Leaking pipe - advice please

[Terry Pinnell]

I just noticed a damp patch where the overflow pipe from toilet cistern goes through the wall - it became noticable presumably because I'd just added a fresh 'blue thingie'. Checking the cistern, I saw it was adjusted wrongly. Presumably the valve should close when the water level is a short distance from the overflow pipe? This was still dripping in and hence the steady overflow. Anyway, I reckon I've adjusted that OK now.

But, I know nothing about plumbing, so I'm not sure if it's worth teh expense of a proper repair? What do the experts advise please?

I've shown a couple of illustration here:

[Ian Stirling]

outside without leaks. It's probable that the adjustment was in fact correct, but the valve is leaking a bit, and needs either repaired or replaced. Might any water have been running down the outside of the pipe?

[BigWallop]

If the second picture shows the new water height after your adjustment, then the adjustment has been all that was needed. Your first picture shows the old blue ring mark around the cistern and the water level was set rather high wasn't it ? But it should be OK now that you've got it right.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yes, otherwise it overflows... Most cisterns have a water line mark cast into the china, indeed there appears to be one just below the water level in the picture you posted ...

If the valve now shuts off properly I'd not worry about it, maybe tweak it down a bit more to the marked water line, save water and all that. Perhaps keep an eye to make sure that the adjustment doesn't change overtime, there does appear to be a brass locking nut so if you tighten that it shouldn't. Beware it'll be easy to strip the nylon thread so don't try and murder it up tight.

As to the leak, overflow piping is solvent weld, but is quite snug. I suspect who ever installed it just shoved the pipes into the elbow sans solvent. Now the pipe has no water there isn't an immediate problem probably best to sort out as some time though.

Experts? Well those with a bit more knowledge maybe...

[Mark]

What do the experts advise

[Terry Pinnell]

Thanks. Yes, you're correct. And I checked again after several hours and it's settled about half inch below overflow.

[Terry Pinnell]

I'm plumbing new depths... .

[Terry Pinnell]

OK, many thanks, very helpful.

As you see, the pipe in question (the bottom one) is right down in the corner and has some sort of right-angle joint before entering the wall. What would a plumber be likely to actually *do*? Cut it, and make a new joint? Assuming it *is* the joint, and not some fracture inside the wall ;-(

I was wondering whether a couple of coats of gloss paint might be enough to seal it? After all, it's just a gravity feed and at worst will never be under pressure.

Not hard when the baseline is *my* know-how!

[Terry Pinnell]

Seemed to be OK after a few hours. Steady at 1/2" below.

No, that looks OK thanks.

[Dave Liquorice]

A plumber would do the quickest fix, cut the pipe and replace the section through the wall. or maybe replace the whole section back to the next joint, which may well not be welded either...

Me? Well I'd test the theory of non-welded joints by pulling at the pipe the other side of the wall, if it came out I then go inside with that bit of pipe spring the joint out of the wall and apply solvent and stick it onto the relevant end of the loose pipe then thread that back through the wall and spring the fixed pipe into the glued end of the joint. The "spring" is the bit which may or may not cause problems...

In the short term it's probably work but paint will crack over time and you back to square one. Best to sort it out properly.

[Terry Pinnell]

Thanks, Dave, appreciate the follow-up.

[P.R.Brady]

Just a thought - is water dripping from the end of the pipe back along the outside of it by capilliary action? If so, fix with a 90 degree bend pointing down, a hole about 5mm from the end to force it to drip off or even a C shaped piece of pipe sprung over it. Phil

[Dave Liquorice]

A good thought, hadn't occurred to me and worth checking before dismantling...

A drip isn't going to find it's way back up the 1/2" or so of an elbow so no need for holes. Though a cure for a slow leak, it would mean a fast one had flow down the wall instead of being projected away from it. Maybe a 135 deg bend rather than a 90?