Looking to upgrade your bathroom with a new toilet?
A close-coupled toilet might be the perfect choice for you. Close-coupled toilets are a popular option due to their sleek design and efficient functionality. These toilets feature a close connection between the cistern and the pan, making them a space-saving and aesthetically pleasing choice for any bathroom.
In this comprehensive buying guide, we will delve into everything you need to know about close-coupled toilets, from how they work to the different styles available, helping you make an informed decision for your bathroom upgrade.
What is a close-coupled toilet?
To understand what a close coupled toilet is, let’s delve into its distinctive features and how it differs from other types of toilets commonly found in modern bathrooms.
A close coupled toilet is a style of toilet where the cistern is closely coupled to the toilet pan (bowl), rather than being separated by a flush pipe. This design choice makes the cistern visible, unlike back to wall toilets with concealed cisterns or wall hung toilets mounted on the wall.
Close coupled toilets typically come with a soft close toilet seat, reducing noise and wear and tear. They also can feature a rimless toilet pan (bowl) design, making cleaning easier and more hygienic.
Many contemporary close coupled toilets also offer water-saving dual flushes for efficient water usage. When buying a close coupled toilet, it’s important to consider these features and choose the option that best suits your needs and bathroom decor.
How does a close-coupled toilet work?
To understand how a close coupled toilet works, let’s explore its mechanism of operation.
A close coupled toilet consists of two main components: the toilet pan and the cistern. The cistern is directly attached to the back of the toilet pan, ensuring a compact and seamless design.
During installation, the cistern is fixed onto the toilet pan normally using bolts and a sealing ring to prevent any leakage. The flush mechanism is located inside the cistern and is responsible for the flushing action.
When the flush button is pressed, it activates a valve that releases water from the cistern into the toilet pan, creating a powerful flush to remove waste.
Close coupled toilets often feature a dual flush system, allowing users to choose between a full flush for solid waste and a half flush for liquid waste. This water-saving feature helps reduce water consumption and promote sustainability in the bathroom.
Why should you choose a close-coupled toilet?
When considering a toilet for your bathroom, the close coupled toilet stands out as a popular choice. Its design, with the cistern closely coupled to the toilet pan, offers several benefits.
How popular is a close-coupled toilet?
Close coupled toilets have been a popular for 30 years due to their sleek design and practical features. Here’s why you should consider choosing a close coupled toilet for your bathroom:
- Sleek Design: Close coupled toilets can offer a modern and streamlined look, adding a touch of elegance to any bathroom decor. But they also come in traditional styles too. Their compact design makes them perfect for smaller spaces, maximising floor space.
- Easy Installation: Close coupled toilets are easy to install, as the cistern is directly attached to the toilet bowl. This eliminates the need for a separate flush pipe, simplifying the installation process.
- Practical Features: Most close coupled toilets come with a soft close toilet seat, reducing noise and preventing wear and tear. Additionally, many models feature water-saving dual flushes, helping you conserve water and reduce your utility bills.
- Wide Availability: Close coupled toilets are widely available, with a range of styles, colours, and finishes to choose from. Whether you prefer a traditional or contemporary look, you can find the perfect close coupled toilet to suit your bathroom’s aesthetics.
With their popularity on the rise, close coupled toilets offer a comprehensive solution for your bathroom needs.
Benefits of a close-coupled toilet include:
- Space-saving design: A close coupled toilet has a compact design, making it ideal for small bathrooms or cloakrooms. It takes up less floor space compared to other toilet types, there are even short projection designs that are even more compact and perfect for smaller bathrooms or cloakrooms.
- Easy installation: Close coupled toilets are relatively easy to install because the cistern is directly attached to the toilet bowl. This eliminates the need for extra plumbing connections and simplifies the installation process.
- Efficient flushing system: Many close coupled toilets come with push button flushing systems that ensure efficient water usage while maintaining powerful flushing performance. This can help save water and reduce your utility bills.
- Versatility in style: Close coupled toilets are available in a wide range of styles, designs, and finishes, allowing you the choice to match your homes decor.
- Rimless designs allow for much easier cleaning and a more hygienic bathroom.
- Easy to repair: As the cistern is visible it is normally easy to access and make repairs to it.
Disadvantages of a close-coupled toilet
Although there are some disadvantages to consider, choosing a close coupled toilet offers several benefits for your bathroom. Here are a few disadvantages to keep in mind:
- Visible cistern: Unlike concealed cisterns in back to wall toilets, the cistern of a close coupled toilet is visible and can affect the overall aesthetic of your bathroom.
- Space limitations: Close coupled toilets can take up more space in your bathroom compared to wall hung or back to wall toilets, which may be a concern if you have a small bathroom.
- Cleaning challenges: The design of close coupled toilets can make cleaning around the base and between the cistern and bowl more difficult, requiring extra effort and attention to maintain cleanliness.
Despite these disadvantages, close coupled toilets remain a popular choice for many bathrooms due to their affordability, ease of installation, and availability of water-saving features.
Styles of close-coupled toilet:
When it comes to styles of close coupled toilets, there are a few options to consider.
Contemporary close coupled toilets offer sleek and modern designs, while traditional close coupled toilets have a more classic look.
You can also choose between pan options, such as back to wall or open back, and decide whether you prefer a rimmed or rimless design.
Additionally, comfort height toilets are available for those who prefer a higher seating position.
Modern close-coupled toilets
When selecting a close coupled toilet, you can find a variety of modern styles to suit your bathroom requirements. These sleek and minimalist designs offer both practicality and visual appeal.
Here are some features you can expect from modern close coupled toilets:
- Efficient flush: Modern close coupled toilets are equipped with a powerful flushing system that ensures effective waste removal.
- Wide selection: You can choose from a diverse range of modern close coupled toilets, including different shapes, sizes, and finishes.
- Vitreous china construction: Most modern close coupled toilets are constructed from high-quality vitreous china, which is durable and easy to clean.
- Water-saving technology: Many modern close coupled toilets feature dual flush options, allowing you to conserve water and reduce your environmental impact.
With these features, modern close coupled toilets offer a perfect combination of style and functionality for your bathroom.
Pan options: back to wall or open back
To further explore the styles of close coupled toilets, let’s now delve into the pan options: back to wall or open back.
A back to wall close coupled toilet completely covers the back of the pan where the soil pipe connection is giving a sleek and modern appearance. This also means there is nowhere behind the toilet for dust to get trapped making cleaning easier.
On the other hand, an open back toilet has a visible waste pipe at the back, giving it a more traditional look. It’s important to consider the positioning of the waste pipe when choosing between these two options.
The back to wall toilet is ideal if you want a minimalist and streamlined design, while the open back toilet is suitable if you prefer a more classic and nostalgic style.
Rimmed or rimless: what is the difference
To better understand the styles of close coupled toilets, let’s now explore the difference between rimmed and rimless designs.
- Rimmed toilets have a traditional design with a rim around the bowl, which helps to distribute water during flushing.
- Rimless toilets, on the other hand, have a modern design without the rim, making it easier to clean and more hygienic.
The rimless design eliminates hidden areas where bacteria and dirt can accumulate, providing a more sanitary bathroom experience. Rimless toilets are gaining popularity in contemporary bathroom designs due to their sleek and minimalist appearance.
When choosing a new toilet for your bathroom, consider the style that best suits your needs and preferences. If you value easy maintenance and cleanliness, a rimless toilet may be the ideal choice. However, if you prefer a more traditional look or have specific design preferences, a rimmed toilet may be more suitable.
Ultimately, the decision depends on your personal taste and the overall aesthetic of your bathroom.
What is comfort height?
If you’re looking for a close coupled toilet with added comfort and accessibility, consider a comfort height one.
Comfort height toilets, also known as ADA compliant toilets, are designed to be taller than standard toilets, making them more comfortable for individuals with mobility issues or those who prefer a higher toilet seat. These use to only come in the style that you fine in disabled toilets throughout the UK but in more recent times they have become available in more styles. One of the reasons for this is that the population on average has got taller over time, which means that the height of toilets should also increase.
Here are some key features of comfort height close coupled toilets:
- Increased height: Comfort height toilets are typically around 17 to 19 inches tall, compared to the standard 15-inch height of regular toilets.
- Easier sitting and standing: The increased height reduces the strain on your knees and back, providing a more comfortable experience.
nt to maximise space, this option provides both functionality and style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a close-coupled toilet old-fashioned?
The answer is no, close coupled toilets aren’t old fashioned. They’re a popular choice for modern bathrooms due to their sleek and compact design.
Are all close-coupled toilets the same?
No close coupled toilets are not all the same, they come in a variety of styles, sizes, heights and flush options.
Are all close-coupled toilet cisterns interchangeable?
Realistically the answer here is no, with all the different styles available if you damage your toilets cistern then it will almost certainly be easier to replace the whole thing. Cisterns are normally designed to fit the pan from the same range and nothing else, sometimes even within a range there could be more than one type of cistern.
However, if you are lucky you may be able to find a discontinued sanitaryware supplier that can supply a replacement cistern. These are generally quite expensive so again this is worth taking in to account.
What is the difference between a close-coupled toilet and a back to wall toilet
When comparing close coupled toilets and back to wall toilets, one key difference to consider is the visibility of the cistern. In a close coupled toilet, the cistern is exposed and attached directly to the back of the toilet bowl. On the other hand, a back to wall toilet features a concealed cistern that is hidden behind a wall or furniture unit, giving a sleek and minimalist appearance to the bathroom.
Do close-coupled toilets have an overflow?
Toilets in the UK have not had an external overflow pipe since the year 2000, they now have an overflow built in to the flushing mechanism that allows the water to flow straight in to the pan. So if you see water running into your toilet bowl constantly then it is overflowing and you should investigate the cause.
There are of course still toilets throughout the UK that pre date this legislation and these will still have an overflow fitted.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a close-coupled toilet is a fashionable and convenient choice for your bathroom refurbishment. Its distinctive design, with a visible tank closely attached to the toilet bowl, adds a modern touch to any area.
With features such as quiet-closing seats to reduce noise, rimless toilets for simpler cleaning, and WRAS approval to meet regulations, there are numerous options available to select from.
Whether you’re an experienced renovator or a first-time buyer, discovering the ideal close-coupled toilet for your bathroom is now simpler than ever.
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