GRcade

I recently replaced the fill valve on our toilet.

Of course it went disastrously wrong.

The cistern is filling at a glacial pace, after 30 minutes I gave it up as a bad job.

Looking around online, I think it's because of a flow restricter. There was a plastic blue one in the packaging, looking in the pipe, there's another one which I pulled out.



They look so different though that I'm scared the white one is actually something else essential to the entire valve.

The instructions don't even mention flow restricters and I can't find anything online that looks anything like that white thing.

Does anybody know if I'm safe to put the blue one in, or just do without either?

It's probably just where your expanding foam has blocked the pipes.

Jenuall wrote:It's probably just where your expanding foam has blocked the pipes.

The expanding foam will be my next job after I successfully fix a toilet.

Speaking as someone who routinely sees the instructions they create not even be looked at, have you checked the instructions/datasheet either in the packaging or looked online for it? It's a certification requirement that these things are listed so you should at least be able to see what each part is, if only a model reference to then look up. The white part looks more like a filter. If you don't have to properly seal them in place, maybe try the white one in the toilet first, watch ready to cut the water straight off and see what it does.

Good idea, start with the water Lego before moving on to real DIY jobs.

I can't say as I've meddled that much with plumbing myself, the white object looks like more of a filter than anything. The only flow restrictors/regulators I've seen are when fitting some taps and they looked more like buttons that these two things that are longer.

Jenuall wrote:Good idea, start with the water Lego before moving on to real DIY jobs.

I can't say as I've meddled that much with plumbing myself, the white object looks like more of a filter than anything. The only flow restrictors/regulators I've seen are when fitting some taps and they looked more like buttons that these two things that are longer.

The blue thing is definitely a flow restrictor, I have found similar looking examples online.

The white thing is a mystery, I can't find anything that looks like it. I can't see why you'd have a filter for a toilet valve, the water going in would definitely be cleaner so no need to filter it.

Do you even filter bro?

So the white one was in there before and the blue one is what came with your new valve? I'd go with Victor's suggestion and carefully try the new one in there and see if it makes any difference.

My understanding is that a fill valve is basically a self contained unit so as long as it is connected properly it should just do its thing.

Victor Mildew wrote:Speaking as someone who routinely sees the instructions they create not even be looked at, have you checked the instructions/datasheet either in the packaging or looked online for it? It's a certification requirement that these things are listed so you should at least be able to see what each part is, if only a model reference to then look up. The white part looks more like a filter. If you don't have to properly seal them in place, maybe try the white one in the toilet first, watch ready to cut the water straight off and see what it does.

The instructions don't mention it.

https://www.vivasanitary.co.uk/media/20 ... P0012B.pdf

I'm tempted to try it with just the blue one in, but terrified I'll flood the entire city.

Well can you at least wait until I'm over the Severn Bridge before you do it?

Jenuall wrote:Well can you at least wait until I'm over the Severn Bridge before you do it?

On the plus side, there's no point in me panic buying toilet paper.

Daft question but did you turn the water on fully after fitting?

Rex Kramer wrote:Daft question but did you turn the water on fully after fitting?

Yeah. I only isolated it at the pipe after giving up on it.

Moggy wrote:

Rex Kramer wrote:Daft question but did you turn the water on fully after fitting?

Yeah. I only isolated it at the pipe after giving up on it.

And did you quarter turn the pipe isolator to put it back on? Maybe try adjusting that whilst it's filling?

Rex Kramer wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Rex Kramer wrote:Daft question but did you turn the water on fully after fitting?

Yeah. I only isolated it at the pipe after giving up on it.

And did you quarter turn the pipe isolator to put it back on? Maybe try adjusting that whilst it's filling?

Yeah tried all that, it was fully open (I turned the mains off when fitting new valve), I then turned the isolater on the actual pipe when the new valve wasn't working.

I'd be surprised if fitting a flow regulator made it fill faster, that seems counterintuitive.

Rex Kramer wrote:I'd be surprised if fitting a flow regulator made it fill faster, that seems counterintuitive.

I don't even know if the white thing is a regulator, that's what I pulled out of the valve.

The blue thing is definitely one, I've not tried fitting it as I don't know if the white thing is needed.

The 3d model on their site seems to have something blue in the inlet feed. Maybe disconnect the water and check in there. The other thing looks like a water filter, maybe for areas with a lot of impurities?

Rex Kramer wrote:The 3d model on their site seems to have something blue in the inlet feed. Maybe disconnect the water and check in there. The other thing looks like a water filter, maybe for areas with a lot of impurities?

Well spotted, I didn't look at the 3D model.

Thanks for the help. That looks just like the blue thing and is in the exact place the white thing came out of. I'm going to try it.

Whereas if it all goes well: