is the (bloody) torbeck valve causing water trickle?

[rikky]

Just moved into a place and there seems to be a slight trickle into the bowl ( picture attached), initially when i took the top off the water level was about 1-2 inchs above the 6L mark, from researching it looks like i have a torbeck valve ( theyre problematic from what ive read!), i took the valve off and cleaned and placed back correctly, it looked good tbh. I adjusted the float arm so its positioned lower down, and the water level corrected itself, but after 20mins the whole blue float was submerged!!?

Ive noticed when flushing, water drips from the blue washer area and the "4 small holed square bit on top" - as shown in the picture.

My question is : do i replace the torbeck valve? will that solve the trickle and over filling? if so do i replace like for like or a fluidmaster pro which from my limited research on the forum seems to be a good replacement?
if its not the torbeck valve, what else could it be??

any help appreciated, my plumber is away on holiday!

 

[Stigster]

Yes your Torbeck valve is letting by causing the water to rise in the cistern and down through the internal syphon overflow and into the pan. One thing to check though to make sure your flush valve is sealing properly, isolate the water supply for just a couple of minutes and check that the water no longer flows into the pan. This will prove that your flush valve is fine and you only have the one problem - the Torbeck valve letting by.

If that's the case as you already mentioned, a Fluidmaster Pro with brass shank is the way to go. That nice recess at each corner of the cistern should allow a Fluidmaster bottom entry valve to fit without the cistern wall interfering with the float.

 

[SimonG]

Torbeck used to be the rolls Royce of inlet valves. Then they moved production to save a penny.
I wont use them now, too many issues with them. Prefer a brass shanked fluidmaster.

 

[rpm]

Not a fan of them however making small adjustments until you find the sweet spot can work. Have had the favoured fluidmaster valves fail on low water pressure from tanks.

 

[rikky]

cheers guys, stigster good advice with checking the flush valve, i did isolate, and the pan has been bone dry since.
So will go ahead and change the torbeck for the fluidmaster pro!
thanks everybody

 

[Best]

New diaphragm washer on the Torbeck valve and you might get lucky and fix it, if you are careful. Very delicate valve.
The water drip from the large blue nut and from the end of the outlet bend at top, is normal operation for Torbeck valves while they fill.
I use Fluidmaster Pro45 brass tailed valves also, but as has also been mentioned, they don’t work well on low pressure gravity

 

[rikky]

thanks best, ah thats interesting to know the water from the large blue nut is normal, but already bought the fluid master, only cheap, so no harm in replacing in any case i guess. im now wondering where my overflow pipe is though?!

 

[JCplumb]

In my experience, Torbeck valves take an age to fill the cistern when the diaphragm has failed. So if it's filling quite quickly then it's probably not the diaphragm, if it's taking yonks to fill then a simple fix.
Your overflow is the flush valve, when water gets high enough it will go through the flush valve into the pan.

 

[rikky]

thanks for that JCPlumb, in your experience what else could it be if not the torbeck? as once the water supply is isolated, there is no longer a leak into pan, so surely that must mean its the inlet torbeck valve thats faulty?

 

[Stigster]

The fact that the water continued to rise in the cistern after flushing can only mean one thing and that the Torbeck was letting by. You proved that was the case when isolating the inlet and the overflow stopped running. The only reason I suggested checking the flush valve too was that a faulty flush valve displays the same symptom in the pan. We already ascertained the Torbeck was faulty but it would be frustrating for you if you changed the Torbeck and water still ran into the pan. It's unlikely there would be a problem with both at the same time but it does happen.

You eliminated the flush valve as being the source of the problem and are left with the cistern over-filling problem which you now know how to sort out.

In my last post to you I referenced "the internal syphon overflow" and that is the only overflow you have on your toilet. There was a time when you had to use a dedicated "warning pipe" overflow which would terminate in a place that would cause a nuisance e.g. over a doorway or window so that it cannot be ignored.

A good few years ago now the regulations changed to allow an internal overflow through the syphon and into the pan which is how yours was operating and doing it's intended job.

Good luck and all the best with installing your new Fluidmaster inlet valve. Any problems don't hesitate to ask.

 

[rikky]

hey guys, succesfully installed the fluid master valve, been 2 weeks and no leaks or dripping into the pan, thanks for all the correct advice
However only issue is the flush strength is much more weaker now, is was already weak but much more now, can this be easily solved? or is the issue with the house water pressure which requires more detailed work?
thanks all

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Same water level in the cistern?

 

[rikky]

Same water level in the cistern?

hi mate, yep still at the 6L level

 

[ShaunCorbs]

So should be exactly the same as before as the water volume is the same

I would say your siphon is on it’s way out if it’s gotten weaker / have to pump the Handle a few times to flush