new toilet syphon leaks - what sealer?

[steveo3002]

i fitted a new toilet syphon the other day ,seemed straightforward enough and i fitted a new rubber seal where the old one was , i noticed the last install had what looked like white silicone around the rubber and assumed it was a bodge so didnt use any

well the new one slightly leaks - just gets damp

should i slap some silicone on the rubber seal and re tighten it ? or i have some red rubber grease i was thinking maybe the rubber got curled up when i nipped the nut up

any special plumbers tricks ?

 

[cumbriasteve]

There are all sorts of plumbers sealants but if you have some silicone handy then go for it, will do the job no problem, it's usually caused by being over cautious and tightening too much...done it myself before.

 

[mike os]

where are we talking here... there are at least 2 seals I can think of... the one into the cistern or the one to connect to the pan?

the cistern will nearly always need silicone ime

 

[steveo3002]

the syphon has a thread that exits the bottom of the cistern , it has a large nut and a rubber washer , its leaking from there

so a no on the rubber grease then?

just silicone it and do up the nut then water back on?

 

[cumbriasteve]

I would also put some PTFE tape on the thread, it can often track down there, clean and dry everything, a tidy bead of silicone around the hole (inside the cistern) and tighten the nut just enough to make the syphon secure.

 

[mike os]

the syphon has a thread that exits the bottom of the cistern , it has a large nut and a rubber washer , its leaking from there

so a no on the rubber grease then?

just silicone it and do up the nut then water back on?

yes, grease will just let the washer move

 

[steveo3002]

right siliconed it up and will see how it goes

thanks all

 

[cumbriasteve]

Don't forget once the silicone sets you basically have a silicone washer and you can nip up a bit more on that if required... but highly unlikely it should be needed.

 

[upinsmoke]

HI i take it that you have the washer on the inside of the cistern. If it still leaks then silicon should do it, let set first.

 

[steveo3002]

yeah is inside , i just didnt realise silicone was the norm

 

[cumbriasteve]

yeah is inside , i just didnt realise silicone was the norm

It's not really, the norm used to be a plumbers putty, bit like plasticine that would seal up once it dried off.

In an ideal world you would require no gunge at all and things would be watertight with the seals provided, things tend not to be though and silicone is so cheap, handy and effective it's used by most people now, can cause a problem though when a blob breaks off and enters the system of a shower unit for example.

 

[mike os]

you should not use plumbers mate with plastic components,... it can degrade them.

according to manufacturers you should not need a sealant, I have yet to fit a cistern as the instructions without it leaking, so always add a little silicone

 

[normspanners]

Just puttin my two pence in, are you sure it is leaking? because this time of year the toilet fills with very cold water from outside and can form condensation on the bottom of the warm cistern, the driplets which then run down, to that pipe and drips off, and it only 'appears' to have a leak.

 

[the snooper]

Just puttin my two pence in, are you sure it is leaking? because this time of year the toilet fills with very cold water from outside and can form condensation on the bottom of the warm cistern, the driplets which then run down, to that pipe and drips off, and it only 'appears' to have a leak.

exactly my thoughts when reading the thread

 

[upinsmoke]

Hi Anyway has the silicone sealed your leak.

 

[steveo3002]

Hi Anyway has the silicone sealed your leak.

so far so good ..it was taking a while to get wet so pretty minor

will check in the morning again

 

[brightspark]

as said it may be condensation round the cystern .cold water warm room

 

[mart]

Stevo, I`m assuming you are working on the type with a pipe between the cystern and the bowl? They are not too bad.

If ever you fit or replace a siphon on the close-coupling type, always fit a new foam/rubber doughnut washer. The old one may look ok, but they usually don`t seal once they have been disturbed.

 

[DrDeAtH]

Silicone is a total bodge and not required in fitting up a cistern. All it does is aid the rubber washers in slipping out of place, thus inducing more leaks.
Clean, dry mating faces and a good solid nip up is all that is required.

 

[brightspark]

Silicone is a total bodge and not required in fitting up a cistern. All it does is aid the rubber washers in slipping out of place, thus inducing more leaks.
Clean, dry mating faces and a good solid nip up is all that is required.

and a brand new doughnut washer . even some new ones are deformed and a pig to seal