Toilet levers and buttons: a royal flush and common problems

Knowing what kind of toilet flush your loo has can help you troubleshoot problems – such as a toilet that keeps running water into the pan after flushing. And the great news is that sometimes it doesn’t take anything more than getting your hands wet to avoid calling out a plumber.

Let’s start with your toilet flush. There are two kinds – a syphon and a push button.

The syphon toilet flush

A syphon flush is usually connected to a lever. When you press the lever, about a litre of water goes into the flush mechanism, kicking off the syphoning action. What can go wrong is that the thin plastic flaps that prevent water from dropping back eventually wear out. You’ll know when this is an issue when you have to keep pumping to get the toilet to flush, until eventually it just won’t flush at all!

To save water with a syphon toilet flush, look at the side of the unit: there are usually two little plugs. Removing the higher plug breaks the syphon and you’ll use less water with each flush.

See how a syphon works in this video below.

The push-button toilet flush

A push button is pretty much as it says on the tin, but the linkage between the button you press and the unit can vary. You can have a direct connection such as rods taking the pressure from the external button to the internal; or you can have a cable, which gives you greater flexibility. Many toilets nowadays have dual flushes, allowing for either a full or a half flush, depending on how much needs to be flushed away. The half flush allows you to save money on your water bills and reduce the amount of water you use.

One of the most common problems is when the rubber seal on a push button flush or syphon diaphragm perishes. All it takes to fix this is replacing the diaphragm or seal and you’re done. If it’s totally knackered, most manufacturers have a twist off / twist on mechanism for an easy direct replacement without have to do cistern removal.

Another issue that can come up with a push button mechanism is getting something lodged between the seal and foot of the mechanism. It could be something as simple as a bit of limescale or a chip off a deodorising block (which is a plumber’s worst nightmare – you can never get the staining off!) that’s preventing the foot from sitting flush on the seal. Just run your finger around between the foot and seal to make sure it’s clear. Here’s a video to show you how.

Plumberparts introduce Viva Sanitary

Viva are one of the market leaders for toilet spares, connectors and wastes.

The company formed in 2008, driven by two plumbers with a desire to solve everyday problems in the sanitary fittings market, with one common goal in mind “Making the installers life easier.” We have used the economic uncertainty to our advantage, bringing new ways of thinking, to a very traditional market. However, none of this would be possible without our customers, and we strive to make sure all our clients feel part of the Viva team and look to help them wherever possible.

OUR PRODUCTS

We have several core product ranges, each category manufactured in accordance with international standards. We ensure quality runs throughout the whole business and in everything we do. We monitor all our processes in accordance with ISO-9001, which is externally audited annually. As a business we are committed to continuous improvement.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVICE

As well as investing in products and innovation, we are always looking to improve our service to customers. We invest heavily in inventory, to ensure products can be delivered to the right people when they are needed. Key to our business is always looking at new ways to serve our customers, including technologies, IT, people, delivery and customer care.

OUR INNOVATION

Driven by our goal, our R&D team focuses on improving existing products, taking concepts available on the market today and improving their functionality and design to give the end user greater flexibility and choice. Examples of our commitment to innovation include the patented Skylo DUAL ENTRY, Skylo UNI-BUTTON, Skylo Height Adjustable Syphon and our unique Smart-Flo design for our SLINKY-FIT WC Connectors.