What Is A Toilet Cistern?
Are you not sure what a toilet cistern is or how it works? This guide will help you learn all you need to know about toilet cisterns and how they function.
Despite being among the most commonly used and essential items in the home, toilets and cisterns are generally not given much attention.
When problems arise with these devices, such as a leak, understanding them is appreciated. Knowing about toilet cisterns can be advantageous in various scenarios, helping you deal with problems effectively.
This guide will help you learn all you need to know about toilet cisterns. So, without further ado, let’s get down to business.
Standard household toilets generally comprise several components, including the bowl and the cistern. The cistern, which is usually located on the upper portion of the facility, is the component that holds water that is used for flushing the toilet. It is also commonly called a tank.
In modern-day toilets, the cistern is close to the bowl, a process called close-coupling. Earlier, the tank was placed high above the toilet bowl and connected by a pipe. Another option was to conceal the cistern within the cabinetry, wall, or ceiling.
In all cisterns, a flush pipe mechanism is placed on the tank’s body or closed. It can either be a lever or a push button, which, when pulled or pressed, releases the water from the tank into the toilet bowl.
Three common toilet cistern parts are responsible for filling the cistern with water: a fill valve, a water supply line, and a float mechanism. The cistern base is connected to the supply line, allowing the plumbing system’s water to fill the tank.
The fill valve allows the water from the supply line to enter the storage tank while it is open. In turn, the float mechanism controls the valve, which registers the water level inside the tank.
The plastic float allows the fill valve to open or close based on the water level in the cistern. It opens when the tank’s water level becomes too low and requires refilling.
The cistern allows the water to reach the toilet bowl, either with the help of gravity or air pressure, for flushing the toilet. The user activates the flush by pressing the button or pulling the lever, while industrial and commercial toilets usually have a hands-free option.
Sometimes, a hands-free option for industrial and commercial toilets is a motion sensor to activate the flush. The float mechanism inside the cistern lowers after the toilet has been flushed, informing the fill valve that there is no water in the tank.
The float mechanism opens the valve, taking water from the supply line to refill the cistern, which is ready for subsequent use.
Different toilets have flush systems, ranging from a single flush button to a half-tank flush. The latter is a low-water flush for a liquid flush.
Single-flush systems lead to much water wastage, but dual-flush systems are becoming increasingly popular as they are much more efficient. They work with as little as 4.5 litres of water per flush.
Dual flush cisterns have a two-button system. One button only empties the cistern halfway, which is suitable for liquid waste. The other button opens the cistern completely, which is meant for solid waste.
Knowing how a toilet cistern works makes maintaining a modern toilet much easier. Even with the advancement and development of technologies, the standard cistern system has remained largely the same throughout history.
Despite no significant change in how cisterns work, being familiar with their functioning is an effective way to ensure you are ready for any problems.
This is a great advantage in situations that may require you to repair your toilet. It helps reduce dependency on others while helping you save time and money. However, if the problem is severe, you may need to find a professional plumber.
With that said, see you next time!
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