Toilet help

[LDD]

I bought a Roca Laura handle flush toilet a year ago. I chose it because I had the same one previously. However this one has been terrible. It doesn’t flush properly. The syphon has broken once. Now the bottom of the overflow pipe is leaking and the soft close seat has stopped soft closing. I don’t know whether to spend more money trying to get these new problems fixed, or whether I should just try and get a better model toilet. Has anybody bought recently a decent flushing relatively small profile toilet? Or has anybody any advice on how I could improve the flush? I would prefer to keep the toilet as the floor is fitted round it- don’t want to have the expense of replacing that too.

Open the lid and take some photos of what's inside please.

I have been very pleased with Twyfords WCs.

The lid of the cistern, I mean.

It sounds to me like poor fitting, but it will be useful to see the parts inside.

It’s all quite tight- also had some problems when it was first installed with the ball getting stuck and not cutting the water off.

Oh, I see it has very traditional innards.

I think you'd do better with modern fluidmaster fill valve and flush valve. They are likely to be quieter and are also smaller. Fluidmaster is a good make.

The fill valve with brass shank is more durable than the all-plastic one. I can't see if yours is side entry or bottom entry. The flush valves incorporate the overflow pipe (for maximum flush, ask your plumber to leave it as high as it will go without water being able to leak out). Your old overflow pipe should be removed and the hole sealed with a new nut. The new valve directs overflow into the pan.

You say the flush is poor.

The Fluidmaster Flapper valve gives the best flush I know. Instead of a syphon it opens a sort of trapdoor in the base of the cistern and the water just gushes out. There are some vids on YouTube.

It is not widely sold but e.g. www.jtmplumbing.co.uk/search/flapper

Buy a spare flapper for when it wears out.

It comes in two sizes, 2 inch and one and a half inch. ROCA will tell you which size your cistern needs or the plumber can measure it.

It is very quiet and you will be surprised you only need to press on the flush handle with a fingertip.

The cistern has to come off to fit it which is not an easy DIY job. Ask the plumber to fit new washers and screws, and to grease the screws with silicone grease (the screws are inclined to rust and seize, which makes future repair a terrible job).

Thanks. I’ll give that a try.