# stuck flush valve



## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

I do mostly residential work and i have a question for the commercial guys. I got a call from a customer about a stuck flush valve at the urinal in a building he manages. I guess the water ran all night and overflowed the urinal onto the floor. The building and the urinals are only about 7 years old. My question is should the urinal drain have been able to keep up with the constant flow from the flush valve? I am going to check it out on monday and I would appreciate any advice you can offer. thanks


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## Nathan901 (Feb 11, 2012)

I've seen toilets overflow from a flapper caught by the chain. 
It all has to do with the design of the trapway, and whether or not there is a jet at the bottom of the bowl. 

7 years is plenty enough time for a restriction to build up on the backside of a urinal.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

hawkeye77 said:


> My question is should the urinal drain have been able to keep up with the constant flow from the flush valve?


Maybe on a good day when it was brand new and the stars were properly aligned...

A flush valve by design dumps a small amount of water very quickly to create a flush... When it sticks you no longer have a small amount of water and it still comes in quickly....

Selling a yearly maintenance with you cleaning the lines and doing mineral removal of the urinal would give the customer the best odds of not having an overflow...

Nothing is guaranteed though...
The janitor putting in urinal breath mints the wrong way can obstruct the drain or the new person they hired that throws a piece of chewing gum in the urinal twice a day will soon create troubles....


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

So I went and looked at that urinal today I installed a new diaphragm the building manager wanted it replaced and the other one was worn but the stop valve was barely open. And the manager tells me they have a new janitor that thinks he's handy. I am wondering though is it possible that very low flow coming through the stop could have somehow flowed passed the diaphragm or caused the diaphragm to not close properly. It does that sound like a completely foolish thought


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

hawkeye77 said:


> I am wondering though is it possible that very low flow coming through the stop could have somehow flowed passed the diaphragm or caused the diaphragm to not close properly. It does that sound like a completely foolish thought


Not at all a minimum of flowing pressure of 10 psi is required for proper operation of the valve, closing the stop down could bring you below that pressure.

If the Handy Janitor was closing it down that far and when the valve didn't function properly it overflowed it sounds like a drainage problem is going on as well...


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## hawkeye77 (Feb 20, 2009)

That's good to know. I augered the drain and it removed the flush valve and connected a hose to the flush valve someone posted here a simple rig with the tailpiece and a boiler drain I thought it was a great idea so I picked it up a while back and it came in handy to flush the drain line with the hose so when I left the urinal seemed to be operating properly and the drain was keeping up with no trouble but thanks for the info I didn't know it was 10 psi minimum required I appreciate the info


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

hawkeye77 said:


> That's good to know. I augered the drain and it removed the flush valve and connected a hose to the flush valve someone posted here a simple rig with the tailpiece and a boiler drain I thought it was a great idea so I picked it up a while back and it came in handy to flush the drain line with the hose so when I left the urinal seemed to be operating properly and the drain was keeping up with no trouble but thanks for the info I didn't know it was 10 psi minimum required I appreciate the info


That was me what come up with that rig, glad it worked out for you. In some of my accounts, I rod the urinal waste arm and drain lines every couple years. The piss sugar builds up real fast without an automatic flusher.


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## thumper (Aug 19, 2011)

That is usually why the stop valves are turned down by the janitor or maintenance The urinal isn't draining well to all the buildup. If turned down too much, flushvalve may not stop.


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## Ncplumber84 (Dec 30, 2014)

Do you have a link or key word to search your tailpiece invention?


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Put "urinal blaster" in the search box


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## Ncplumber84 (Dec 30, 2014)

Good idea you were even thoughtful enough to put a vacuum breaker on it.


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

422 plumber said:


> Put "urinal blaster" in the search box



I wish there was a way to click save thread or make a personal sticky to easily access this type of info in the future.


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

dclarke said:


> I wish there was a way to click save thread or make a personal sticky to easily access this type of info in the future.


under "thread tools", choose "subscribe"

then under user control panel, look for threads you have subscribed to, i do that to threads i never posted on but want to save for future usege on numerous other forums.

or just bookmark them in your browser


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

Bayside500 said:


> under "thread tools", choose "subscribe"
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've commented on so many threads the subscription list is long.


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

dclarke said:


> I've commented on so many threads the subscription list is long.


you can un subscribe as well LOL


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