How to Choose a Replacement Toilet Suite

A Plumbers Guide

Selecting the right toilet for your bathroom can be daunting, especially with the number of options available. With over 40 years of maintenance plumbing experience, we’re here to help you explore the different types of toilets, their pros and cons, and provide you with the necessary information to make an informed decision.

Before we get into selecting a toilet, here’s a summary of the different types available:

The Different Styles of Toilet Suites Available in Australia

1. Link or Connector

Description: The cistern is plastic and mounted to the wall. It is connected to the pan via a plastic link piece. This is the most common style of toilet we find in Brisbane homes.

Example Product: Base Link Suite

Pros:

• Economical
• Compatible with most bathrooms
• Straightforward and cost-effective to install and maintain

Cons:

• Basic ‘no frills’ design
• Not a popular choice for high-end bathrooms

Description: The cistern is China and sits on the back of the toilet pan, with a gap between the back of the pan and the wall.

Example Product: Posh Solus Close Coupled

Pros:

• China cistern
• More cost-effective than back-to-wall, in-wall, and smart toilets
• Fewer installation considerations than back-to-wall and smart toilets

Cons:

• Less flexible installation options compared to link toilets
• Generally costs more than link style toilets

3. Back to Wall

Description: A close-coupled toilet suite where the pan sits flush with the wall.

Example Product: Caroma Clark Back to Wall Toilet Suite

Pros:

• • High-end quality options available
  • Visually appealing

Cons:

• May not work with existing plumbing set-outs (e.g., stop tap, waste pipe)
• May not work with kickboard tiles at the rear of the toilet
• Maintenance and removal of the toilet is not as straightforward as link and close coupled toilets

Description: The cistern is concealed behind the wall. Only the flush plate, seat, and pan can be seen.

Example Product: Geberit Sigma

Pros:

• High-end quality options
• Visually appealing
• Good for tight spaces
• Easy to clean

Cons:

• Requires minor bathroom renovation to install
• Significantly more expensive
• Maintenance can be challenging and costly to access and availability of parts

Description: These toilets are popular in Japan and are relatively new on the Australian market. Smart toilets come with features such as a built-in bidet seat, drying, ambient lighting, personalised detection, and remote control. Note that many smart toilets are not compliant for installation in Australia due to backflow regulations.

Example Product: Roca Inspira Back To Wall Rimless Smart Toilet

Pros:

• High-end quality options
• Visually appealing
• Loaded with features

Cons:

• High installation and maintenance cost
• Requires an electrician
• May not work with existing plumbing and tiling
• Less flexible installation set-outs

One of the biggest pitfalls when selecting a toilet is choosing a style that does not suit your existing bathroom plumbing. In our experience, purchasing a toilet suite off the shelf without consulting a plumber can be a costly and frustrating experience. While the toilet suite at your local hardware supplier may seem like a great deal, it could end up costing you more than you bargained for. Toilets come in several different configurations and suit different set-out dimensions. Unless you have done your research, chances are it may not suit your existing bathroom plumbing. Some key things to consider before selecting a toilet suite include:

• Whether the waste goes through the floor (S trap) or wall (P trap)
• The set-out dimensions
• The location of the water inlet

Another consideration is selecting a reputable brand that the installing tradesman will be familiar with. This can save you a considerable amount of labour since the plumber won’t need to spend as much time reading the installation manual. Additionally, quality brands usually have readily available parts when your toilet needs maintenance.

There is often more to toilet suite replacement than meets the eye. If an exact like-for-like replacement is unavailable, the job may involve plumbing, tiling, and painting.

Before we can recommend options, we will need to do some preliminary investigation work to determine:

• If the waste goes through the floor (S trap) or wall (P trap)
• The distance between the centre of the waste pipe and the finished wall (S trap) or floor (P trap)
• The location of the water inlet for the cistern
• The distance along the wall between the centre of the toilet and the centre of the tap

Below is a diagram with the key measurements needed to select a replacement toilet suite.

Once we have this information, we can speak to our suppliers to identify options for replacement. If we find the set out is not standard, we will provide you with the relevant information so you can speak directly with a reputable bathroom supplier.