What is a Concealed Cistern?
With a usual toilet, the cistern is positioned at the rear of the toilet bowl. It may be where you position your spare toilet paper, or perhaps a bowl of Potpourri to keep everything smelling fresh.
Now, a concealed cistern is a cistern hidden behind the wall of your bathroom, which enables the toilet pan to sit flush against the wall. In the world of modern bathroom décor, minimalism appears to be king, and so the hidden cistern toilet reigns in popularity.
The concealed cistern comes in two main forms: the fully concealed cistern based within a partition wall, and a furniture-based version in which the toilet cistern is hidden in a furniture or storage unit.
Concealed Cistern Sizing
Now, you might not think that concealing a toilet cistern would ever be as simple as fitting an exposed cistern but it is. Where potential issues arise is in the fact that there is a range of concealed cistern sizings to consider, as well as host of products that may or may not be compatible.
The concealed cistern itself can be incredibly slim to fit into the thinnest of wall partitions. It’s absolutely remarkable how advanced toilet technology is becoming!
You will also need to consider the toilet type itself – for example whether you have a back to wall toilet or a wall hung toilet.
Concealed Cistern Frames
We should point out that, especially in wall-hung and back to wall toilet cases, you will be using a wall mounting frame to support the pan, piping, cistern and user.
You should ensure when choosing a concealed cistern frame that you match dimensions to those of your partition wall.
With hidden cisterns, a standard frame sizing features 0.85, 1 and 1.2 metre heights with a 160-200mm depth, whilst slimline frames offer down to 80mm depth to accommodate slimline concealed cisterns. All of these cistern frames, at least those provided by Tap Warehouse, will feature a built-in flush plate.
Many now also come with an actual flushing cistern built-in, providing an easier, more premium path to achieving a seamless concealed cistern home bathroom set up.
Concealed Cistern Features
With the technical aspect out of the way, we can move on to the features that make concealed cistern products so popular with Tap Warehouse customers. In this innovative field, brands are really taking toilet functionality to new levels with their concealed cistern offerings.
Dual Flush
Concealed cistern dual flush capability is becoming of ever-greater environmental importance as we look to preserve the precious planet on which we live. In fact, dual flush capability is now actually becoming a legal requirement in more and more countries around the world!
Money and Water-Saving Flush Settings
As we just mentioned, dual flush concealed cisterns unlock a world of environmental potential. This is pushed further by leading innovators enabling you to save money with revolutionary fill and flush valve technology.
Reduced Flush Noise
You may think a hidden cistern to be a purely aesthetic benefit, but hang on… if your cistern is within the wall, might the toilet flush not be as loud?
That’s right – a serious reduction in flush noise is one of the least anticipated yet most appreciated benefits of the hidden cistern toilet!
And with a little soundproofing upon the inside of your partition wall, you could turn that quiet flush into a silent flush. Can you imagine it? With a hidden cistern approach, this wild idea is no longer a dream!
Slimline Design
Of course, one concealed cistern key feature is its slimline cistern potential, with slimline hidden cistern units that can prove as thin as 75mm! This minimises work required to create partition walls, and altogether goes towards creating a toilet set up as minimal as minimal can be.
Aesthetics of the Concealed Cistern
While some bathroom trends come and go, others stick around a little longer. Minimalism in the mind of the modern bathroom decorator is certainly one such trend.
Less is more, and concealed cisterns provide the best lessening solution to cluttered bathrooms. Hiding away all plumbing in the wall or furniture unit is an ingenious solution that can be achieved for wonderfully low cost.
The concealed cistern works wonders in this aesthetic manner, enabling focus of design upon the walls, textures, colours and other approaches to make your bathroom truly unique.
What more could you want? Fashionable, functional, affordable – a concealed cistern opens aesthetic doors that render it the new norm everywhere from 5* hotels to motorway service stations.
Is Concealed Cistern Maintenance Hard?
In a word – no. It is totally understandable that you would consider a concealed cistern toilet to cause issues when it comes to maintenance. But by conducting some due research, you can look after your concealed cistern toilet just as easily as a normal cistern toilet.
It all depends on the positioning of the concealed cistern access panel as designed by the manufacturer. This will either feature at the top or front of the unit, and will influence the way you create your partition wall.
Simply add your own access panel to your partition wall in the correct place so that reaching the hidden cistern is not difficult. You can also use a furniture unit to conceal your cistern or hide your access panel behind a mirror!
Manufacturers of furniture units for hidden cisterns will of course integrate access panels into their products, and hidden cistern producers will create dual access hidden cistern (front and top, for example) for your ease of use and peace of mind.
What Type Of Toilets Can I Use a Concealed Cistern With?
Concealed cisterns are needed for those modern, minimalist toilets that keep all of the practical bits as hidden as possible. Basically, unlike in a traditional bathroom where you may see a cistern above the toilet (a lot of people call it the "tank"), these toilets are simply a visible pan - or as we call them, back to wall or wall mounted toilets. Let's start with back to wall toilets...
Back To Wall Toilets
Back to wall toilets keep your bathroom looking as minimalist as possible, but keep a small pedestal at the bottom of the pan for a neat and enclosed style. We're huge fans of this design thanks to its minimal look and small nod to traditional toilet design thanks to its pan-to-floor pedestal look! Why not take a peek at three of our favourites below? And be sure to shop the full range too!
Wall Mounted Toilets
Wall mounted, or 'wall hung toilets' are toilets that are attached to the wall at the back, and do not have any pedestals or plumbing underneath them, unlike the back to wall toilets. The great thing about these toilets is that thanks to their wall hung design, the gap between the bottom of the pan and the floor creates the illusion of extra space in your bathroom. This makes wall mounted toilets an excellent choice for en-suites, cloakrooms, or just really small bathrooms! Why not have a browse of some of our best sellers below?
Here for Your Concealed Cistern Needs
What do you think? We hope we've filled you in on all of your most pressing questions! Tap Warehouse is proud to provide one of the most reliable sources of info when it comes to concealed cistern toilets. Whether it is aesthetic advice or technical specifications you desire, reach out to our super friendly team right here.
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