Toilet leak

[gavin]

I have a leak on my toilet and was wondering how to go about fixing it. It is on the cold supply pipe that goes up vertically into the base of the cistern to fill it. - forgive me for not knowing the technical names!

Along this pipe there is a kind of inline valve - it has a screw which can be turned 90 degrees to turn the supply on and off. his valve leaks unless it is turned off. The water seems to be seeping from the "edge" of the valve.

What is the recommended way of foxing this? Does the valve need replacing usually?

Gavin

[Mike]

They are pretty cheap and easy to replace, just have to turn off the mains for a few mins. Just remember to replace the olives as well. They are the round copper inserts that the nuts tighten against.

Mike

[gavin]

Thanks for that, Mike - I'll give it a go tomorrow. Does the valve I'm talking about have a "technical" name?

Gavin

[gavin]

I guess it's a "service valve"

?

[Palindr☻me]

If you can put up with the water being off that long, take the valve with you.

[Plum]

I am not sure from the description exactly where the leak is. But if the leak is from the "edge" where the valve meets the pipe, and there is a nut there (of a compression joint), try tightening the nut a little. Hold the valve with one wrench whilst tightening the nut with another, so the valve does not rotate.

[Martin]

Do check whether your cistern is fed from a header tank. If so, you need to tie-up the ball-c*ck in header tank and drain down to below cistern level.

[gavin]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone - much appreciated!