Dual-flush cistern bodging

Is there anything more annoying to not work at home than the toilet cistern?

Most bits of house equipment can be worked around, but we all need to poo!

So, when our dual-flush cistern decided that it would keep filling rather than filling and stopping, repairs had to be effected quickly.

The problem was that the seal on the bottom of the flush mechanism had hardened a little and couldn't be relied on. Wiggling the unit with every flush fixed it, but was hardly ideal.

Since I was up to my neck in Virtual Show, my dad called a plumber. He had a look, said it would take a week to get the bits and left leaving a quote for £70. This seemed a bit rubbish - I'd expected to see a van with spares in it, not a car for a start. There is a reason he was available the same day.

Anyway, I left the computer for a while and had a poke around. The flush unit is separate from the inlet, so with the water turned off at the in-line valve, and a Readers Digest book of DIY to hand, worked out that twisting the unit would unlock it from the outflow and it was lifted away. This is how I found the hardened seal.

An hour later, dad was back with a complete replacement unit, price £27. Not a week, an hour. Parent 1: Plumber 0

I put the new unit in place and hoped all would be well. It wasn't.

There were two problems. First, the flush wasn't particularly powerful and worse, the clip that connects the control cable to the button, kept falling off.

The design of the clip is rubbish. It hangs limply on the bottom of the button. I tried swapping parts around with the old unit, and in an unexpected twist managed to reverse the direction of the cable so it no longer tangled with the inlet valve. This didn't help much, but I was pleased.

Anyway, I worked out that a screw passing across the edge of the connecting hole would tighten things up - and after some careful drilling, screwing and adjusting, this worked. The clip stayed put. Result!

The flush was still a bit rubbish, but I had a plan. You see I'd worked out this set-up wasn't very good and headed online to see what the alternatives were. Ideally, I wanted something that didn't need me to get at the bottom of the cistern because the design of this toilet covers it up. Removing the cistern would be doable, but more time and trouble than I could do with.

What I found, from the very helpful Plumbase, was the Wirquin One. According to the instructions, and videos, the unit takes about a minute to fit. It twists into the fitting in the bottom of the cistern (check this, they vary, there seem to be 2 or 3 designs) and then sits under the button hole.

The unit arrived and I fitted it.

Fitting is indeed quick. Set the flush levels (Max power!), unscrew the button. Pull the cage thing up and put the lid on top. This pushes the cage down and puts the screw thread right under the button hole.

Screw the button in place and flush away. Job done!

OK, it took three goes before I was happy. Every so often, including 2:40am, the unit wouldn't seal and the filling carried on, flowing straight through the unit and into the bowl. Grumpy face.

I rang Wirquin and they couldn't help, recommending I reinstall the unit. A bit like being told by IT to turn your computer off and on again. I did this three times and now (fingers crossed) we seem OK. Lots of flush, although when you release the button, not when you push it, and a reassuring slight "whump" noise after the flush that indicates the unit has sealed and will let the cistern re-fill. Reassuring in the same way a solenoid point motor is when you know it's gone across. I like reassuring noises.

I like toilets that flush as well. I'm giving this thing a fortnight, if it works, all the old cistern mechanical stuff goes in the bin and I'll buy a Wirquin spare unit. It's a lot cheaper than a plumber. Even one neither surprised or bothered when he is cancelled.