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Leaking pipe - advice please |
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| message from Terry Pinnell on 23 May 2004 |
I just noticed a damp patch where the overflow pipe from toilet
cistern goes through the wall - it became noticable presumably because
I'd just added a fresh 'blue thingie'. Checking the cistern, I saw it
was adjusted wrongly. Presumably the valve should close when the water
level is a short distance from the overflow pipe? This was still
dripping in and hence the steady overflow. Anyway, I reckon I've
adjusted that OK now.
But, I know nothing about plumbing, so I'm not sure if it's worth teh
expense of a proper repair? What do the experts advise please?
I've shown a couple of illustration here:
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Images/Overflow1.jpg
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/Images/Overflow2.jpg
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| Mark replied to Terry Pinnell on 24 May 2004 |
What do the experts advise
The KISS approach to circuit design ;-)
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| Terry Pinnell replied to Mark on 24 May 2004 |
I'm plumbing new depths... <g>.
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| BigWallop replied to Terry Pinnell on 23 May 2004 |
If the second picture shows the new water height after your adjustment, then the
adjustment has been all that was needed. Your first picture shows the old blue
ring mark around the cistern and the water level was set rather high wasn't it ?
But it should be OK now that you've got it right.
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| Terry Pinnell replied to BigWallop on 24 May 2004 |
Thanks. Yes, you're correct. And I checked again after several hours
and it's settled about half inch below overflow.
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| Dave Liquorice replied to Terry Pinnell on 23 May 2004 |
Yes, otherwise it overflows... Most cisterns have a water line mark
cast into the china, indeed there appears to be one just below the
water level in the picture you posted ...
If the valve now shuts off properly I'd not worry about it, maybe
tweak it down a bit more to the marked water line, save water and all
that. Perhaps keep an eye to make sure that the adjustment doesn't
change overtime, there does appear to be a brass locking nut so if you
tighten that it shouldn't. Beware it'll be easy to strip the nylon
thread so don't try and murder it up tight.
As to the leak, overflow piping is solvent weld, but is quite snug. I
suspect who ever installed it just shoved the pipes into the elbow
sans solvent. Now the pipe has no water there isn't an immediate
problem probably best to sort out as some time though.
Experts? Well those with a bit more knowledge maybe...
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| Terry Pinnell replied to Dave Liquorice on 24 May 2004 |
OK, many thanks, very helpful.
As you see, the pipe in question (the bottom one) is right down in the
corner and has some sort of right-angle joint before entering the
wall. What would a plumber be likely to actually *do*? Cut it, and
make a new joint? Assuming it *is* the joint, and not some fracture
inside the wall ;-(
I was wondering whether a couple of coats of gloss paint might be
enough to seal it? After all, it's just a gravity feed and at worst
will never be under pressure.
Not hard when the baseline is *my* know-how!
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| Dave Liquorice replied to Terry Pinnell on 24 May 2004 |
A plumber would do the quickest fix, cut the pipe and replace the
section through the wall. or maybe replace the whole section back to
the next joint, which may well not be welded either...
Me? Well I'd test the theory of non-welded joints by pulling at the
pipe the other side of the wall, if it came out I then go inside with
that bit of pipe spring the joint out of the wall and apply solvent
and stick it onto the relevant end of the loose pipe then thread that
back through the wall and spring the fixed pipe into the glued end of
the joint. The "spring" is the bit which may or may not cause
problems...
In the short term it's probably work but paint will crack over time
and you back to square one. Best to sort it out properly.
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| Terry Pinnell replied to Dave Liquorice on 25 May 2004 |
Thanks, Dave, appreciate the follow-up.
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| P.R.Brady replied to Terry Pinnell on 25 May 2004 |
Just a thought - is water dripping from the end of the pipe back along
the outside of it by capilliary action?
If so, fix with a 90 degree bend pointing down, a hole about 5mm from
the end to force it to drip off or even a C shaped piece of pipe sprung
over it.
Phil
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| Dave Liquorice replied to P.R.Brady on 25 May 2004 |
A good thought, hadn't occurred to me and worth checking before
dismantling...
A drip isn't going to find it's way back up the 1/2" or so of an elbow
so no need for holes. Though a cure for a slow leak, it would mean a
fast one had flow down the wall instead of being projected away from
it. Maybe a 135 deg bend rather than a 90?
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| Ian Stirling replied to Terry Pinnell on 23 May 2004 |
The overflow pipe should not leak like that, it should take the water
outside without leaks.
It's probable that the adjustment was in fact correct, but the valve
is leaking a bit, and needs either repaired or replaced.
Might any water have been running down the outside of the pipe?
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| Terry Pinnell replied to Ian Stirling on 24 May 2004 |
Seemed to be OK after a few hours. Steady at 1/2" below.
No, that looks OK thanks.
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