One of the calls we often receive from our clients has something to do with us helping them fit a new toilet into their bathroom.
When we receive these calls, the first question we often ask is: “Do you know if this new toilet is going to suit your current plumbing configuration?”
We’re often met by a moment of silence, followed by these meek words: “I’m not sure. I assumed all toilets were the same?!”
Sometimes, clients have purchased a new toilet without properly considering all the technicalities, including the size, how it fits into an existing plumbing system, and its degree of efficiency.
When replacing or installing new toilets in your home, the team at H2-Pro address the following considerations:
1. Waste configuration
Here’s a question we need an answer to before considering which toilet to install:
Is your current toilet a p-trap or an s-trap?
Don’t worry – the answer isn’t hard to find. To distinguish between the two, simply look where the big pipe at the bottom goes.
If the big pipe goes out the wall, it’s a p-trap. If it goes through the floor, you’ve got an s-trap. For more info on the difference between s- and p-traps, check out this blog post.
2. Water supply tap location
When choosing a new toilet suite, it’s best to take measurements of where your existing water supply tap is located.
High-level cisterns
Older toilets with high-level cisterns usually have water supply taps located up high, which more often than not lands right where the new cistern needs to go.
Low-level cisterns
Low-level cistern toilets often have the water supply tap tucked in behind the toilet. This can sometimes end up in the way of the toilet bowl if you’re looking to install a back-to-wall suite.
3. Waste set-out measurements
When selecting close coupled toilet suites (where the cistern bolts onto the top of toilet bowl), the waste set out measurement is crucial.
P-trap set-out measurement
For a p-trap toilet, the measurement is taken from the floor to the centre of the waste pipe. Most p-trap close coupled suites require a set-out measurement of 185mm.
S-trap set-out measurement
For an s-trap toilet, the measurement is taken from the wall to the centre of the waste pipe.
An s-trap toilet usually requires a set-out of 140mm.
Your existing set-out measurement needs to be within 20mm of the proposed set-out measurement to avoid modification to your existing plumbing.
4. Types of toilets
Yes, the type should of course be considered!
Believe us when we say you can’t just handpick a toilet suite from the store without checking if it fits your bathroom’s style and plumbing layout. For your reference, we have outlined some of the most popular toilet systems:
Link connector suites
Link connector suites are usually the cheapest option as they are adaptable to most existing configurations and commonly have plastic cisterns.
They have a pipe that links the cistern to the toilet bowl that can be cut to size to suit a set out measurement range e.g. 110mm – 280mm.
If you are replacing a low-level cistern toilet, the water tap location will most likely not require relocation.
Close coupled suites
Close coupled suites have a vitreous china cistern that is secured directly to the top of the toilet bowl.
As mentioned above, set-out measurements are crucial in close coupled suites.
If the waste pipe is too close to the wall, you can’t make connection with the drain, if it’s too far away the whole toilet and cistern will sit away from the wall. Water tap measurements need to be checked for clearance.
Back to wall toilets
Back to wall toilets are like close coupled toilets but the body of the bowl shrouds right back to touch the wall concealing the toilets drain pipe.
These toilets usually have a set-out range like a link connector suite when applying an s-trap configuration e.g. 90mm – 250mm. You will need to check the existing water tap location for clearance.
Also, if you have a timber skirting board or a tiled skirting board this will need to be cut and scribed to the contour of the toilet bowl to allow it to be installed flush back to the wall.
Renovating a bathroom is no easy feat! And it involves thorough and meticulous planning as it has something to do with your home’s plumbing system. Luckily for those in Doncaster, Rosanna and Warrandyte, there’s H2-Pro Plumbing! We provide quality and high standard bathroom renovation and installation services to your home.
Considering a bathroom renovation?
There two major factors to consider before jumping into renovating your bathroom. And it’s important these are considered first before starting a major overhaul in your home.
Cost
Before the renovation starts, we must first take into account the cost of the project. We must look into factors like the size of your bathroom and the quality of materials.
At H2-Pro, we think value, not price.
However, this does not mean that we don’t prioritise what will work for you and your budget. Regardless of how much you intend to spend on your bathroom renovation needs, we guarantee that we’ll be using the best materials and offering you the greatest possible outcome!
Design (and we don’t just mean how it looks)
When it comes to design, we believe in both aesthetic and function. Combining these two truly creates something wonderful!
To best plan out your new bathroom layout, we also have to focus on important measurements like the dimensions of the bathroom and how much space the different bathroom fixtures (e.g. your toilet) will take. We also look closely behind the scenes at your current plumbing system.
Looking for a local plumber’s expertise when choosing a new toilet?
Whether your bathroom needs major renovation or you simply want a new toilet installed needs to be installed pronto, there’s one plumbing service you can trust!
H2Pro Plumbing guarantees reliable, trustworthy, and prompt plumbing services to our clients in Warrandyte, Doncaster, Eltham, and other surrounding suburbs.
Our team is made of fully certified and insured plumbers who will not only take care of your bathroom renovation needs but also all sorts of domestic plumbing services.
Give Tony and the team a call on (03) 9844 1444 and we’ll take care of your toilet and plumbing needs!
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