Calling Piglet John.......

[LuluJakey1]

Can you please advise us Piglet.

Our architect advised us to get a low level toilet cistern as they take up less space and you get a better flush. We have bought a Carlton one with a chrome flush pipe. However:
a) We can not work out the depth it will just out from the wall overall including cistern and flush pipe and toilet. I will attach the dimension diagram, can you work it out?www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/premier-low-level-traditional-ceramic-wc-pan-cistern-excluding-seat
b) Looking at it, the chrome flush pipe does not seen like it will fit into the back of the toilet- looks a bit too big.
c) We went online and read there are lot sof problems with leaks at the back of these pipes.

Now we are thinking we should buy a close coupled one but they seem to mainly have push button flushes. Are they ok?

many modern WCs have a poor flush.

the long-established British brands are I think better than unbranded imports.

Have a look at the Twyfords website.

They have a very big range so you may need to order it.

I'm pretty sure they still do a "universal" cistern with a lever handle, but the now have Geberit valves inside and you can adjust the flush volume (before fitting) and the button unscrews quite easily.

Thank you. I will have a look.

The builder says the one we had bought is not too big and is going to get the plumber to come and look at it tomorrow. My worries about it are
a) The depth of the toilet, cistern and flush pipe in total from the wall. I think it comes to 780mm beacuse you have to include the cistern and the pipe as well as the loo. DH says it is just 470mm beacuse the cistern and the pipe sit on top of the loo??? Would you be able to look at the link I sent and see what you think the total is?
b) The chrome flush pipe which seems to attach to the pan with a large thick rubber seal but not actually slot into the pan itself. The seal acts as a tunnel between the pipe and the pan itself. It worries me that it would easily come loose or corrode and we'd end up with a leak. Is that a good way of attaching a chrome flush pipe to a pan?

Also I think the floor should be tiled before the loo is fitted and not tiled around it. What would you do?

If you have a minute I'd appreciate your thinking but realise you might be really busy.

on a low-level WC, the cistern does not sit on the pan. The pan is forward of it, with the L or J shaped flush pipe joining them. The plastic seal is quite normal.

On a close-coupled WC, the cistern sits on a shelf that is part of the pan.

Total projection is usually about 720mm, though there are some "short projection" versions for small rooms. Looking at the dimensions diagram, I think yours projects 760mm.

Most pans have a horizontal outlet (goes towards the wall behind) though there are a few bottom-outlet pans that connect to a soil pipe vertical in the floor. These are mostly used in old homes with concrete floors. The centre of the pipe is often about ten inches from the wall, but you have to measure it and get one that is a good fit. If you use an HO pan with a floor soil pipe, you need an extra elbow so it sticks out even more.

in this picture, I think you can see the pan is spaced out from the wall by the depth of half the cistern plus the flush pipe.

images.victorianplumbing.co.uk/images/Carlton-Low-Level-Traditional-Toilet-n-d1_460.jpg

Thank you - that is what I thought. I think we might keep it for when we have the main bathroom done and get a close coupled one for the new downstairs one.

Thank you Piglet- you always have good advice . Much appreciated.