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Toilet cistern question.

Can anyone tell me what the white plastic stick bit does at the back right of this cistern ?  It literally just has a screw thread At one end but is not attached to anything and easily just screws in and out. 

It appears to be the toilet version of an appendix with it having no actual purpose. 

Comments

  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 28,581
    edited November 2020
    I think it should be screwed out, so it’s touching the cistern wall. It acts as steadying arm.
  • T_C_E
    T_C_E Posts: 16,417
    If I’m looking at the correct piece that should be screwed in to the float rising above the correct level. These days it will run into the bowl, older toilets would run out through the wall. 
  • Adjusts height of the ball-cock which determines how much water per flush.too much and it may overflow as well....
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,827
    Adjusts height of the ball-cock which determines how much water per flush.too much and it may overflow as well....
    Interesting as a lot of the time the float doesn’t quite fully rise, so get a little constant run of water unless manually lift it up the last couple of millimetres. 

    Should I screw it in further ( to the left as we look) or unscrew it more to the right 
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,865
    edited November 2020
    As water leaves the cistern during a flush, the ball cock (big blue thing) drops as the water level drops ... and this opens the valve to let fresh water into the cistern.

    As the cistern fills, the ball cock (big blue thing) rises as the water level rises ... and this begins to close the valve.  However, final sealing of the valve is reliant on pressure due to the rising ball cock (big blue thing) and resistance from the valve itself.  Your screw thread thing should press against the cistern wall to create that resistance.

    If, as appears the case, the thread is not touching the wall, there is nothing to stop the valve moving slightly (towards the cistern wall) as the water level rises and, hence, preventing the complete seal.

    The valve will not leak much as it is almost closed anyway, but it is unlikely to seal fully.

    Is the cistern behaving itself?
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,865
    edited November 2020
    MrOneLung said:
    Adjusts height of the ball-cock which determines how much water per flush.too much and it may overflow as well....
    Interesting as a lot of the time the float doesn’t quite fully rise, so get a little constant run of water unless manually lift it up the last couple of millimetres. 

    Should I screw it in further ( to the left as we look) or unscrew it more to the right 
    OK, so this confirms that the valve is not closing fully.

    The screw thread needs to touch the cistern wall.

    If, as seems the case, the screw thread isn't long enough, you can (temporarily) stick something in there as well to bridge the gap between the end of the screw thread and the cistern wall.  But then get yourself a new ball cock etc.

    Go like-for-like if you wish ... and then it's obvious how to fit it.
  • Oggy Red
    Oggy Red Posts: 44,954
    Love these threads. I've learned loads. Only on Charlton Life.


  • Oggy Red said:
    Love these threads. I've learned loads. Only on Charlton Life.


    The mods could put together an ebook of stuff like this from Charlton Life
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,344
    Do we really need another thread about Macauley Bonne
  • You could try wedging something (wood block as an example) between the wall of the cistern and the screw thread to see if that improve the situation.
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  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,827
    Thanks guys. Will do as suggested once back from school run. 
  • Oggy Red said:
    Love these threads. I've learned loads. Only on Charlton Life.



    One of the best ballcock flange limiters I have ever laid eyes on.
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,468
    Chunes said:
    Do we really need another thread about Macauley Bonne
    Or Tony fucking Watt!
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,827
    A Lego brick seems to have done the trick....
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,018
    You can secure a pen to it and use it to draw a graph of any unusual activity; flush out the flushers.  
  • It's a busted flush.
  • Chizz
    Chizz Posts: 28,327
    Oggy Red said:
    Love these threads. I've learned loads. Only on Charlton Life.


    Bravo
  • When I saw this thread I thought it would be full of crap answers! :wink:
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,865
    MrOneLung said:
    A Lego brick seems to have done the trick....
    I will invoice shortly.  Or you can send bank details?
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    That photo doesn't look like the Vatican to me.
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  • seth plum said:
    That photo doesn't look like the Vatican to me.
    Nah, anyone can see it's an original Michael Pangelo :)