Toilet bowl: structure and possible variations

21-06-2018
Sewage

Which is better to choose: built-in toilet cistern, single or suspended? How and at the expense of what is the work of the drain system? Answers to these questions can be found in this article.

Photo of cistern

Types of drains

Want to know if toilet bowls are sold separately? Of course, it is precisely for this reason that one should understand their differences in order to acquire exactly the model that fits your toilet best.

Location

First of all, you need to choose the general concept of the interior of the room and decide on the most successful location of the drain tank.

The following options are most popular:

  1. Fused or compact. In this example, which today can be found in most apartments of multi-storey buildings, the tank is installed on a special shelf, which is part of the bowl, and creates an integral structure with it. Pros:
    • relatively low price due to the minimum configuration, meaning the lack of a connecting pipe and decorative trim;
    • compactness, which is also important in the "Spartan" conditions of our residential sector;
    • beautiful combination with styles such as minimalism and high-tech.
    Compact version of the location of the flush tank
    1. Suspended or high. In this case, the water tank is connected to the toilet bowl with a special pipe, and the tank for the Soviet toilet bowl was also installed in the same way. This design gives its special advantages:
      • enhanced drainage, which is especially important for houses with a weak pressure of the plumbing system;
      • lack of additional pressure on the bowl;
      • A great addition to the English style, classic or retro.
      Toilet with a high cistern
      1. Built-in or hidden. A cistern of this design hides in the wall behind a decorative finish, which, of course, requires additional costs, but it allows for greater aesthetics. It is the ideal solution for the interior, made in modern style.
      Art Nouveau Design Solution

      View of the trigger mechanism

      Push-button flush mechanism

      The principle of operation remains the same, but the appearance of the element activating the function of draining may look different:

      Trigger Option Comments
      Button It is most often found on continuous and hidden models, representing a small device of pressure action, which opens shut-off valves
      Lever arm It can be additionally equipped with a chain for ease of use and, as a rule, is used in suspended overhead devices.
      Lever with chain to activate the drain

      Tip: It is recommended to choose a double-action launch system, in which one activation mode allows you to drain only half of the tank, and the second - the entire volume. This will allow more economical use of water.

      Sample double action button

      Material

      Ceramic flush toilet tank
      Material pros Minuses
      Cast iron
      • High strength
      • Very large weight, which requires the presence of reinforced fastening elements and creates additional difficulties in the process of installation with their own hands;
      • quite significant cost;
      • occurrence of corrosive processes
      Faience
      • Low cost;
      • heat resistance
      • High porosity, resulting in intensive absorption of liquids and odors;
      • Low strength
      Ceramics
      • High resistance to mechanical and thermal stress;
      • ease of care;
      • visual appeal
      • High cost;
      • cracking due to bounce
      Plastic
      • Cheapness;
      • acceptable strength;
      • an incredibly wide range of shapes and sizes;
      • light weight, which greatly simplifies the installation process
      • Vulnerability to high temperatures;
      • The risk of detecting industrial defects in the field of threaded connections
      Cast iron sample drain tank

      Tip: to create hidden structures, it is best to use plastic toilet cisterns for the toilet bowl, the shapes of which can exactly repeat the space allocated for them in the wall.

      Flat polypropylene tank perfectly hide behind a layer of decorative tiles

      Design

      Main parts for toilet cistern

      If we talk about the structure of the cistern, the instruction identifies the two most important nodes that carry out its work and are periodically replaced:

      1. Bulk valve. This device is responsible for the flow of water into the tank itself and the control of its level. This process is regulated by means of a float, which, rising when the tank is filled, reaches a certain point at a certain point and provokes shutoff of the liquid supply.
      Pear float for toilet cistern
      1. Drain valve. It is presented in the form of valves, equipped with activating its opening buttons. It is closely interconnected with the overflow device, which removes excess water into the sewer system.
      Repair kit for toilet cistern

      Conclusion

      The drain tank of a toilet bowl can be executed from various materials, to have different ways of installation and starting mechanisms. But at the same time the internal structure and principle of operation always remain the same.

      Inner part of the drain design

      The video in this article will introduce you to additional materials.

      Choose and operate plumbing equipment correctly.

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