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jaydebruyne

Plumbers Arms member
Plumber
Gas Engineer
Apr 6, 2014
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London, UK
Member Type
Heating Engineer (Has GSR)
I've had 2 jobs recently where the flush isn't clearing the contents of a toilet pan. Both toilets are lever type siphon's.

I was asked to go change the concealed cistern on one of them which didn't rectify the problem. I put a push button siphon in it. I didn't really agree with changing the cistern to fix the issue and put it down to how the pan distributed the water from the flush but I just do what it says on my job sheet.

Both pans look quite old in design and have most of the flush water distributed to the back of the pan, rather than the front.

Are some pans just rubbish at clearing the contents or is it the flush?
 
Look up syphonic pan! There is your answer.
you will normally need a "bomb" to make them syphon.
 
how do we jump to syphonic pan!?....as mentioned pans old...maybe new cisterns with not enough literage for old pans...maybe
 
This happens to me on a regular basis, we have one housing estate all fitted with same c/coupled wcs
never clears the bowl it's quicker and less hassle just to change wc.
good luck
 
This happens to me on a regular basis, we have one housing estate all fitted with same c/coupled wcs
never clears the bowl it's quicker and less hassle just to change wc.
good luck
Yeah I thought that but wanted to see if I was jumping the gun.. or was missing something obvious.
 
Look up syphonic pan! There is your answer.
you will normally need a "bomb" to make them syphon.

how do we jump to syphonic pan!?....as mentioned pans old...maybe new cisterns with not enough literage for old pans...maybe

You may both be correct:

http://www.learnatrade.co.uk/Customer downloads/Syphonic WC pans.pdf

Seems like the pan needs to be replaced due to both a double trap siphonic pan and cisterns holding less water because of water regs.

😉
 
i had that carry on with a customer once,i told her her wc was fine and flush ok, i recommended she go to see her gp urgently, as her stools where off colour smelly oily and floating and hard to flush, she phoned me weeks later thanking me as she was diagnosed with pancreaic inflamation, she was rushed to hospital and in for a month,now cured and wc is still going strong, sometimes its not always the pan its the customer.
 
It's all well and good having someone deciding how much water were allowed to use per flush, but reducing the amount of water per flush increases the number of drain/pan blockages. We very seldom get called to blocked drains on old houses with large cisterns and big powerful flushes when you pull the 'chain'. Modern houses with new tiny cisterns and conforming drainage systems are nothing short of a nightmare for drainage contractors - having said that, we should be thanking the regs for all the extra jetting work!

When end it comes to setting the water level in the cistern, I always have it as full as I possibly can without it overflowing, and very rarely get called back to jobs. Having enough water in the cistern to flush waste away is the only way to reduce the likelihood of problems.
 
I'll never put a new cistern on an old pan. The old pans were designed to work with a 2 or 3 gallon flush. Change the internals on an old cistern maybe.
 
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I'll never put a new cistern on an old pan. The old pans were designed to work with a 2 or 3 gallon flush. Change the internals on an old cistern maybe.
Yeah my second job with the same problem will be doing just that. Changing a lever siphon to modern push button.
 

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