Digsy Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 My circa 1996 built house unsurprisingly has a circa 1996 toilet with a single flush action which completely empties the cystern every time (approx 10 litres?). What with all the recent talk of hosepipe bans and water shortages, I can see water being the next "thing" that we get clobbered on for household bills. The amount of water I literally pour down the toilet bothers me, so I have been looking into retrofitting a dual flush valve (universal fit kits seem pretty easy to find for about £20). The only thing I am worried about is that more modern toilets are designed differently so that it is easier to flush them using much less water. I don't want to go to the bother of fitting one of these only to be confronted with floaters. Has anyone fitted one of these kits and had good (or otherwise) experiences with them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_jza80 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 They're generally crap Bend the arm on the float valve a little downward, which will store slightly less water in the cistern In my experience, people often have to flush the rubbish Valves more than once, so it can be a false economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RA28 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Will you be putting in a dump valve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Yeah, or I was thinking that I could try one of those things that you put in the cystern to displace the water, too. I measured it tonight and I reckon it holds about 12 litres. Its very tempting to do something. I think modern toilets flush using half that amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Will you be putting in a dump valve? Very funny. Verrrrrry funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 You should take pics and put it onto Stance Works. Hella Flush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellonman Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 you dont need to retro fit anything! i got one of these when my old one went http://www.wickes.co.uk/wc-cistern-syphon-with-dual-flush/invt/220869/ direct replacement hold it down for a small flush,and then just flush as normal for a dump valve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creative Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Lol... Dual flush are standard over here. No you don't get floaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin-mkiv Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The new toilets are rubbish, I always need to wait for the cystern to refill after I have 'flushed the bulk' as it were. 2nd flush is to aid the bog brush's job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 Thing is, I recently fitted a modern toilet in my ex girlfriend's house and that came with a dual flush but its great - you almost never needed to use the *ahem* "big" flush at all, plus the cystern refilled really quickly and quietly, whereas mine takes ages. I think I probably need a new fill valve, too. I'm wondering if there will be any issues in fitting a modern valve to an older toilet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-Ricky Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I don't think the pan design is radically different, couldn't you just take one to work and flow test it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandan Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I'm wondering if there will be any issues in fitting a modern valve to an older toilet. I had trouble doing it in my "Ideal Standard" cistern but another unbranded one was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 5, 2012 Author Share Posted April 5, 2012 I don't think the pan design is radically different, couldn't you just take one to work and flow test it? Hmmm.. It'll be quiet over the bank holiday, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian C Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yeah, or I was thinking that I could try one of those things that you put in the cystern to displace the water, too. You mean "a brick", yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Thing is, I recently fitted a modern toilet in my ex girlfriend's house and that came with a dual flush but its great - you almost never needed to use the *ahem* "big" flush at all, plus the cystern refilled really quickly and quietly, whereas mine takes ages. I think I probably need a new fill valve, too. I'm wondering if there will be any issues in fitting a modern valve to an older toilet. AFAIK the hole out the bottom of cisterns will always be the same, the kits come with all sorts of adjustments for cistern height, so you should be OK. BEst way to find out is to suck it and see, not literally of course, that would be disgusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hemmjonny Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Just put a couple of bricks in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_jza80 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Just put a couple of brink in there "Bwhats a brink?!, bah!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havard Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I would go for a 6 litre capacity of you can get to that. The new fangled 4 litre ones are crap and generally need flushing twice if you have dropped and decent load. H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Got the plumber to 'adapt' the leftie bog he fitted, now it can cope with the biggest logs in one flush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 I'm well into this job now. Got a kit with a dual flush with adjustable small and bog flushes so hopefully it'll do the trick once its installed, so no bricks necessary . One thing that amazed me is considering how tiny the new gubbins is compared to the old fashioned fill valve and flush, its all been designed so that it cunningly only just fits even inside my gargantuan cystern. The other thing that amazed me even more was the sheer amount of limescale that I had to chip away before I could start to reassemble things. The cystern probably holds an extra litre of water now! Anyway, due to the connection spigot on the fill valve being 5mm longer than the old one, and the filler plumbing being all solid pipework I now have to make up a spacer so that the fill valve sits at the right height (I doubt I could cut 5mm off the spigot squarely enough). Hence tonight I have no flushing toilet, which could be an issue as I have a curry in the oven for dinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Once you get it sorted go buy yourself a large kebab and test it out properly the next morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supra Gaz Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Can i nominate this for thread of the year? I have nothing useful to add. All i know about loo's is that you shouldn't leave the lid up or women fall in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Can i nominate this for thread of the year? I have nothing useful to add. All i know about loo's is that you shouldn't leave the lid up or women fall in. The other thing is have you noticed how amazingly far you fall if you forget to put the seat down? Anyway, the conversion is done, and withouth going into details its passed all the tests I can throw at it Take that, Anglian Water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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