Old toilet cistern

[dave40]

Hi everyone
I have been renovating a huge old house in Devon the past 2 years and have become somewhat of an expert on most things and much of it thanks to this website i have to add. I have saved many period features but im having one problem i cant seem to solve or find an answer to.

I have an old victorian/edwardian toilet in one of the bathrooms and it doesnt flush properly. It is one of the old ones that when you pull the chain a bell shaped cast iron plunger comes up and when you let go of the chain it plunges back down which forces the water down the pipe to the pan below.I can only get it to work if i push the plunger back down with my hand with then gives considerable pressure and forces the water down the pipe.
This is a downstairs toilet and ideal for guests but nobody can flush it only me and its really getting a little embaressing now so i have to do something fast. I really dont want to get rid of it but have no choice if i cant find a solution on how to fix it.
Im hoping somebody here can maybe help or give some advice.
Thanks
Dave

 

[Aidan]

I have an old victorian/edwardian toilet in one of the bathrooms and it doesnt flush properly. It is one of the old ones that when you pull the chain a bell shaped cast iron plunger comes up and when you let go of the chain it plunges back down which forces the water down the pipe to the pan below.I can only get it to work if i push the plunger back down with my hand with then gives considerable pressure and forces the water down the pipe.
This is a downstairs toilet and ideal for guests but nobody can flush it only me and its really getting a little embaressing now so i have to do something fast. I really dont want to get rid of it but have no choice if i cant find a solution on how to fix it.
Im hoping somebody here can maybe help or give some advice.
Thanks
Dave

There's a diagram here showing how bell cisterns are meant to work;

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ttagrevatt/vlav/works_cisterns.html#standard

I haven't has any dealings with them. If it's an original fitting, I'd guess that it might be an accumulation of rust and/or limescale in the bottom cylindrical chamber which is either stopping the bell going down fully or blocking the water getting syphoned up the bell. I'd take it down and clean it out, possibly with a rotary wire brush on an angle grinder. If it then works, I'd find something to paint the inner surfaces to minimize corrosion.

Cast iron is brittle, it shatters like glass, so be careful.
If it's a recent purchase, you may have got a bell and cisatern from different makes.

 

[Penners]

Aidan's advice sounds excellent.

Just one other thought - if you're happy that the depression in the bottom of the cistern is clean and free from debris, that the bell is suitably sized to drop freely into the depression, rather than snagging on the edge of it, and that the whole bell-lift mechanism is operating properly, you could perhaps try adding some more weight to the top of the bell. Maybe wrap a good-sized piece of lead around it.

That should add some additional force to the siphoning mechanism, and give all toilet users some extra healthy exercise. :wink:

 

[dave40]

Aidan's advice sounds excellent.

Just one other thought - if you're happy that the depression in the bottom of the cistern is clean and free from debris, that the bell is suitably sized to drop freely into the depression, rather than snagging on the edge of it, and that the whole bell-lift mechanism is operating properly, you could perhaps try adding some more weight to the top of the bell. Maybe wrap a good-sized piece of lead around it.

That should add some additional force to the siphoning mechanism, and give all toilet users some extra healthy exercise. :wink:

Yes thanks to both of you guys. I think for sure actually its going to be a build up of rust etc as its probably never been cleaned in 100 years of use(its original to the house) and it makes sense.I will try this and then if this fails i will find a weight of some kind.
I will let you know how i get on.Thanks again.

 

[Penners]

I will let you know how i get on.

Please do. It can often be a help to others to know what cured a problem.