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[email protected] December 4th 12 12:12 AM

WC over-flows
 
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

michael adams[_6_] December 4th 12 12:36 AM

WC over-flows
 

wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot.
Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any
mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it
doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation?
I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

....

The only problem with that, is that you mightn't necessarily be
aware there was any problem with the cistern unless it made a
lot of noise in overflowing. Which it might not do if forming
a steady stream. So it's possibly not a good idea certainly if
your water consumption is metered.

External overflows have the advantage of being fairly
obvious - as indicating a problem - to anyone standing
outside.


michael adams

.....



Nightjar December 4th 12 01:32 AM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!


The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 require them to be
fitted with a warning pipe or with a no less effective device. In other
words, if you don't have a pipe that discharges an overflow in a visible
place, you need an effective overflow alarm. Warning pipes are usually
cheaper. However, they do not need to discharge externally, so long as
the discharge is visible. Pipes are often lead into the back of the pan
where an external pipe would either be difficult to instal or be
unlikely to be noticed. Another method is to fit a tundish into the pipe
near the cistern, although you would need to fit a U-bend after the
tundish if you wanted to run it into the soil stack, to stop smells.

Colin Bignell

Hugh - in either England or Spain December 4th 12 05:54 AM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.

The Medway Handyman December 4th 12 08:33 AM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 05:54, Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote:
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't
find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing
maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the
situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.


There may well be regulations, but they are largely ignored. IME all new
cisterns have internal overflows and I've never seen one with any kind
of visible or other warning.

If they overflow, the customer usually describes it as "the toilet won't
stop flushing". It's often the water bill that alerts you to the problem.

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

PeterC December 4th 12 09:24 AM

WC over-flows
 
On Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:54:25 +0000, Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote:

On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.


My cistern overflows internally and down into the pan. A few weeks ago there
was a small leak around the outlet seal (or so I thought) and the only
indicators we
occasional burst of filling (could be a faulty inlet - it's a bit fancy)
dilution at the bottom of the pan
then, leaving the pan to dry for a couple of hours after flushing, the back
of the pan was still wet (the tissue test).

Replaced outlet seal - no go. Removed cistern and rebuilt the whole lot with
new doughnut and sealant - leak was worse! Tightened the assembly just by
turning it by hand (The bottom nut on the outside is very large and not very
thick, so tools don't work too well) and the leak stopped.

The point is, such a leak isn't visible and, in this case, might have been
10 - 20 li/week, so only just enough to notice and almost within expected
reading. Only the infrequent sound of the inlet was an obvious clue.

Better than a mate's warning pipes from the 2 cisterns in the loft:
went out to the gutter, then downpipe into ground, so no gully!
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

Nightjar December 4th 12 09:37 AM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 08:33, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 04/12/2012 05:54, Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote:
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't
find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing
maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the
situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.


There may well be regulations, but they are largely ignored. IME all new
cisterns have internal overflows and I've never seen one with any kind
of visible or other warning.

If they overflow, the customer usually describes it as "the toilet won't
stop flushing". It's often the water bill that alerts you to the problem.


The requirement for a WC is for a warning pipe or an equally effective
device. Internal overflows that flush down the pan are classed as an
equally effective device.

Colin Bignell



DerbyBorn[_3_] December 4th 12 10:13 AM

WC over-flows
 
PeterC wrote in
:

On Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:54:25 +0000, Hugh - in either England or Spain
wrote:

On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've
been wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the
soil exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't
find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing
maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the
situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!


A couple of houses I drive past have elaborate hose-pipe connections to the
external "Warning Pipe" to divert the water into a hopper.
I guess the home owners feel really smug about their solution to the
problem of water running out of a pipe! They have been like this for years.
I guess all for the sake of a washer costing a few pence. Strange how some
people fail to attack the cause of a problem.


Tony Bryer[_3_] December 4th 12 10:32 AM

WC over-flows
 
On Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:54:25 +0000 Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote
:
ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.


Now that an increasing number of people have water meters, the water
companies presumably care less and less.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com


Stuart Noble December 4th 12 02:42 PM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 10:32, Tony Bryer wrote:
On Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:54:25 +0000 Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote
:
ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.


Now that an increasing number of people have water meters, the water
companies presumably care less and less.


Thames Water seem to have gone off the boil a bit with meters. Probably
involves them in too much pipework

Brian Gaff December 4th 12 06:39 PM

WC over-flows
 
I'm surprised they have not built a microprocessor into them by now, can't
be long.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"michael adams" wrote in message
o.uk...

wrote in message
...
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and whatnot.
Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't find any
mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing maybe it
doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the situation?
I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

...

The only problem with that, is that you mightn't necessarily be
aware there was any problem with the cistern unless it made a
lot of noise in overflowing. Which it might not do if forming
a steady stream. So it's possibly not a good idea certainly if
your water consumption is metered.

External overflows have the advantage of being fairly
obvious - as indicating a problem - to anyone standing
outside.


michael adams

....




polygonum December 4th 12 06:40 PM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 18:39, Brian Gaff wrote:
I'm surprised they have not built a microprocessor into them by now, can't
be long.

Brian

A Raspberry Pee?

--
Rod

Brian Gaff December 4th 12 06:43 PM

WC over-flows
 
Only if you are on a meter though. Luckily, my old one still has an outside
overflow, even though the cistern is plastic.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...
On 04/12/2012 05:54, Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote:
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:
Hi all,

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't
find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing
maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the
situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

Thanks.

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.


There may well be regulations, but they are largely ignored. IME all new
cisterns have internal overflows and I've never seen one with any kind of
visible or other warning.

If they overflow, the customer usually describes it as "the toilet won't
stop flushing". It's often the water bill that alerts you to the problem.

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




Adam Funk[_3_] December 4th 12 08:54 PM

WC over-flows
 
On 2012-12-04, polygonum wrote:

On 04/12/2012 18:39, Brian Gaff wrote:
I'm surprised they have not built a microprocessor into them by now, can't
be long.

Brian

A Raspberry Pee?


Ha! Or wire up an Ardu-wee-no.

Nightjar December 4th 12 11:14 PM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 18:39, Brian Gaff wrote:
I'm surprised they have not built a microprocessor into them by now, can't
be long.


The Japanese have.

The Bill Gates Foundation is looking at waterless loos (very useful in
some third world countries), which convert everything that goes into
them into plasma, which is then used to power the device.

Colin Bignell


Lobster December 5th 12 08:23 AM

WC over-flows
 
On 04/12/2012 08:33, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 04/12/2012 05:54, Hugh - in either England or Spain wrote:
On 04/12/2012 00:12, wrote:

Do modern WC systerns still need an external overflow pipe? I've been
wondering for years why they don't just overflow down into the soil
exit pipe and save boring extra holes through outside walls and
whatnot. Now I have a Geberit wall frame unit to install and can't
find any mention of overflow in the instructions, so I'm guessing
maybe it doesn't need one due to this. Can anyone clarify the
situation? I admit to being very out of date on this subject!

ISTR that there were regs about the visibility of overflows so problems
were not overlooked. It now seems that overflows that run down the pan
are accepted as being visible.
Neither of our WCs (one Topravit and one labelled Utopia) have external
oveflows.


There may well be regulations, but they are largely ignored. IME all new
cisterns have internal overflows and I've never seen one with any kind
of visible or other warning.

If they overflow, the customer usually describes it as "the toilet won't
stop flushing". It's often the water bill that alerts you to the problem.


Those things can be a bloody nightmare for rental properties in
particular... your typical tenant on a water meter won't give monkeys
about the fact that water starts running into the toilet bowl 24/7,
and/or won't put two and two together and come up with the simple truth
that they are wasting and having to pay for gallons of extra water per
day. Then months later, the massive water bill comes in, and they
expect the landlord to stump up the difference because it's down to
fault in the property, as they see it. (Not BTDTGTTS, as it happens!)

David



Dave Liquorice[_2_] December 5th 12 08:53 AM

WC over-flows
 
On Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:23:19 +0000, Lobster wrote:

Those things can be a bloody nightmare for rental properties in
particular... your typical tenant on a water meter won't give monkeys
about the fact that water starts running into the toilet bowl 24/7,
and/or won't put two and two together and come up with the simple truth
that they are wasting and having to pay for gallons of extra water per
day. Then months later, the massive water bill comes in, and they
expect the landlord to stump up the difference because it's down to
fault in the property, as they see it. (Not BTDTGTTS, as it happens!)


Where upon Landlord points to clauses in rental agrreement requiring that
faults are notified within a set period of time and also to an Appendix
forming part of the agreement that has a non-exclusive(*) list of
possible faults. An entry on which is a description of how to spot a
failed ball valve in the loo cistern.

(*) Is that the right term? A list that doesn't include everything and
something not being on the list doesn't exclude it from being considered
on it.

--
Cheers
Dave.




Andy Burns[_7_] December 5th 12 09:14 AM

WC over-flows
 
Dave Liquorice wrote:

Where upon Landlord points to clauses in rental agrreement requiring that
faults are notified within a set period of time and also to an Appendix
forming part of the agreement that has a non-exclusive(*) list of
possible faults. An entry on which is a description of how to spot a
failed ball valve in the loo cistern.

(*) Is that the right term?


"non-exhaustive" perhaps?



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