Drill a hole in the toilet bowl. Toilet flush mechanism: device, principle of operation, overview of various designs. Selection and repair of tank mechanisms

I'll start with the prehistory - then the title will be clear
The summer season has begun, and it began with a little trouble for me.
The country house is not heated in winter, it freezes. And since there was a global move last fall, I forgot to remove the water from both toilet bowls. As a result, both toilets broke the knee
What to do? Change bowls. Toilets were bought a couple of years ago - fresh models, we really liked them. I googled - there are toilet bowls assembled with cisterns, there are no separate bowls (prices - 9000 and 3900). I contacted the manufacturer - the delivery time is 2.5 months. And so the summer ends. Ambush.
And then I found separate bowls from the same series, but a slightly different model, and even 3000 each. I bought it.
But an ambush does not come alone.
The fact is that these models have water entering the tank from below - through the shelf of the bowl. Those bowls that burst - were universal - with a right and left hole for input. Tanks both with the left input. But the bowls, you guessed it, I bought with the right input. And there are no others.
The eternal Russian question - what to do? Hand over? Not! Drill!!!
Well, we got to the point.
And then everything is simple - first drill-feathers on the tile. 4mm-6mm-8mm
Then a crown. At first I used a crown for concrete, cheap, not diamond. Somehow this process began to oppress me completely - but not very much with the result. I spat, drove to Leroy and found what I needed - a diamond crown on porcelain stoneware. And for quite ridiculous money.
With her, we began a complete understanding and literally in 15 minutes. everything was ready.
Yes, the most important thing is that we drill at low, low speeds and always with water.

Without a toilet bowl in the bathroom, it’s hard to call a cottage or an apartment comfortable. Agree, this statement is difficult to refute. There are a huge number of models of this plumbing. But they do not differ in the special complexity of the internal structure, the principle of operation for all modifications is the same.

If there is a breakdown with the water supply, then most likely it will be necessary to repair the drain mechanism for the toilet bowl - it is the drain system that most often fails at this plumbing fixture. We are ready to help you deal with this problem quickly.

In this material, we have collected and summarized information about the main types of toilet cisterns, breakdowns that may occur, and how to fix them. For clarity, the materials are accompanied by thematic photos and videos.

The drain tank is an integral and one of the main elements of the toilet bowl. This is a container with two or three technological holes for supplying / draining water and a lid.

First, water is drawn into this reservoir, and then, at the touch of a button, it is drained into the toilet bowl to flush sewage into the sewer.

There is nothing particularly interesting or complicated in the design of the toilet cistern. There are only a couple of mechanisms inside.

One ensures the supply and shutoff of the supplied water at the moment when it fills the container to the desired level, and the second is designed to directly drain the accumulated moisture into the bowl.

Regardless of the design of the toilet bowl, a flush tank must be present in it, since the direct supply of water from the cold water pipeline does not ensure the proper quality and cleanliness of the flush

Drain tanks according to the material of manufacture are divided into three types:

1. Ceramic(faience) - reliable and cheap classics.
2. metal- not too aesthetic in appearance, but a durable option.
3. Plastic(made of polyethylene) - light in terms of weight and installation blocks.

According to the method of attachment and location, they are:

• low-lying- installed directly on the toilet bowl;
• high-lying- hung on the wall or located inside it in the installation block.

Separate toilet bowls, in which the tank is separated from the bowl, have a drain pipe for overflowing water. And the higher the storage capacity is suspended from them, the more powerful the water pressure is obtained from it.

Their only drawback is the not very presentable appearance of the tank, which is located high above the floor. Therefore, most often in domestic toilets you can see models of toilet bowls with cisterns placed directly on the edge of the bowl. They are more compact and aesthetic.

Water supply options

The internal mechanism for supplying water to the toilet flush tank includes:

• tap ();
• leverage.

Water is supplied to the storage tank through a hole in its body on the right, left or bottom. With the lateral method, the float is fixed at the end of a horizontal lever, which is connected to the ball valve.

And in the bottom version, the float is connected to a vertical rod located in the supply pipe.

The basic principle of operation of the mechanism for supplying water to the toilet flush tank is extremely simple. As a result of the emptying of the storage tank, the float, which is kept on the water due to the air inside, descends following a decrease in the liquid level.

Once at the bottom, it opens the fittings valve on the water supply, and as the tank fills up, it rises again and shuts off the water supply.

Everything in the operation of this mechanism is based on the laws of physics. There is no electronics in its design, which significantly reduces the risk of breakage. A situation is possible when there is too little or too much water in the toilet bowl.

Then the float only needs to be adjusted so that the filling of the tank begins to correspond to the desired parameters. But if the levers are broken, then the float system will have to be changed.

Varieties of drain mechanisms

If you need to flush the unnecessary from the toilet, we simply press the button on the tank. Everything else happens by itself. Inside, the water release mechanism is triggered, opening the drain valve.

As a result, the water stream rushes into the bowl and washes everything into the sewer system.

filling and draining mechanisms are not structurally connected with each other, each of them functions independently, but these devices start / stop in conjunction at the same time

The drain device is driven:

• by pressing a button;
• pressing the lever;
• pull on the chain (string).

Tanks are produced different in shape and design. However, most of them are standardized for a volume of 6 or 4 liters and have standard hole sizes for drain valves.

There are a huge number of mechanisms for descent of water, different in design. But if the one in the tank breaks, it can be replaced with a new one without any problems.

Our other article contains information about the device of the spillway device -.

The simplest type of drain siphon is a “pear”, shaped like a rubber plunger. Under the weight of the water, it is pressed tightly against the drain hole and blocks it.

And when you press the lever, the “pear” rises due to mechanical force and releases water into the toilet bowl.

Then, as the tank fills, it becomes heavier and lowers back onto the saddle, again closing the drain hole.

Everything is arranged in such a way that it will not be able to pour out of the tank by definition. When triggered, such a transfusion will increase the readings of the cold water meter, but will avoid a flood.

Structurally, the descent of water in the toilet itself is horizontal or circular. The first classical version involves the supply of water in a continuous stream from one side of the bowl, and the second - the formation of jets in a circle from its bypass.

Horizontal descent is cheaper in execution, but uneconomical and washes sanitary ware worse. The circular analogue is better in all operational parameters.

However, with a high degree of water hardness, its small holes may become clogged, which will lead to a decrease in the number of jets.

The principle of operation of a dual-mode drain

Modern models of drain tanks are equipped with a double drain button. This is a tribute to the fashion for saving water.

Such devices are designed for two modes of operation:

• standard- to dump the entire tank into the bowl (4 or 6 liters);
• half- for pouring only part of the volume (2 or 3 liters).

Such a system is more economical in terms of water consumption. But it is also more capricious in terms of tuning and repair. The number of internal elements in it is increased, which means that the risk of breakage of this device also increases.

A dual-mode drain tank with a pair of buttons allows you to significantly save water, since in some cases only part of it is used, and not all of it.

In addition to the dual version, the button for the dual-mode drain mechanism can be one. In this case, the volume of water to be discharged depends on the pressure exerted by the person on the lever.

While the button is pressed, the drain hole remains open, and when released, it returns to the top and at the same time the drain is blocked.

Selection and repair of tank mechanisms

When choosing a toilet bowl, you have to compromise between the price of a flush device and its quality. The construction of metal elements is more durable, but also more expensive than completely made of plastic.

The water supply from below is less noisy from the side, but you will have to overpay a lot for it. The side-mounted mechanism is structurally simpler and cheaper.

The Soviet float design with a plastic barrel on a wire shoulder, although it does not look very presentable, is the most inexpensive and easy-to-adjust option.

The float is made in the form of a hollow sealed cylinder or an inverted glass. The first option is more reliable, but if holes appear in the plastic walls, you can forget about tightness. Water seeping through the holes will inevitably lead to the failure of the float.

The principle of its operation is based on the presence of air inside. If punctures appear in the plastic, it must be replaced immediately.

The “glass” is initially leaky, it has an order of magnitude less trouble with breakdowns - but if it accumulates deposits inside due to the high hardness of the water, it will become too heavy and stop working properly

The problem with may be due to contamination of the bleed valve. Just between the rubber element and the saddle, dirt has accumulated in the form of rust from old pipes or silt.

In this case, you don’t have to change anything, just remove the cover, lift the cuff and clean everything under it with a rag. But if the rubber is worn out or aged, then it will definitely need to be replaced.

You may also be interested in information on how to replace, discussed in our article.

Before installing the valve inside the tank, it must be fixed on the bowl. The device and layout of the toilet flush tank are such that after installing the internal mechanisms it will be problematic to reach the tie bolts.

First, you should install and fasten the ceramic tank on the edge of the toilet bowl, and only then mount all the devices for supplying / draining water in it.

Repair of the float crane is carried out in the following order:

Image gallery

Violations in the operation of the flush tank float valve are most often associated with damage to the membrane or valve. In order to replace the damaged element, unscrew the device

To "get" to the membrane or valve, we disassemble the tap head

If the membrane is torn, it will have to be changed. We go with her to the store to buy exactly the same. It happens that malfunctions in the operation of the tap are associated only with the appearance of sediment on the parts, then we don’t change anything, we just clean it with a brush dipped in vinegar

In order to remove the broken drain mechanism, turn it 1/4 turn counterclockwise

We determine the cause of the violation in the operation of the drain system. If it is in damage to the valve or in the appearance of mineral deposits on it, clean the valve or replace it with a new one

Problems in the toilet drain system are not uncommon, however, you can always fix them yourself, the only thing you need to do is remove the tank lid. Dismantling must be done carefully, as it can be broken or broken. Therefore, in this article we will look at how to remove the toilet cistern cover of different types.

General information

In older models of drain tanks, it is usually quite easy to remove the panel, just unscrew the top of the trigger mechanism and lift it up. In modern tanks, there is a drain button and a push-button glass, the design of which prevents the dismantling of the lid.

However, in any case, this design is collapsible, so this operation should not cause any special problems. The main thing is to perform any actions carefully, without applying excessive efforts and slowly.

Before you open the toilet cistern lid, you need to prepare a few tools that may be required in the process:

• Pliers;
• Screwdriver.

Note! While working with the tank, the water must be turned off. Otherwise, it may overflow and flood the bathroom.

In the photo - a tank with a rising draft

Removing the cover

First, it should be said that the lids of some modern ceramic models of containers are removed very simply, since the drain button is not fixed to the trigger mechanism. To verify this, you must carefully try to lift the part.

The following are methods for dismantling panels of other common types of tank designs:

• If the water is drained by lifting the rod up, then before removing the lid of the toilet tank, it is necessary to unscrew the ball located at the end of the handle.
• Disassembling a container with drain buttons is very difficult, however, it is these models that have recently become more and more popular. In this case, before opening the toilet cistern lid, you need to unscrew the tube, inside which the buttons are located. Outside, it usually consists of a ring that must be pryed off with a screwdriver or knife, and turned counterclockwise.

I must say that after that it will not be possible to completely remove the panel, you can only slightly lift it and turn it, after which you need to unfasten the latches of the push-button mechanism.

• Soviet-style plastic tanks, which are sometimes still found in apartments, have studs that must be pulled out before disassembling the structure with your own hands.

After the part is dismantled, it must be put in a safe place where it will not be possible to hook it with something and break it.

Advice! After that, you should check its performance several times. In particular, you need to make sure that after lifting the float, the valve completely shuts off the water.

Cover repair

Gluing

If something went wrong during the dismantling process or the cover was broken for some reason, then you can try to restore it.

To do this, prepare the following materials:

• Scotch;
• Epoxy adhesive;
• Small plates of galvanized steel.

The instructions for doing this work are as follows:

• First, all the individual parts must be assembled into a single structure and glued with adhesive tape. This must be done carefully so that there are no gaps through which glue can leak. To do this, all joints must be carefully glued with tape.
• Then the assembled structure must be turned upside down.
• Before gluing the toilet tank lid, you need to mix the glue with the hardener in a ratio of 1:10.
• All joints must be carefully smeared with glue and galvanized plates should be attached to them from above, which will make the product rigid.
• When the glue hardens (in about a day), the adhesive tape must be removed, after which the lid is installed on the toilet bowl.

Considering that the price of a new toilet bowl is very high, this procedure will allow you to avoid unplanned spending of funds from the family budget, while the appearance of the plumbing will not suffer.

Hole Enlargement

Often, home craftsmen, after replacing the drain fittings, face one difficulty - the diameter of the hole in the lid is smaller than the diameter of the fittings. Of course, it’s not worth completely changing the plumbing fixture because of this, but how to enlarge the hole in the toilet cistern lid?

There are two ways to solve the problem:

• Carefully drill the hole with a ceramic drill and chip off excess areas. Irregularities will be hidden by the cap.
• Carefully chip off the icing with a thin drill and hammer, and then widen the hole with a round file.

In both cases, you need to act very carefully so as not to split the surface, since in this case it will be much more difficult to make a lid from the toilet bowl.

Here, perhaps, are all the main points that you need to know in order to dismantle the tank cover and, if necessary, repair it.