Toilet Leaking

[Barakka]

Have a problem with the water inlet shutoff valve leaking on a toilet.

Water is leaking out of the nut which screws onto the inlet pipe of the toilet.

If I turn off the shutoff valve it stops OK, so that bit is working, but as soon as it's on it leaks from the end of the nut (where it meets the thread of the pipe).

I tried a new fibre washer and some ptfe tape but it made no difference, new shutoff valve ? New toilet water inlet ?

[DR]

Please post a photo

[cptwhite_uk]

Hard to picture exactly where the leak is occurring but it sound like you need to replace the entire section if it's still leaking after PTFE tape...that was going to be my suggestion.

One other idea, although I'm not sure if this will help. The leaking is probably due the pressure in the pipe coming directly from mains - can you partially turn the stop valve on, maybe this would reduce pressure at the joint as a short term solution (although I'm not convinced this will occur, maybe the pressure would build up anyway - still worth a try?

[GoNz0]

it should not need ptfe tape as its the pressure of the washer, i would guess you have a split if a new washer hasn't helped.

you could look at the end of the plastic pipe to see if its chipped/split and smooth it off by scrapping with a sharp flat stanley blade otherwise off to b&q for a new service valve or a cistern valve assembly.

[Barakka]

This is where it's leaking..


What do you mean by split ?

Would you say safest bet one of These (as I will need to cut the pipe down to get the old fitting off).. and one of these ?

[DR]

I suspect the plastic connection has been threaded/damaged - why not just replace that part - I doubt its the flex pipe which is damaged

[GoNz0]

you dont need to cut it off, you can undo the nut at the bottom and leave the olive there, then fit a new service valve the same as you have http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/plumbing/...Valve-11477759

as its not leaking from the bottom you can reuse it, when you tighten it back up the olive will crush a bit more and reseal.

tbh i would go for the cistern valve as its the weaker material, bigger job though.

you may get away with a temp repair with ptfe take so long as it wraps round the bottom where the washer sits, there always a pig to seal though hence replacing it all and doing it right 1st time.

[peterb]

There is usually a fibre or rubber washer that makes the seal between the union on the isolation valve and the tail that goes into the cistern. If you can remove the isolation valve and change the washer, that may solve the problem!

[GoNz0]

I tried a new fibre washer and some ptfe tape

There is usually a fibre or rubber washer that makes the seal between the union on the isolation valve and the tail that goes into the cistern. If you can remove the isolation valve and change the washer, that may solve the problem!

[Barakka]

Thanks everyone... will get a new valve and intake pipe on Tue*, i've changed the siphon before so should be OK with fitting it. Might put an overflow pipe in at the same time.

* we have 2 toilets in the house so aren't having to cr*p in the garden or anything...

[GoNz0]

Thanks everyone... will get a new valve and intake pipe on Tue*, i've changed the siphon before so should be OK with fitting it. Might put an overflow pipe in at the same time.

* we have 2 toilets in the house so aren't having to cr*p in the garden or anything...

if you look at the ones in screwfix they have an internal overflow, basically the top of the U is lower than the existing overflow so it cant leak out!

[John B]

Look at the chrome nut angle to plastic thread, i'm fairly certain looking at your picture that the thread is "crossed" ie the nut is not aligned with plastic thread.

All is not necessarily lost . If if doubt don,t do it get a plumber, but if you are a practical person you can shut off the water, undo the chrome nut and carefully hold the nut "square to the plastic thread, care is needed other wise the thread will cross again but it can be done.

If you try and tighten the not any more without alignment you will probably destroy the whole thread. good luck John B

[peterb]

Sorry, my bad - didn't read the OP fully

[weta]

The grey pipe is making the valve off square which is why it has cross threaded.

The cistern has probably been changed at some point and the inlet's in a different place to the old one causing the problem.

If there's no play in the grey pipe then a flexible joint would certainly make things easier for you.

[Barakka]

Just to update the state of play, it wasn't cross-threaded as much as it looked like it was in the picture, it's just the pipe was a solid pipe and about an inch and a half out of alignment to the inlet pipe.

I tried a new inlet valve on the toilet and new service valve on the pipe but that leaked in the same place, although it was a slightly different design of service valve which was joined in the middle which I don't think could take the angle the pipe needed it to be at. So I got a flex-pipe with shut-off valve and put that on, all fine now.

Thanks for the help everybody.

[willedal]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and have a similar leaking inlet valve to my toilet. Where the nut screws the two sections together. I am almost 100% sure I have crossed the screw thread on the down pipe from the toilet. Can this be simply replaced. ie unscrewed from the toilet cistern?