Fig. 83. Section
of water closet.
157. Siphoning the Trap. If rags or shreds of material are dropped into the bowl and lodge in the trap, only a part of them going over into the waste pipe, they may siphon the water, sealing the trap, over into the waste pipe. There was more difficulty of this sort with traps of older models than with the newer types. Always leave clean water in the trap.
Fig. 83-a. Types
of traps.
158. The Flushing Tank. The flushing tank (Fig. 84) is a reservoir to hold sufficient water to cleanse the bowl. In one type of tank, water is retained in the tank by a plug held in place by the weight of the water in the tank. By a lever on the outside of the tank, this plug is lifted when the bowl is to be flushed, and it stays open until all the water flows out of the tank. When the water has all left the tank, the plug falls back into the hole and fresh water flowing into the tank holds it in place, as there is nothing in the pipe below to make it float upward.
Working at the same time with the plug is a valve in the water supply pipe, attached to a large hollow float. The valve opens as the water flows out of the tank, and closes as the tank is filled. This valve is operated by the float floating on the surface of the water. As the water flows out of the tank, the float falls, opening the valve and letting in water. As the tank fills, the float rises to the top of the tank and shuts off the valve. If the float catches so that it fails to rise and fall, or becomes disconnected from the valve, it will not operate the valve. There is an overflow pipe in the tank which carries off all water rising above a certain level in the tank. This prevents the tank from overflowing when the valve fails to turn.
Fig. 84. Diagram of
flushing tank.
159. Repairing the Flushing Tank. When the water continues to flow into the tank, take off the cover of the tank and examine the valve and ball to see why they are not working properly. If disconnected or caught, remedy the trouble. If the plug fails to stop the flow of water out of the tank, water will also continue to flow into the tank. To remedy this temporarily, push the plug down over the outlet and also note the reason why it has not fallen back automatically. If worn, it may have to be replaced with a new one.