How does a toilet cistern operate?
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A toilet cistern is basically a water tank with a demand valve inside. The water fills the cistern up to a set level (Set by the height of the ball/float valve). The toilet flush handle operates a large diameter one way valve that lifts an amount of water up to the exit pipe where it flows under gravity down into the back of the toilet.
The reason why you have a one way valve is that once the water starts to flow down into the toilet the valve opens and allows water to be drawn down the exit pipe by the water that was lifted by the valve. This action is called siphoning, when the water is emptied out of the cistern then the one way check valve closes and the water is then filled up by the ball valve.
In reality the one way check valve is usually nothing more than a sheet of plastic that is supported on the bottom by a plastic carrier.
The cistern is normally fitted with an over flow line that allows any excess water to escape the cistern in stead of over filling the cistern and flooding the bathroom.
This is a description of the sort you find in the UK.
First the filling of the cistern is controlled by a ball valve which has a float which shuts off the incoming water as the cistern fills. If this fails there is an overflow (usually) to the outside of the building.
When the flush is operated water is forced from the cistern into a siphon and the siphonic flow continues until the cistern is empty. Dual flush types (water saving) have a small hole which will admit air and therefore deactivate the siphonic flow giving a "short flush". If the handle is held down the hole is covered and the full volume of water goes through the siphon.
Go to this website
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/savingwate...
It is an "interactive Toilet", cute and informative...!
(You need "Flash Player" installed on your computer to make it work).
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