Viva Skylo Unifill Fill Valve - problems?

[Ric2013]

Anyone else had a bad experience with these?

I bought one on the premise that one part fits most and stuck it in the van. Then, appalled that a spare diaphragm washer for it was expensive and rare, I decided against fitting it in any customer's house and it eventually ended up in my own toilet as the least worst way of using it up. Since it is in my house, I can be sure that Blu and similar products have not been used.

Good decision. It was installed on the 30th March 2017 and gave perfectly satisfactory service until, by the 21st December 2018, it was starting to get a bit sluggish at shutting off and was dismantled and cleaned. Just under 1 year and 9 months.

It has then provided mostly reasonable service ever since, but has been increasingly erratic, failing to shut off at lower working pressures (such as when water is being drawn elsewhere in the house). Last night it finally started re-opening whenever a tap was in use and by now I was finally able to trace the fault back to a worn diaphragm washer. I had refused to change the valve until I could pinpoint the problem.

I could ramble on about how this is incredibly short life and how long a Torbeck or a Part 2 lasts, but you all know this already.

What I am wondering is whether this is common for this valve, or whether I'm just unlucky?

Viva Skylo Unifill Fill Valve - 21546 | BES.co.uk

 

[Christopher buzzard]

That’s good to know. I have been fitting a lot of these lately but haven’t had any problems as off yet. But guess I’ve only been fitting them just over a year. Got my bronze van sticker!

 

[WC1]

As above I've been sticking in loads of them, that and the viva uni flush valve a real lifesaver when you're short of space. Never had a problem (yet) and I would be surprised, given the thought that has obviously gone in to the design of them. Very well done on your detective work.

 

[Ric2013]

Hmm.

As above I've been sticking in loads of them, that and the viva uni flush valve a real lifesaver when you're short of space. Never had a problem (yet) and I would be surprised, given the thought that has obviously gone in to the design of them. Very well done on your detective work.

Never had a problem (yet), you say. By this, I take it you mean you are in regular contact with customers to whose houses you have fitted these devices? How long ago?

I'm wondering if it's just me, but my worry is not the customer who calls me back so much as the customer who never calls me back again, so, at the moment, my favourite valve is the Torbeck Ecofil (some Fluidmaster components, built as solid as an Arrow Classic Rock, take the whole thing out to service it without anything fiddly, and standard Torbeck diaphragm).

 

[WC1]

Hi Ric, I am sure a customer would get back to me if there were a problem, I always make it abundantly clear to them that they can and should do so.
NB Most of my work is repairs and call outs and for that I feel they are the best, for what installation work I do, I tend to use them because have them sitting around waiting for repair work. If I was doing mostly installation I might take a different view.
Probably started using them a year or so ago and slowly moved over until they became a "go to" over that time - so no time at all in the life of a cistern valve.

 

[WC1]

from comments on Dr. Pipe YouTube - mentions noisy. But nothing else.

 

[Deleted member 96286]

The guy PB Plumber who does the A day in the life of a jobbing plumber videos on YouTube has just done a video of an install of one and he swears by these.
Personally, I rarely fit anything other than a Fluidmaster with brass shank and I have seen many still in in service that I've fitted 5 years ago when I return to sort a flush valve problem.
When I'm asked to install one in a closed couple cistern, I now have a price for a cc cistern refurb and recommend to the customer, that they get the fill valve, flush valve and donut washer and bolts replaced all at the same time as it's much easier and more cost effective for the customer than returning on another paid call and having to remove the cistern all over again to fit parts individually.

 

[Ric2013]

When I'm asked to install one in a closed couple cistern, I now have a price for a cc cistern refurb and recommend to the customer, that they get the fill valve, flush valve and donut washer and bolts replaced all at the same time as it's much easier and more cost effective for the customer than returning on another paid call and having to remove the cistern all over again to fit parts individually.

My thought entirely. Which is why I prefer a one-piece siphon that forces you to change the doughnut and bolts rather than go back a year later. I know I'm in a minority, I suppose I haven't yet seen enough siphons fail in under 15 years to think a 3-piece (with two O rings to fail) is an advantage over the one-piece design.

View attachment 39830from comments on Dr. Pipe YouTube - mentions noisy. But nothing else.

Interesting. I found my new Torbeck Ecofil to be slightly noiser than the Viva. Probably depends on water pressure too. That said, the access and maintenance of the Torbeck is far easier, but we all have our favourites.

 

[Welder]

The guy PB Plumber who does the A day in the life of a jobbing plumber videos on YouTube has just done a video of an install of one and he swears by these.
Personally, I rarely fit anything other than a Fluidmaster with brass shank and I have seen many still in in service that I've fitted 5 years ago when I return to sort a flush valve problem.
When I'm asked to install one in a closed couple cistern, I now have a price for a cc cistern refurb and recommend to the customer, that they get the fill valve, flush valve and donut washer and bolts replaced all at the same time as it's much easier and more cost effective for the customer than returning on another paid call and having to remove the cistern all over again to fit parts individually.

Remember that Pete gets paid for many of these reviews... Personally I only ever fit fluidmaster but they have gone downhill quality wise.

 

[rpm]

Personally I only ever fit fluidmaster but they have gone downhill quality wise.

Said this a few months back when I had 3 brand new units fail to close on low pressure systems.

 

[Deleted member 96286]

Remember that Pete gets paid for many of these reviews... Personally I only ever fit fluidmaster but they have gone downhill quality wise.

Fluid master have a new fill valve model out. I saw it in my local merchants. Don't know if it's any good.

 

[Deleted member 96286]

One thing that must be done with all fluid masters is to remove the cap and switch the water on to flush the crap out or they won't seat properly. This is shown in their instructions included in the box.

 

[Welder]

One thing that must be done with all fluid masters is to remove the cap and switch the water on to flush the crap out or they won't seat properly. This is shown in their instructions included in the box.

God I never knew that! Don't 'do' instructions

 

[Deleted member 96286]

God I never knew that! Don't 'do' instructions

Instructions are for the laddie to read and then shout them at me when I'm doing it wrong.

 

[rpm]

One thing that must be done with all fluid masters is to remove the cap and switch the water on to flush the crap out or they won't seat properly. This is shown in their instructions included in the box.

What! crap inside a new valve?

 

[Ben-gee]

You can get a red diaphragm for low pressure with the fluidmaster valves, works better than the “universal” black one.

 

[Deleted member 96286]

What! crap inside a new valve?

No crap inside the water supply pipe.

 

[Deleted member 96286]

You can get a red diaphragm for low pressure with the fluidmaster valves, works better than the “universal” black one.

Didn't know that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Welder]

You can get a red diaphragm for low pressure with the fluidmaster valves, works better than the “universal” black one.

So what pressure ranges do they span Ben?

 

[Ben-gee]

Sorry seems to be irrelevant now!

I don’t know the official spec, but have used them on tank fed (0.2bar) when the black ones were sluggish and they then worked a treat. This is on a new installation so the black washer was new too.

However a quick google to try and find spec and they seem to have disappeared?!

I have one left and none of you can have it!

 

[Welder]

Sorry seems to be irrelevant now!

I don’t know the official spec, but have used them on tank fed (0.2bar) when the black ones were sluggish and they then worked a treat. This is on a new installation so the black washer was new too.

However a quick google to try and find spec and they seem to have disappeared?!

I have one left and none of you can have it!

Sorry is NEVER irrelevant pal; not ever.

 

[Ben-gee]

Oh the difference a comma makes.

Should read;

Sorry, seems to be irrelevant now!

i.e. me suggesting a red washer, when that red washer no longer exists

 

[Ric2013]

The washer doesn't exist? I thought you had one?

You mean all the red washers have disappeared? That's a disaster then. Every valve you've fitted a red washer to will now be filling the cistern constantly! Glad I've never fitted a red washer.

 

[WC1]

Had my first duff viva valve today, brass shank bottom entry fill valve. Wouldn't shut off when the float was raised, as I had to go back to the merchant anyway for other bits, I handed it in and didn't get to take it apart to see what was wrong.

 

[Christopher buzzard]

Did you take the top part off and flush it through with a cup over the top? Usually does the trick

 

[WC1]

No, it was a job that had to go right so any suggestion of defective parts was no good. Even if I'd got it going I wouldn't have used it

 

[Kurt Johnson-Reade]

With the company I work for, we predominantly fit Viva products and I find I'm returning after 6 months to service them, replace washers and inevitably rip them out and replace them entirely. Perhaps there is a bad batch being sent to us from our supplier, but I get nothing but problems with them. I've tried to push to fit Fluidmaster etc, but they get paid for every call out, so "Head, meet wall".

 

[AngusW]

Hi. Amateur here with a picky boss - her indoors. Just fitted a Skylo and the fill rate is ridiculously slow. There’s no mention of changing inserts in the very basic packaging info. There is a separate threaded screw. I’m on tank feed with about a 2m head max. Do I need to remove the unit, take out what seems to be a plug in the inlet, and replace it with the threaded screw? I’m getting the impression that Screwfix might not have sold me the best replacement for my failed Torbeck. Any advice welcomed.

 

[Ben-gee]

If you’re talking about a plastic corkscrew flow restrictor fitted into the shank, then bin it.

 

[AngusW]

Thanks. I recall that there is a black plastic part inserted into the bottom of the inlet pipe, and I thought at the time that there was very little free area for water flow. Am I ok to remove that black insert. Any help much appreciated.

 

[Ben-gee]

Yes, if as you say it’s fed from a tank at low pressure.