I have a small separate toilet approx 6ft deep x 3ft wide, fitted with a pan which couples through back wall horizontally and has a separate wall mounted cistern. Would it be possible to fit a more modern toilet with a dual flush system?
Yes, I am sure it would be possible. Only thing to check for is if the soil pipe through wall is 110mm - 4” diameter (most are) and the height of it reasonably close to what your new pan is. You can get adapter pan fittings though of various types including offset connectors. Word of warning, - modern push button close coupled loos are poor compared with your old loo. Your type is probably the ‘low level’ toilet with a short flush pipe in between.
Heat thanks for swift reply, that sounds right will check and measure carefully. Will steer clear of push button if performance would not be as good just thought dual flush save water: as I now have water meter fitted.
Yes, I thought that was the reason you were considering having a push button toilet fitted. It will save water while it works okay, but all the push button cisterns use some type of a flush valve which are known to let water past them eventually usually due to the flush valve seal washer wearing or scum on it. The water tends to only trickle down back of inside of pan and can easily go unnoticed, so just keep an eye on it. Performance of any close coupled loo will not be as good as your old toilet because it has a raised cistern and will also have a greater volume of water in the flush.
There is a MASSIVE difference between a £40 toilet and a £100 one. The cheap one has many corners cut, and may be prone the some of the problems mentioned above, but I have NEVER had anything perfect performance from the more expensive ones. My latest addition to our house uses 2.5 litres for short flush and between 4.5 and 5 litres for full flush and I have never had to flush twice. By contrast, the toilet that it replaced used almost 20 litres for a flush and almost always needed a second flush to clear it.
“almost 20 litres” for a flush? Are you sure? Even the really large toilet cisterns going back to 100 years ago only had 3 gallon capacity. Most older cisterns are 9 litre to their water level, although I think some older cisterns are 11 litre possibly. You have been lucky with your modern toilet that it always flushed first time. I find they are generally poor, even the more expensive. The secret in a decent quality loo is a well designed and made pan. If the entire trap outlet is kept to a uniform tight size and glazed, certainly that would help. Some of the cheap pans were just a lump of ceramics and don’t function well. But when you say “cheap” pans having many corners cut, that is not always true. I tend to recommend people NOT to go for some of the most expensive loos. Around £100 will get a reasonable loo.
20 litre flush! Most I can recall from the dark ages were 11 with 9 being the norm then it was 6 then 4.5.
Fluidmaster with the flapper valve gives total control to remove liquid only or the full flush for solids. Easy to clean or replace the washer when needed.