Post By Admin
September 18, 2024It’s so annoying when your toilet just keeps running, and you hear water constantly overflowing into the bowl. To make matters worse, it can really drive up your water bill.
You’ve probably called a professional toilet plumber to fix this problem, and they’ll likely tell you the issue is with your cistern.
Speaking of which, what is a cistern? You may see a cistern on your toilet, but don’t realize it.
So, in this article, we’ll explain to you what is a cistern and how it works to help you understand how to deal with these kinds of problems.
What is a Toilet Cistern?
Source: Unsplash
The toilet cistern is the part of a tank behind your toilet bowl. A cistern tank helps maintain hygiene and proper waste removal.
A cistern tank stores water for your toilet bowl. When you press the flush handle, the cistern releases a set amount of water into the bowl to wash away waste and refill the bowl for the next time you use it.
You’ve probably noticed there are different types of cisterns. Some are mounted on the wall, while others are built into the toilet itself.
These days, many cisterns have features like dual-flush buttons, which help you save water. You can choose to flush less water when it’s not needed or a full flush when it is.
How Does a Toilet Cistern Work?
Source: Wikimedia Commons
You need to know the main parts of a toilet cistern to understand how it works. To help you understand what is a cistern and its components, let’s break it down:
- Tank: The tank is the big container you see behind the toilet. It holds the water that’s used for flushing.
- Float Ball: This is a ball-shaped part attached to the float rod inside the tank. It floats on the water and rises or falls to help control the fill valve.
- Float Rod: This is a long, metal rod that the float ball is attached to. It moves up and down with the float ball to control the fill valve.
- Inlet Valve: Also known as the fill valve, this part controls how water enters the tank. It opens to let water in and closes when the tank is full.
- Inlet Tube: This is the pipe that carries water from the inlet valve into the tank.
- Siphon: The siphon is a part of the flush mechanism that helps pull water from the tank into the bowl during a flush. It creates a suction effect to clear waste.
- Piston: The piston is a component inside the fill valve that helps regulate the flow of water into the tank.
- Handle: The handle is what you push or pull to flush the toilet. It operates the flush valve to release water from the tank into the bowl.
So, after you flush, the flush valve opens up and water from the tank flows into the toilet bowl. This helps to wash away the waste.
As the water drains from the tank, the float inside the toilet cistern drops down. This causes the fill valve to open up and start refilling the tank with water.
When the float rises back up to the right level, it signals the fill valve to close, stopping the water flow. Your toilet is then all set and ready for the next time you need to flush.
Also Read: How Do Toilets Work? Here’s an Easy Explanation
Are Cisterns Easy to Replace?
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Replacing a toilet cistern can be simple if the setup is straightforward, but it depends on your toilet design and how confident you are with toilet cistern plumbing work.
These are the basic processes if you want to replace it by yourself:
- Turn off the water supply to avoid leaking cistern.
- Detach the water line and remove the old cistern.
- Fit the new cistern in place, reconnect the water line, and test it.
While this might sound easy, it can get tricky, especially with older or more complex toilets. If done wrong, you may accidentally cause an overflowing toilet problem.
Can You Flush a Toilet Without a Cistern?
Source: Pexels
Yes, you can flush the toilet without a cistern. But, it makes your toilet not flushing properly if there’s no cistern.
Without it, you’d have to flush manually by pouring water into the bowl. That’s a lot of hassle and not practical for regular use, as well as less hygienic.
The cistern makes the flushing process quick and effective. It saves you from all that extra effort by giving the water pressure you need to flush waste down the drain.
Do You Need a Plumber to Change a Cistern?
Source: Pexels
Changing a toilet cistern might seem like something you can do on your own, and for some people, it is.
But in most cases, it’s always a safe bet to call a toilet repair service. They have the right tools and know exactly how to install it without causing leaks or other issues.
A professional plumber can also check for other problems that might pop up, like loose connections or misaligned parts.
So, we recommend Neighbourhood Plumbing whenever you have a problem with your toilet cistern. The best thing? They fix it quickly! This way, you don’t need to do much grappling with your toilet bowl.
Conclusion
So, does this article help you find the answer to what is a cistern?
In short, the cistern is what holds the water for flushing and controls how it flows into the bowl. Knowing how parts like the flush valve, float, and fill valve work can help you spot and fix issues like a toilet that won’t stop running.
It’s so important to fix the problems with your cistern to avoid bigger problems like higher water bills and bigger complications down the line.
For help with your cistern or any other plumbing issues, don’t wait!
At Neighbourhood Plumbing, we offer reliable and professional services to keep everything in your home working well.
Contact us today to get your plumbing sorted out!
About the Author
From unclogging the toughest drains to repairing leaking toilets, Ricky is a seasoned plumber who has brought his craftmanship to homes across Melbourne. He is passionate about sharing plumbing tips just as much as he is about fixing your plumbing issues. So, when your taps or pipes begin leaking, you know who to call.
