LEAKING TAPS AND TOILETS SERVICES
Does your toilet sound like it have just been flushed but no one has actually used it? Is a dripping tap keeping you up at night? Can’t turn your tap on or off? These are just some common problems we come across when it comes to leaking taps and toilets.
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Leaking Taps
Types Of Taps:
- Taps With Washers– Taps with washers are taps that have small rubber valves that sit on an opening called a ‘seat’. When you turn the tap handle to the left or anticlockwise, the pressure of the water lifts the valve off the seat and allows water to run through the spout of the tap. So in turn when you turn the tap handle to the right or clockwise you push the little valve onto the seat and this seals the water off, o ringsstopping any water coming through. Constant dripping of your taps can be a sign your washers are damaged and worn, or that the seat for your taps has become damaged in which case replacing the washers may not fix the problem. At AJB Plumbing we will come and replace your washers with a good quality washer, we will also replao-ringsand re-grease your taps if possible. We will also check if the seat of your taps need repairs also known as reseating. Once this is complete your taps will be easier to operate and won’t leak anymore.
- Ceramic Disc/Quarter Turns– This is where the tap shut off operates inside the spindle (tap) itself. These taps sit on the seat and the water flows through the tap and gets shut off by 2 little ceramic discs that are polished flat to stop any water coming through. When your ceramic disc or quarter turns are leaking it often means they need replacing. Unlike washer taps, quarter turns don’t need as much maintenance as taps that have washers however when they no longer work it often means you need to replace the tapware. AJB Plumbing can remove your existing ceramic disks and replace them with new ones. As a side note, ceramic disc and washer taps are usually interchangeable.
- Mixer Taps – These taps are where hot and cold water are mixed before coming out the spout. They operate via a small cartridge that adjusts as your maneuver the tap left being hot, right being cold. Mixer taps are great tapware to have but like ceramic disc and washer taps they can get leaks. This often means a cartridge needs to be replaced or sometimes hoses can become loose and need retightening. AJB Plumbing are able to advise weather its best to replace the cartridge or replace the tap.
If you can’t turn your tap on or off and it seems jammed this can occur when a washer seizes up. If this is the case AJB Plumbing can come out and repair or replace this for you. - Cracked/Loose Fittings – Sometimes leaks are caused by cracked or loose fittings, this can occur if the joint has become weak and or damaged. We can come out and make repairs to all types of pipe and fittings including copper, Pex pipe (plastic pipe), Gal, and Blueline.
Leaking Toilets
Toilets today are no longer what we call a luxury. We have come a long way from the hole dug in the back yard out house and some newspaper for you know what.
Toilets are now a necessity in our homes, but like most fixtures and fittings they can have some issues. To explain toilet leaks let me break it down for you. Your toilet is made of three main parts the Pan, Cistern and the Toilet Seat. The pan is the part of the toilet that you sit on, the cistern is the tank that sits on top of the pan and holds the water for flushing, and the toilet seat is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s the seat that stops your butt getting cold from sitting on the ceramic and makes the toilet a little more inviting.
Now back to leaks. The first leak to mention is a leaking inlet valve. This is often detected when you hear your cistern leaking or making a hissing noise inside. The inlet valve sits inside your cistern. Its job is to let water in from the water supply pipe thus filling up the cistern. When the inlet valve is no longer working correctly you may hear a hissing noise coming from your cistern. It can sound like it’s filling up, if you lift up the toilet seat you may also notice running water into the pan, this is the inlet valve not working correctly and leaking water from the inlet valve into the toilet pan. This is a very common problem that can be fixed and should be completed by a licenced plumber.
Another leak that can happen with a toilet is one from the water inlet stop tap and inlet pipe/flexi hose. The stop tap (also known as a mini cock) connected to the toilet needs to be replaced as it is no longer sealing the water coming from the inlet to the toilet. This is also the case for the inlet pipe/flexi hose.
Another common leak could be coming from the outlet rubber to the toilet. So while the water needs to come in to the cistern ready to flush, that flushing water needs to escape from the cistern to the pan. So by pressing the flush button, the cistern dumps the water into the pan to move on the waste through the drainage system by force of water. The outlet rubber seals the water in your toilet cistern, ready for use when you flush. These outlet rubbers over time can become brittle and break down, causing water to leak. A sign of this would be a constant flow of water into your toilet pan.
Leaks can also come from the pan when the pan is damaged or cracked in a crucial area. It can cause the toilet to leak, as it is no longer sealed. The only way to fix this is to have the toilet replaced.
Leaking from toilets can also come from what is known as a pan collar or pan connector. This is the fitting that connects your toilet pan drain to your house drainage. With the enclosed/wall faced toilets these days, these parts you often cannot see as they are covered by the enclosed part of the toilet pan. With the enclosed toilets, if you have a leak from a pan collar/connector you will notice it seeping through the seal of the pan to the floor which is either done in silicone or sand & cement. However, if you have an older style toilet you will see the connection of your toilet in to the drainage of the floor or wall and the pan collar that connects them. If the pan collar is leaking you will notice leaking around it and probably on the floor.
The last common leak from a toilet can also be from the key seal/flush cone rubber, foam seal and or the flush ring seal. Depending which toilet you have, one or more of these seals stop water from leaking out when you flush the cistern. If one of these fails, water will leak onto the floor and will need to be replaced.
So if you want a professional plumber that knows a thing or two about leaking toilets, then give us at AJB Plumbing a call. Calling us is almost as quick as a flush!
No matter the problem that your toilet may have, we at AJB Plumbing can come out and assess what repairs need to be made and give you options that suit and meet your requirements.
If you have a question in regards to toilets or taps or would like some more information, fill out our quick contact form and one of our friendly staff will get back to you.
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