.
Assemble - fit - test - mop up the mess
Reassemble - fit -test - mop upthe mess
Repeat until luck improves.

Heh. Sounds all too familiar.

Close coupled WC's leak in one of two places. The joint between the
syphon and the cisterm or the joint between the cistern & the bowl.

Sometimes, depending on how daft the designers are, they also leak from
the holes for the bolts fixing the cistern to the bowl.

Fit the syphon to the cistern with a liberal application of LSX.
Ignore any idiot instructions such as 'sealant is not necessary'. It
is.

Very often, it is not necessary. However, you only find out whether it
was or wasn't after the assemble/fit/mop process ...

Fix the bowl to the floor, but don't tighten up the fixings holding
the cistern to the wall untill you have done up the nuts & washers
holding cistern to bowl. If leak persists, remove cistern & apply
liberal amount of Plumbers Mait around donut washer.

Or, if you're not too fussed about ease of disassembly, silicone or
CT1.

I put a smear of silicone around the nuts and washers thinking it
might help. Perhaps i shouldn't.
Could anyone give me pedantic step by step instructions please?

And ditto the small sink waste. Can't do it first time. Plughole,
waste/connection to trap. ***** slight drip from that too :-(

LSX is your friend. But bear in mind waste systems need to be
perfectly lined up to seal.

And also bear in mind that LSX skins over and won't stick if there's
even a hint of water on the surface. CT1 (http://www.ctecuk.co.uk/) has
entirely replaced LSX in my affections. It's a bugger to track down a
supplier though.

Plumbing aparatus is by & large designed by morons IME.

They really ought to be made to assemble and fit their designs in half
a dozen real-world installations before the products are sold. Same
with light fittings.

--
John

On 3 Feb, 12:36, "jsabine" wrote:

Sometimes, depending on how daft the designers are, they also leak from
the holes for the bolts fixing the cistern to the bowl.

Which bolts are they? I don't think I've ever seen a cistern that had
such a thing. Aren't they always attached to the fabric of the room
separately, then the only thig with "bolts" is a steel clamp plate
that's pulled down onto the pan so as to crush the doughnut and squirt
it sideways, thus sealing against the syphon outlet.

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 3 Feb, 12:36, "jsabine" wrote:

Sometimes, depending on how daft the designers are, they also leak
from the holes for the bolts fixing the cistern to the bowl.

Which bolts are they? I don't think I've ever seen a cistern that had
such a thing. Aren't they always attached to the fabric of the room
separately, then the only thig with "bolts" is a steel clamp plate
that's pulled down onto the pan so as to crush the doughnut and squirt
it sideways, thus sealing against the syphon outlet.

Quite common. You get both the 'steel plate design and the 'holes through
bottom of cistern' design. The latter has 2 SS bolts & cone shaped rubber
washers. They go right through the cistern & pan and are done up
underneath.

Yes I know.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Andy Dingley wrote:
On 3 Feb, 12:36, "jsabine" wrote:

Sometimes, depending on how daft the designers are, they also leak
from the holes for the bolts fixing the cistern to the bowl.

Which bolts are they? I don't think I've ever seen a cistern that
had such a thing. Aren't they always attached to the fabric of the
room separately, then the only thig with "bolts" is a steel clamp
plate that's pulled down onto the pan so as to crush the doughnut
and squirt it sideways, thus sealing against the syphon outlet.

Quite common. You get both the 'steel plate design and the 'holes
through bottom of cistern' design. The latter has 2 SS bolts & cone
shaped rubber washers. They go right through the cistern & pan and
are done up underneath.

Yes I know.

Quite often seen in cisterns that have been supplied with a plastic
liner. All fine and dandy - except that the fixing bolts go through the
liner as well as the cistern ...

--

John