Broken Toilet Flush Valve Mechanism

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tdgeek

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#270157 26-Apr-2020 08:33

We have a dual flush toilet, circa 2010. Caroma Flinders/Venecia. It has blue and yellow plastic on the top where the flush button pushes on.

What happened is that pressed flush button and it went free, so googling tells me the mechanism that connects the push down on the flush valve to the flapper has come adrift. Given the lockdown I thought Id remove the flush valve in case its an easy fix. But concerned that I dont break it. It appears from googling Caroma that I can turn it a bit left to unclip, then lift out. But then I saw there are quite a few models, so didn't want to break it

Any ideas?

Nate001

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#2471381 26-Apr-2020 09:12

Is it a Caroma quiet flow M5? If so yes it just twists anti clock wise slightly and pops out.

I pulled ours out last week as the seal was leaking and cistern was constantly filling. First time I’d pulled it apart and I was convinced I was going to break it and it would not turn. After a lot of googling I found a install/service manual that said to turn so I went harder. Try to apply some vertical movement up and down as you turn and use your other hand to support the base.

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tdgeek

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#2471383 26-Apr-2020 09:21

Nate001: Is it a Caroma quiet flow M5? If so yes it just twists anti clock wise slightly and pops out.

I pulled ours out last week as the seal was leaking and cistern was constantly filling. First time I’d pulled it apart and I was convinced I was going to break it and it would not turn. After a lot of googling I found a install/service manual that said to turn so I went harder. Try to apply some vertical movement up and down as you turn and use your other hand to support the base.

Hi, no its not one of those, it doesnt have a separate overflow tube that's in the middle and not a round tube type. But I'll do the twist and remove and see how I go.One google I did showed that once out it can be disassembled. There seems to be a chain inside that lifts the flapper, so maybe its come off or flapper broke. Worth a look to save part cost and labour.

Cheers for that :-)

We have 3 toilets so not desperate thank goodness!

timmmay

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#2471387 26-Apr-2020 09:31

Best bet is probably to call a plumbing store and order a new mechanism. They're essential so should be open and be able to arrange delivery. I'm not a plumber, but I've installed a new cistern, replaced internals that weren't working, was all fine and easy enough.

JayADee

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#2471390 26-Apr-2020 09:39

Warning: I am so not a plumber!

Does it look like this? It may or may not have that top plastic bit on it holding the dual flush button plastic rods.

see those two plastic squeeze clips at the bottom? Pretty sure I pushed those in and lifted it out, then it clicks back into place.

I had mine out once a few years back to replace the rubber seal to stop the water running into the toilet bowl. Then a few years later the cistern was taking forever to fill so I had it out again, cleaned it, took the top plastic bit that holds the flush button rods off and replaced the buttons and rods with a unit that screws onto the toilet cover instead (because they were a bit munted not to fix the water fill problem). I also replaced the inlet valve, which was causing the slow refill (the white thing on the right in the top picture is the inlet valve, mine is now blue).

This one is a Geberit Impuls250 outlet (flush valve).

Geberit Impuls250 dual-flush outlet valve for use in close-coupled cisterns with cistern lid attachment. This outlet valve is commonly used in many imported WC brands.

38 mm hole for buttons

Note: the impulse250 can be swapped out for the newer TYP290 DUAL FLUSH OUTLET VALVE FOR CLOSE-COUPLED CISTERNS

If you need to replace it believe it or not it's cheaper to replace the ENTIRE cistern, porcelain and all! The cisterns come with all the guts inside. You can buy them at mitre10 etc.

The outlet valves do come out pretty easily but I have to figure it out anew every time. Check YouTube. I think I had to gently push the clips near the base then pull it upwards (but not ON the base, there is the section that stays in the cistern that the outlet valve clips onto.) putting it back in if I recall is just clicking it into place.

Also note: these units have different colours of blue which help ID which model it is (says my plumbing store last time I was in there scoping out the price of a replacement outlet valve)

tdgeek

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#2471399 26-Apr-2020 09:58

timmmay:

Best bet is probably to call a plumbing store and order a new mechanism. They're essential so should be open and be able to arrange delivery. I'm not a plumber, but I've installed a new cistern, replaced internals that weren't working, was all fine and easy enough.

Yep, Ill no doubt end up doing that, just keen to see if its a quick easy fix. Cant get it out though, but just sent a pic to a mates mate who is plumber. Must be a catch or clip I'm missing as it clicks a few times but won't pop out

empacher48

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#2471421 26-Apr-2020 10:49

I’ve replaced the dual flush valve on one toilet and about to do the other. Both toilets are circa 2006 Imex models.

You can get a full flush valve from Mitre 10 for about $55 and a couple of hours later have it fully replaced.

The first failed when one of the kids pushed a button a bit hard and with a crunch the whole valve had snapped.

The second the half flush is jammed and the full flush only recently won’t close when used.

When I replaced both flush valves I also replaced the inlet valves as I presumed they would fail soon in the kids toilet and our en-suite was making a horrendous noise when filling. I also replaced the mesh piping from the tap to inlet valve as they tend to fail without warning.

All up to do flush valve, inlet valve and mesh piping was $100 and a couple of hours work.

Oh and I’m not exactly the handy type either!

tdgeek

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#2471422 26-Apr-2020 10:50

Ok, so got a call, it should come out easy enough, but its jammed from whatever broke inside it, so I'll get the plumber to own that issue this time.

Thanks all for the replies.

JayADee

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#2471484 26-Apr-2020 11:41

empacher48: I’ve replaced the dual flush valve on one toilet and about to do the other. Both toilets are circa 2006 Imex models.

You can get a full flush valve from Mitre 10 for about $55 and a couple of hours later have it fully replaced.

The first failed when one of the kids pushed a button a bit hard and with a crunch the whole valve had snapped.

The second the half flush is jammed and the full flush only recently won’t close when used.

When I replaced both flush valves I also replaced the inlet valves as I presumed they would fail soon in the kids toilet and our en-suite was making a horrendous noise when filling. I also replaced the mesh piping from the tap to inlet valve as they tend to fail without warning.

All up to do flush valve, inlet valve and mesh piping was $100 and a couple of hours work.

Oh and I’m not exactly the handy type either!

Yeah but you can buy the whole darn thing including porcelain cistern for about $77. up in Mitre 10 or Bunnings. The flush valves on their own vary quite a bit in price to up to a few hundred. For some reason the Gebert ones are expensive. Lasts though, mine is from around 2003. The new model clicks onto the same base as the old model so should be an easy swap.