DIY toilet repair vidima

In detail: do-it-yourself vidima toilet repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

A breakdown of the cistern is a problem that everyone has encountered. The first thing we do when we find this trouble is call the plumber. This is the right decision if you don't know anything about plumbing and you don't have any tools in the house. But if your hands are growing out of the right place, and there is a wrench in the closet, then why not try to repair the cistern yourself? After all, by doing repairs yourself, you save money and improve your skills.
How is the drain tank arranged, what kind of breakdowns does it have, and most importantly, to repair it? You will find the answers to these questions in our article.

Before proceeding with the active steps, you need to study a little theory and understand how the toilet is drained. Any model has two main parts: a bowl that stands on the floor or fixed to the wall, and a water tank on top. This container is called the "flush tank".

The principle of a water seal is at the heart of the water drain. When you press the lever (button), the plug opens, and the water is flushed out into the riser under the action of gravity.

If you remove the lid on the tank, you will find a mechanism for draining the water. It consists of a float, a seal and levers. It is conditionally possible to divide the flush tank mechanism into two parts: the water intake system and the flush mechanism.

When the button is released, the drain hole closes and water begins to draw. The float controls its level and closes the tap at the right time.

Of course, depending on the manufacturer, the design is slightly different, but the meaning remains the same.

The principle of operation of the filling fittings is simple: when the tank becomes empty, it starts supplying water, when it is full, it stops. A float is required to determine the water level. If little or vice versa, a lot of water is collected, you can adjust the desired level yourself. It is recommended to use a volume of 5-7 liters of water.
The fittings that regulate the water supply can be of several types.

Video (click to play).

With lateral water supply (fittings are located at the top). Basically, such a water supply to the tank can be found in Russian-made toilets. The mechanism is cheap but very noisy. On more expensive models, to reduce noise, a tube is attached that supplies water to the bottom. Cistern: side feed mechanism device
With bottom water supply. This type can be found both on foreign models of toilet bowls, and on domestic ones. Thanks to the mechanism, noise from water is minimized.

Push-button drain mechanism
The drain mechanism is started either by pressing a button or by pulling out the stem. The most popular is the push-button version with a lever, which is shown in the photo. In toilets with a hidden cistern, the button is located on the wall. Therefore, repairing a hanging toilet is less convenient: all actions are carried out after removing the button through a small hole. The video shows the process of dismantling fittings from a built-in tank (installation).

The push-button mechanism can be one- and two-mode. The two-mode drain has two buttons: one drains the water completely, and the second half. This saves water when needed. Also, a similar mechanism can be implemented with one button, when the drain depends on the degree of pressing.

First of all, let's examine the internal mechanism for defects. To do this, remove the top cover, usually it is fixed with a drain button. You either just need to unscrew it, or pull out the button and unscrew the fastening screw.

Before repairing the drain tank, be sure to shut off the water supply.

After you open the lid, you will see several holes with a diameter of 1.5-2 cm for water supply (maybe only one). In one of them, a filling fitting with a diaphragm valve will be fixed.

The membrane is very sensitive to the quality of the water, therefore its service life depends on the water filters. If there are no filters at all, then it is better to replace the mechanism with a Russian one with a stem valve.

Most often, the issue of repairing the toilet cistern can be solved by completely replacing parts. For expensive toilets, it is not difficult to find a repair kit with a sleeve and a membrane. It is more profitable to buy new fittings on cheap models, they are not very expensive. The main thing is to choose the required pipe diameter when purchasing, usually they are 10, 15 mm, as well as 1/3 and ½ inch.

Set of fittings for toilet repair

When replacing, you need to make a sealed joint, therefore, put on a sealing gasket before fastening. The fittings are tightened to the reservoir with a nut. Twist them slightly, otherwise cracks may appear.

Decorative plugs are inserted into the remaining free holes. If necessary, you can change the position of the water supply. If the plug is simply inserted into the hole until it clicks, and does not hold onto the nut, then no seals are provided in it, so water will flow out in the event of a malfunction.

At the bottom of the cistern there are holes for attaching to the toilet. Fastening takes place on metal or plastic bolts. Brass and stainless steel bolts are best suited for attaching the toilet. Of course, ordinary metal fasteners are stronger than plastic ones, but they quickly rust. Washers and rubber gaskets must be worn before fastening.

In the center is the largest hole for water drainage. The shut-off valve for the cistern is secured with a cap washer through a gasket.

The most common failure is continuous filling and water leakage from the container. This is due to the following factors:

float skew;
the float mechanism does not work;
Loose stop valve, old rubber seal.

The easiest way to solve the first problem, because in this case, the toilet does not even need to repair the cistern - just open the lid and fix the float. Also, sometimes the shut-off valve does not fit into place; it is also enough to simply put it manually into the recess.

Read also: DIY boat repair

The next problem is manifested in the fact that the water fills the tank to the limit and does not stop. To check the mechanism, lift the float up until it stops. If the water does not stop, then the float mechanism will need to be replaced.

And the last point is the old seal. It is very simple to determine such a breakdown: you just need to press the valve with your hand. If the water stops, you will have to replace the seal. It is also sometimes associated with too little weight of the locking mechanism. In this case, weights are added inside to make it heavier.

Another frequent breakdown is associated with a worn float. Its tightness is broken, and it does not float well, so the water in the tank does not rise to the desired level. You will need to replace the drain tank fittings, but you can also fix the float yourself. To do this, its hole is sealed with a sealant, glue, heated plastic or any other material at hand. You can also look into a plumbing store, perhaps there will be an analogue of this float.

Not very often, but such breakdowns happen to the tank as: leakage of the tank fixing bolts and failure of the water supply valve. To eliminate them, it is enough to change the gaskets and buy a new valve.

The video shows how to repair the toilet cistern with your own hands:

Usually, repairs are reduced to a maximum of replacing fittings, and this can be done on your own without calling a plumber. The main thing is to choose a quality product and the correct size, and then the sound of dripping and gaining water will not interfere.How to independently assemble and connect a shower cabin with a high tray in the bathroom.Instructions for installing a bath with your own hands. How to properly fix the bathtub to the wall, sealing joints and filling gaps. Installation of an acrylic, cast iron or steel bathtub on legs and podium.How to properly solder polypropylene pipes and fittings. Necessary tools for work and instructions on how to make a homemade welding machine for polypropylene.RemBoo "Repair and replacement of plumbing in the apartment" The device of the toilet cistern: how to fix it yourselfBy pressing the flush button, all the water from the toilet bowl flows out, then the flush button rises and the barrels are empty, but you can't do it so that the flush button immediately comes back so that all the barrels do not leak out?Hello! I am interested in such information there is a toilet with two buttons! But the less button does not work and drains the entire tank? Please tell me what to do? Or change the reinforcement itself? Or does something need to be adjusted?Hello ... Guys tell me how to remove the tank mounting bolts. It scrolls stupidly from below and neither in one direction, nor in the other direction ... I would be grateful in advance ...I faced the same problem, the bolts rusted and did not want to loosen, I had to cut them off with a hacksaw, since there were new fittings in the set.If water is collected in the tank and does not stop, do not rush to change the float mechanism. In my case, it turned out to be sufficient, just unscrew it and clean the rubber gasket from rust. Everything works again!The most common problem in bathrooms is a faulty toilet cistern. Sinking buttons, slow filling of the storage tank, incessant water leakage from an overfilled tank. All kinds of malfunctions do not happen. These situations can arise for a variety of reasons. To reveal the true cause in each individual case, it is necessary to dismantle the cover. After determining the nature of the malfunction, you can perform a simple repair of the toilet cistern with a button with your own hands, without resorting to the help of plumbers.We unscrew the drain button by hand, rotating it counterclockwise. No tools are required for this operation. We take out the button and carefully remove the cover.The push-button mechanism for flushing the toilet cistern is located in the lid. In addition to the main function, it serves as an element for fixing the stable position of the coverInside the drain tank there are two mechanisms, in the details of which there may be a malfunction that causes a leak:

drain mechanism;

a shut-off valve responsible for the flow of water from the water supply into the container.

We carefully examine the drainage mechanism, assessing the height of the water level. If the water is in the overflow area, then this indicates that it does not hold the locking device.The water in it is above the float, and therefore reaches the drain channel, through which it is drained into the sewage system.If the water level is at the adjusted height in the shut-off device, then the leakage is caused by a malfunction of the valve in the drain mechanism. There are two main reasons for this.Water flows above the overflow device, which means that the drain valve is in working order, and the problem lies in the locking mechanism. We make a drain, freeing the container from water. We close the water supply valve to the system. We remove the drain mechanism device by turning it slightly counterclockwise. We take out the removed part from the container, inspect the condition of the sealing rubber ring, which is the shut-off valve of the drain mechanism. We are convinced of its integrity. We put it aside.If this is not the case, then remove the ring and rearrange it with the reverse side, thereby ensuring a snug fit of the rubber to the surface of the bottom of the container. You can immediately install a new O-ring purchased from a plumbing store.The second problem: the formation of plaque, the accumulation of mucus on the surface of the shut-off valve, which violates the tightness of this system. You can eliminate it by cleaning the part from layers. Rearranging the ring is very simple. Remove the plastic lock washer. Take the rubber part, rinse it thoroughly, then turn it upside down and press it with a washer installed in its original place.

A schematic representation of two ways of supplying water to the toilet cistern, showing the structural differences in the device of the fittingsWe turn off the water supply system and the locking mechanism. There are tanks with lower water supply and from the upper one, located in the side wall of the tank. The inlet hose is connected and the valve is at the top. The type of connection does not play an important role, since the malfunction is directly related to the state of the shut-off valve. Grains of sand, rust from the water supply system can get under the valve, which violates the tightness of the locking ring.In addition, the valve itself can be deformed during long-term operation. A manifestation of this is a specific recess formed on the sealing gum. A part with such damage can no longer restrain the flow of water from the water supply system.The type of torn rubber band of the valve, which will have to be replaced with a new part purchased from a store or made by hand from suitable materials

Let's remove the mechanism that controls the water supply to the container. To do this, unscrew the large nut by turning it counterclockwise.

We take out the removed device from the tank, temporarily putting it aside.

Consider a membrane that serves to reduce the pressure of the water coming from the system.

We rinse the sealing ring taken out with the membrane from the inlet pipe.

Next, we proceed to disassemble the shut-off valve body, which was put aside for a while.

First of all, we snap off the float and remove it.

Then we remove the body of the float itself, moving the tongue that fixes the position of the part in the tank to the side.

Then we disassemble the valve installation site. To do this, take a screwdriver, pick it up on both sides, pulling out the valve with a "pull" movement.

We examine the nest from which the valve was pulled out, and we see a small hole, which it should close tightly when the tank is full of water.

The deformed valve looks like a miniature rubber band, in the center of which a recess is squeezed out, the size corresponding to the size of the hole letting water into the tank.

During the first repair, this elastic-flap is turned over with the other side, which is smooth and even.

When repaired again, this gum-valve is cut with a sharp clerical knife strictly in the middle. First, the first deformed part is placed in the socket, and then the second - with the smooth cut side up. Thus, one valve can be used three times, each time turning the parts with an even surface towards the hole through which the tank is filled with water.

You can reinforce the valve with an additional piece cut from dense foam.

We put the valve back into place in the socket, securing it by pressing it until it snaps into place.

We assemble all the parts in reverse order: body, float, installation on a branch pipe, fixing the device with a swivel nut.

The valve, when raised, should extend the float 1 cm above the body in which it is located. It is in this position that it is necessary to fix the position of the float by snapping the locking mechanism.

We install in place the second part that closes the drain hole in the tank. With a sharp clockwise movement, we fix it in place. A characteristic click should sound.

We open the tap and start the water supply system. We follow the process of filling the tank, paying attention to the moment of operation of the shut-off valve, which has been repaired.As soon as the water poured into the body of the float and raised it by 1 cm, the water supply to the tank stopped. We put the cover in place, and fix it with the water release button, twisting it along the thread of the drain device part until it stops in the clockwise direction. We look at the result of the repair work. There is no uncontrolled flow of water from the cistern in the toilet. The water meter has measured, confirming that there is no water intake from the system. We will make a control drain to once again be sure of a positive result of the repair. The problem was fixed by hand. Money is saved by eliminating the need to purchase a new drainage mechanism and shut-off valve.You can learn more about repairing the flush mechanism of a toilet cistern with a button in the video.

The frame or frame is made of durable metals on the right, and the top is covered with an anti-corrosion layer. This part is durable - all other elements of the system will be attached to it. She is able to withstand up to 600-800 kg of load.

This characteristic will be different for each manufacturer. It is important to pay attention to the maximum permissible load of the model you like before buying. Sometimes, wanting to save money, they buy a cheap fake, where this figure is only 100 kg.

Such a frame can easily bend or crack from overload - about 70-80 kg the weight of an adult + a tank of water + the weight of the toilet itself. And if a large relative weighing more than 100 kg visits the bathroom, then it's scary to imagine what will happen. Therefore, you should not buy fakes - this is an unaffordable luxury.

All manufacturers make the cistern of the installation from plastic. It is flat or triangular, and inside it there is a special fitting to ensure automatic filling and flushing. What can happen to the tank:

The plastic container may break in the event of installation errors. If it was an independent installation and, due to inexperience, the installer made mistakes, the tank may warp and crack over time.
If the installation was carried out by a crooked master and accidentally hit it during installation, then after a short time a leak may occur at the place of the chip and it will be necessary to replace it with a new container.
The fittings installed inside the tank consist of plastic parts, rubber and silicone gaskets. Problems often arise due to wear and tear on one of the components.

Inlet and outlet assemblies may leak. The coarse filter installed before water enters the drain tank becomes clogged over time.And at the junctions of all the pipes, the tightness can be broken - elastic rubber gaskets fail over time, turning into hard plastic parts.

Problems can also arise with a toilet bowl - from an ordinary chip to a violation of the system for draining the working fluid into the sewer riser.

To find the source of the problem, due to which the toilet went out of working condition, you can resort to calling a plumber, call a neighbor who helps everyone and takes inexpensively, or try to do everything with your own hands.

The first option is safe, but it requires an agreement on the time of work and will cost a decent amount of money. Of course, this is the most convenient and simple option - you don't need to do anything, twist, change - he gave money and accepted a job.

The option with a neighbor / acquaintance of acquaintances is like a cat in a poke. Doubtful work quality can lead to even bigger problems and more serious breakdowns.

The third option involves an independent study of the installation system installed in your bathroom and its repair. This is a simple activity that cannot be rushed. It is important to take the manufacturer's instructions and carefully read the corresponding section. If the instruction is lost, you can find it on the websites of online stores or ask a plumbing store consultant.

All controversial moments arising in the process of repairing the installation can be viewed in thematic videos. Models of fittings for built-in cisterns from different manufacturers may differ from each other.

It is often enough to disassemble the drain tank fittings, rinse the components, replace the worn out parts, reassemble everything, and the system works like a well-oiled mechanism - without failures.

Together with the purchase of a toilet installation, it is advisable to immediately buy a spare repair kit. It may be needed after 10-12 years or after 3-4 years from the start of using the system. In order not to run around and look for spare parts, you should always have them in the closet / on the shelf with tools.

The amount of repair work will depend on what exactly broke. The most common problems associated with valves are:

Water continues to flow after the flush is complete. The reason may be accidental ingestion of foreign objects - hair, cardboard, pieces of construction waste and other inclusions - into the drain tank. The solution to the issue is to get the filling and drain mechanisms and eliminate the problem;
Water slowly comes out of the cistern after pressing the flush button. Possible breakdown of the drain mechanism lifting accordion. Exit - replace the drain mechanism;
No water is collected in the tank - there may be problems with the float. It can slide off the mount. The solution is to disassemble the system and put the float in place;
The valve does not completely shut off the water - change the membrane or replace the gasket.

It turns out that in most cases you need to look inside the cistern without getting it out of the wall. This will be done by a home craftsman, having secured instructions for dismantling the fittings.

The flush button is attached to a special frame and connected to the system using levers and cables. They are pneumatic and mechanical. It is important that the devices are reliable and of high quality for a long service life.

On sale you can see various models of buttons - backlit, with two and with one key. They differ in size, color, shape and material from which they are made. But some options can be universal - to fit the installations of different manufacturers.

If the flush button does not work well, then you need to remove it and look at the installation revision window. It is possible that the air hose supplied to the installation through the pneumatic button is not tight. Or the button itself is broken.

The solution to the issue depends on the situation - adjusting the hose or buying a new button. Often, in the instructions for a particular model, the manufacturer indicates which buttons are suitable.

When you have to find a breakdown inside the installation, it is not at all necessary to break the wall. The cistern mechanism can be reached through the inspection window. Let's take a closer look at how to do this using the example of the Geberit installation.

First you need to remove the cover plate with the flush button by pressing down and pulling it towards you. Then you have to remove the frame on which the key is attached.

To do this, unscrew the screws, pull out the plastic pusher clips. Then, in a way that depends on the model and manufacturer of the plumbing, you have to remove the partition by pressing on its latches. On this partition, a diagram for dismantling the cistern fittings can be applied, which is used to clean the valves and check the gaskets.

An important step is to shut off the water entering the cistern. Otherwise, you can arrange a real catastrophe of a local scale by your actions - to flood not only your bathroom, but also your neighbors below.

Next, you should dismantle the filling valve - you must first remove the rocker arm block, and during reassembly, you have to get two rockers into the engagement of the flush valve and into 2 fixation points.

Then it was the turn of the filling valve itself, to which a flexible water supply pipe is connected. He is carefully taken out. This valve regulates the level of water filling in the tank - if you twist the plastic pin, you can raise or lower the float above or lower, which ensures that the tank is filled in the specified volume.

Now the next step is to remove the drain valve retainer - for this, the wings are spread in opposite directions, which removes the part from the cordon.

It is necessary to dismantle a rather long flush valve - one cannot do without partial dismantling inside the tank. To do this, holding the inner part, you need to unscrew the upper part and lower the second rod to the side.

That's it - the valve can be easily removed from the inner space of the cistern built into the wall. It consists of two blocks - the upper one for a small one, and the lower one for a large drain. There is a basket on the bottom of the valve, which can be easily removed if it is necessary to replace the gasket.

Now all the parts need to be carefully examined, rinsed under running water, and their condition should be assessed for wear. Replace broken parts, gaskets. After elimination of breakdowns or planned cleaning of all parts of the fittings, it is necessary to assemble all the components strictly in the reverse order.

If the state of the mechanism is extremely poor, then you need to replace the entire mechanism with a new one, using new fittings for the drain tank for this.

You can often face a situation when everything is in order with the ventilation system of the bathroom, but under the wall-hung toilet it flows and there is a disgusting sewage smell in the room, and water can flow behind the tiles inside the structure.

Here, the problem may be associated with the nodes for connecting the tank to the toilet and the toilet to the sewer.

The fact is that the basis of these troubles may be in mistakes made during the installation. It is important that the piping is correctly routed before installing the installation. Here, the length of the supply pipe and the left sewer inlet matters.

In some models of the installation, the pipes are short. This must be taken into account so that later you do not have to invent dubious schemes for sealing. The branch pipes from the installation are usually 90 mm in diameter. They are placed through an adapter into the drain, which is usually 110 mm.

When the adapter for the toilet or the installation pipe connecting the system to the sewer is short, it will be correct to buy a longer pipe from another manufacturer. It will become perfect and everything will be hermetically sealed.

You should not save on the adapter - everything should be hermetically sealed here, there should be leaks. Some of this length is enough, while others, like the latest models, for example, Grohe, have short pipes.

It is possible to disassemble the installation without destroying the wall of the bathroom. How to do it yourself is demonstrated in the video:

The appearance of an unpleasant odor may be the result of an error when connecting the toilet bowl through the installation pipe to the sewer. A video clip will help to eliminate this problem: