Best to get a whole new unit for the tank or just replace the seals ??

"paulfoel" wrote in message
oups.com...
Best to get a whole new unit for the tank or just replace the seals ??


Sounds like it needs a new washer. There could even be a bit of grit stuck
under it.

It was somewhere outside Barstow when "paulfoel"
wrote:

Best to get a whole new unit for the tank or just replace the seals ??

The valve costs a handful of quid and is easier to change than
changing the washer. If you can't shut the water off (or do it
completely) then you can change a valve under full pressure just on
your own, but I'd hate to try changing a valve like that, if something
decides to jam.

It's also a good time to go to a valve type like a Torbeck, which is
faster filling. Although I respect that some people (probably in
harder water areas) don't like them.

In some areas, it's also likely that the nozzle of the valve has worn
as much as the washer has gone hard. Don't change one part and have to
go back to do it again.

I always have a spare valve in the toolbox, but it's usually the one
from the last job, rebuilt at leisure on the bench.

You don't want to replce it with a faster filling one if the new one
would fill faster than the overflow could cope with - if it had to.

Robert

It was somewhere outside Barstow when wrote:

You don't want to replce it with a faster filling one if the new one
would fill faster than the overflow could cope with

Depends on why it's "faster filling". A Torbek fills faster because
it fills at full rate until it's full, then closes. A traditional
valve gradually throttles once the tank is about half full. This
doesn't mean that a Torbek will overwhelm a properly sized overflow
though.

Keith wrote:
"paulfoel" wrote in message
oups.com...

Best to get a whole new unit for the tank or just replace the seals ??



Sounds like it needs a new washer. There could even be a bit of grit stuck
under it.

If it's a plastic valve I'd replace the washer. If it's brass and you're
in a hard water area it might be all scaled up and hard to rewasher (or
might be a part 1 valve where you should have a part 2) in which case
I'd replace (with a plastic diaphragm valve, or Torbeck type equilibrium
one if you want to be flashy). Remember to replace the fibre washer on
the tap connector and thread the tap connector nut onto the plastic
thread of the valve before finally tightening the valve onto the cistern
- it's awfully easy to strip the thread and knacker the valve if you try
to tighten it when they're misaligned.