Firstly you need to decide what style of bathroom you want to create. For more traditional styles the focus is often on close coupled, low-level and high-level toilets. For a more contemporary feel, the close coupled, back to wall, or wall-hung toilets might be better suited.
The other consideration required is the location of your waste pipe, which could making choosing a particular type of toilet more practical over another.
Close Coupled Toilets
- The most common type of toilet found in bathrooms in the UK is the close coupled toilet. This consists of an exposed cistern sitting directly on top of the pan. These can be operated by either a lever flush or push button.
Close Coupled toilets are available in a huge range of different styles and designs meaning they lend themselves well to both traditional and contemporary bathrooms.
A consideration to note if choosing a close coupled toilet is whether to have an open back or closed back pan. On an open back setup the sides of the pan go right back to the wall, giving a more contemporary and clean feel, however this does make it more difficult to attach a side entry waste pipe, and would normally require a boxing behind the toilet for this reason. Open back toilets are easier to install in this situation as the sides of the pipe are open, giving a space for a side entry waste pipe to be fitted. This does mean the waste and connection are exposed, which may not be desired in a contemporary bathroom.
Back to Wall Pans- Back to Wall Pans offer a more modern and modest design. These fit tightly against a false wall or vanity unit, and unlike the close coupled toilets, the cistern is concealed. These are often operated with a flush plate or button of your choice.
When choosing a back to wall pan it is worth considering whether or not you have the room for a boxing/vanity unit to house the cistern. It is also worth thinking about how you can access the cistern once installed, perhaps by putting in an accessible panel when installing.
Wall Hung Pans
- The Wall Hung Pan is certainly the most contemporary in its modern design and is currently the more popular trend in many new modern bathrooms. It follows the same concept of the back to wall pans, however it is raised off the floor. This offers the practicality of being able to clean your floor without obstruction. These are installed by supporting the pan on a mounting frame concealed within/behind a false wall or vanity unit. Like the Back to Wall Pans these are operated by a flush plate of your choice.
- These types of toilet are ideal for a traditional style bathroom. The toilet consists of a seperate pan and cistern, with the cistern located above the pan on the wall. This is connected by an exposed flush pipe.
On low-level installations the cistern is often situated a short distance above the pan and can be operated by a lever flush. A high-level cistern will be mounted much higher up the wall and is controlled using a chain pull.
While each type of toilet generally lends itself better to certain styles of bathroom, with the vast range of designs on the market today, you do not need to feel restricted in the type you choose. For example many manufacturers of Back to Wall pans now offer a traditionally designed suite which would not look too out of place in a traditional bathroom.
Balinea can help you decide on the right toilet for your bathroom.
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