A floating ball valve in your pipeline often needs to be changed and substituted by a new one 

for repair or renovation purposes. Instead of spending money in hiring professional plumbers, 

a simple guide shall teach you how to install them all by yourself, saving money as well as precious 

time.

Before you start, disconnect the water supply to the toilet and flush out the water entirely. 

This will empty your cistern which is necessary for replacing and installing a floating ball valve.

You need locate the exactly place where the floating ball valve is set up. Carefully open up the 

lid of the cistern and keep it aside so that there are no chances of it cracking up. Locate the 

lever of the flush and pull it out with care that it does not break. If you have a button flush, 

simply loosen the screws and take it out.

Take a good look at the internal set up of the cistern and valve components. The float arm is 

connected to the ball-shaped valve, which has the pin like structure attached. Apply light pressure

to make this pin straight. This way the valve sits loose. Next, the cap-like end of the cylinder 

inside, called the piston, too can be removed after the valve comes off. Sometimes due to long 

use, the piston gets jammed and does not come off easily. In such a case, apply some lubricant 

after unscrewing the end part of the piston and leave the oil to work its effect. In about an hour,

try removing the piston, it should come off without much difficulty.

Purchase a new floating valve kit from a hardware shop. Read the instructions on its backside 

before starting the installation process. Clean up the piston stem using a piece of wire wool to 

rid it off any clogged fragments. Connect the pin to the piston after screwing in the washer. 

Now the end of the pin that is free must be inserted into the valve. Next the valve must be 

connected to the floating arm in the place that has a dent made already. You can apply some 

petroleum to the thread of the piston so that it remains smooth for some time.

Re-establish the water connection and fill the cistern with water. Check for any leaks or seepage 

of the water. If no problems are seen, then the installation is a success. Put the cistern flush by 

screwing it up and place the cistern lid back into place. Check for any water seeping through the 

flush as well. Your floating ball valve is all set up. Make sure that you do not apply too much 

pressure on any part during the installation procedure. It might lead to major cracks that could 

burn a hole into your pocket if it needs to be replaced.