Torbeck valve - how does it work?

[Andy Dingley]

Most people love how they work, some report problems with limescale on the tiny valve hole.

If you're in a soft water area, no problem.

[<me9]

That could be it, soft water, I've three of them, no problems, quiet, fast filling etc.

[Tim Watts]

Andy Dingley wibbled on Tuesday 26 January 2010 15:28

And don;t have crud in the pipe ;->

On that subject, I'd been wondering why the bath tap was running too hot (4l/min flow restrictor is fitted in a special ball valve to match the characteristics of my temporary water heater).

Took the insert out and found a neat spiral of alkathene (I'm guesssing - it was plastic and black) swarf 1.5cm long lodged in the restrictor blocking one of the 4 tiny holes.

I had thoroughly flushed the main pipe after I did the work re-routing the water mains, but I guess a bit of pipe trimming must have lodged somewhere only to fall off later...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It's pretty hard water in this part of London and the one in my toilet lasted 20 years or so. Might have been able to repair it with a kit if I understood how they worked - but a complete one didn't break the bank and was worth it for the silence...

[chris French]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

It's hard water here as well, and the old one had done well I think.

Yup, replacing was the sensible option from my POV

[stevehome]

Thanks to this thread I have fixed my Torbeck valve. It wasn't filling (or ridiculously slowly, anyway). The tiny air hole at the top was not complete ly blocked (I could see light through it), but there was a miniscule amount of limescale in it which was enough to stop it working properly. I cleared the hole out with a needle, and now all is good. I had taken it all apart to clean it out, but in future I'll just remove the rocker arm on the float and use the needle, which is a two minute job. Saved me 10 pounds on a new one.

[Onetap]

Pilot operated diaphragm valve, type of thing.

Many solenoid valves operate on the same principle, with only the little pilot jet operated by the solenoid and most of the water flow controlled by the diaphragm, that itself is operated by the pilot.

The diaphragm diverter valves installed in many combi boilers work the same way, the diaphragm actuator being operated by the release of water pressure when a hot tap is opened.

I have a torbeck valve on my loft tank, worked fine for 5 years until the water suppliers did something to my connection to the main and filled it with dirt.

The replacement suffered from severe water hammer, but the makers sent a 'prototype' adaptor, free of charge, that solved that.

[harryagain]

The "rubber" diaphragm closes the valve. Water pressure moves the diaphragm. The pressure on the diaphragm is greater on the pressure chamber side because it has a greater area than the valve orifice.

The needle valve in the middle releases the water behind the diaphragm in the pressure chamber to let the valve open.

The other tiny hole in the diaphragm seat lets water out of the pressure chamber so the valve can close./seat itself

If the valve dribbles (ie doesn't properly close) is is because this latter hole is blocked.

[Fred Turton]

I have tried two different Torbeck valves and had the same trouble both times. The float mechanism wont shut off the water supply. It just gushes out. I have tried different diaphragms but the response is the same. I have fitted various other types of valves, which have always been successful. I have given up on the Torbeck.

[Fred Turton]

I forgot to mention that in both cases I assembled the Torbeck valve straight from the pack. As I couldn't stop the gushing I undid the blue cap to look at the diaphragm but still had no luck.

[Bob Eager]

Did you get a pressure reducer with it?

[Dave Liquorice]

Did you fit the correct flow reducer?

And in another post:

Torbeck(tm) is a trademark of Fluidmaster UK not a type of valve. Though it appears that they only use it on equlibrium valves. Fliudmaster also make float valves and use the Delchem(tm) trademark on that type. Both have blue caps but the Delchem(tm) float valves also have a blue body and big long arm for the normal 4" dia ball to attach to.

[DerbyBorn]

As I recall they don't respond immediately when manually operated.

[stuart noble]

Sorry to resurrect an oldie, and on Google too, but that last remark saved my bacon today. I had assumed the new Torbeck would shut off when I lifted the arm, so it nearly went in the bin. The original has lasted 30 years, so like for like replacement seemed the best option. Attaching that plastic sleeve was a bugger though

[ed]

A lot of manufacturers have very similar designs. They all use the same idea and slight but significant variations of the diaphragm, nozzles etc.

[Ideal standard seems to have taken this approach further than most and made almost everything they have different to the everyone else. As someone said there's nothing standard about Ideal Standard.]

Agree with those who say work well but vulnerable to debris.

Ed

[Paul Edwards]

replying to DerbyBorn, Paul Edwards wrote: I was just about to lose it, then read your post, thank you so much! Yep, give it 5-10 seconds and it works perfectly. Thanks again!!

[Max Demian]

gives "This page can?t be displayed". That's good news if it's permanent.

[Dave W]

It works for me.

[solarstevegs]

My girlfriend's Torbeck-based cistern started filling very slowly. Eventua lly found the problem - a small slit in the diaphragm. This meant the wate r pressure both sides was more-or-less the same, hence it couldn't open pro perly. Looking at the thing, under normal circumstances, the very small ho le that goes over the locating pin is a tiny bleed hole similar in size to the hole at the float end, so pressure on the float side is much less until the float stops off that end. If the diaphragm splits, the 'bleed' effect is much greater. Most irritatingly: found her local Wickes had stock, ord ered by click and collect, and found when I'd got back they'd given me a 'F luidmaster' diaphragm, which looks the same but has the small hole in the m iddle, not to one side. And due to Covid, they had shut by the time I real ised. Amazon and eBay both stock them, but when I want it, I want it NOW!! !!

Hers is a slimline cistern, so the good old Portsmouth type that I have at home isn't an option.

[GB]

Toolstation will sell you NOW a replacement Torbeck valve for £7. Open for a couple of hours, still.