Oh ballcocks

A couple of weeks ago, the cistern flush lever snapped off when flushing the loo (actually, the inside part, rather than the outside part). Picked up a spare, only to find that a) couldn't push the lever on the square shaft because of all the hard water scale, and b) couldn't use the whole new flush handle because it required a larger hole in the cistern. So, took the old one off, and left it bubbling away in descaler. Flushing the loo required leaving the cistern lid off and pulling on the plunger connecting link.

Last weekend, get round to removing the handle from the descaler. Scale is now all gone, but a week in descaler has had some strange effect on the metal of the shaft, and it's all bubbled up under the plating, with the same net effect -- can't push the lever on the square shaft because of all the lumps. Another week of flushing the loo with the plunger connecting link before I get round to filing the lumps off.

Today, wake up to sound of running water. After homing in on the sound, guess what, it's that same bloody loo cistern. At some time during the night, the ballcock lever decided to snap in half, so the cistern just continually over-filled, with the ballcock bobbing up and down like a useless buoy. Unlike a leaking ballcock which trickles into the cistern, this of course spews in at full flow. Fortunately, the overflow could handle it, but I've got a driveway like an ice ring this morning, where it's been pissing out all night. (So much for my efforts to conserve water.)

So, now got a loo with no flush handle (have to yank on the plunger connecting link, and no ballcock (need to turn the isolating valve on with a screwdriver to refill the cistern). That's a score of 2-0 to the loo so far. Can't help wondering what'll break next...

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel
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Do be careful if you are going to do any painting and there is a gas tap in the vicinity. This could trigger another cycle of events.

Reply to
Andy Hall

I've already been singing that to myself...

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

My money is on the valve ;-)

Reply to
John Rumm

No, he'll just get the new Torbeck valve in place only to discover that the tap connector has munged the thread. This will be at 1545 this afternoon and the drive to B&Q will take 20mins.

Finally, once all is installed, the cistern will be discovered to have cracked.

At that point, it will be bucket of water down the loo time, only to discover that the glaze has gone and the pan is leaking.

Following that, one can have a very positive outlook because things can probably only get better. I did say probably.

Reply to
Andy Hall

Not your patience, that's gone already :-)

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Whassa problem with that - it's open until 7pm on a Sunday isn't it?

Mungo (rhetoric question: I'm in Scotland with a smug grin and practically have shares in B&Q :-)

Reply to
Mungo

A land of interesting contrasts. If you were in South Harris, I suspect that the situation would be a wee bit different.

Reply to
Andy Hall

No, he'll do it next Sunday, and *then* remember that B&Q is closed all day...

Reply to
Bob Eager

But at least he could get the ferry today...

Reply to
Bob Eager

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