They Still Want All Of Their Eggs In The Never Going To Happen Basket Then.

As I really hope everyone in the Developed World has noticed. Typically you flush a toilet by depressing a handle on the front of what's known as a cistern.

If you lift up the lid of the cistern and look you'll seen that handle is attached to a spindle. That spindle is attached to plastic lever arm which, in turn, is attached to a hook. When you press the handle down that hook lifts a plunger which opens a valve. Causing the cistern to, well, "flush" into the toilet bowl emptying it. Unless that little bit of plastic snaps, due to being millions of years old.

Which is exactly what happened to me yesterday afternoon.

Of course you can still flush the toilet by pulling on the hook to lift the plunger and open the valve. Although that is quite annoying.

So I immediately went on a hardware store's website to source a new one. Unfortunately; "Lever Arm" isn't a particularly specific part name. So I had to go on a bit of a cyber wander through the Plumbing department.

Today I went to the hardware store, picked up the part and fitted it. However not before getting an email from Thames Water telling me they think I've got a leak. When the problem I had is really the opposite of a leak.

Perhaps I should email them back with a fees schedule.

https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2026/09/bq-paying-below-minimum-wage/

While on that other hardware store's website I did peruse gate return springs. The one which had been out in the elements could not be saved.

Unfortunately they couldn't get one in stock within the next hour. So I'll have to get around to that absolutely vital security device in the fullness of time.