On a close coupled toilet the cistern is bolted directly onto the toilet pan to form a single unit. This is now the most popular type of bathroom toilet as this design will hide more pipework than low or high level toilets. They are not quite as neat as a back to wall or wall hung toilet but are the next best option.

As the cistern and pan are bolted together they cannot be positioned independantly of each other. This can be a slight disadvantages if the bathroom soil pipe opening is positioned in the floor as the final position of the toilet will depend on the position of the soil pipe in the floor - if the pipe is 6 inches away from the wall the cistern will end up 6 inches from the wall.

There are some pan connectors that will partially compensate for this problem but sometimes the only option is to build a small, solid shelf at the back of the cistern to bridge the gap to the wall. If the soil outlet is in the floor but near he wall or if the outlet passed horizontally through the wall then there are no problems using a close coupled bathroom toilet.

Because regulations have been introduced to make new bathroom toilets flush with less water, cisterns can now be made much narrower than previously which has lead to some very compact designs being made available. These regulation changes also allow the use of new flushing mechanisms which are generally quieter in operation than the old syphons and work at the push of a button.

The downside of these new regulations is that the flushing performance of new bathroom toilets can be inferior to older models that have larger cisterns.

Most bathroom toilet designs now available in the UK do not require an external overflow making installation quicker, easier and neater.

Installation of wall hung toilets is a little more problematic than with standard back to wall toilets, so it is best to seek the advice of First Call Plumbers because when installing a wall hung toilet a special bracing frame needs to be used inside the WC unit, which also houses the concealed cistern.

Wall hung toilets were initially designed for commercial applications but have become increasingly popular in domestic situations as design influences have changed, and people have looked to maximise the space they have available. They tend to be more expensive than other toilet designs.

This fitted look is becoming very popular and you can usually find toilet designs in both traditional and contemporary styles

Two Piece Toilets: This one where the flush tank and the toilet bowl are two separate pieces, fitted together to form the fixture. These are perhaps the most common type out there.

One Piece Toilets: The tank and the bowl are joined and not separated. These kinds are typically seen in palatial homes and hotels, largely because they are more expensive than the two piece versions.

Gravity Flush Toilets: These have a water tank that works on the gravity principle. The water from the tank pushes the matter in the bowl into the drain pipes, thus completing the flushing action.

Pressure Assisted Flush Toilets: They do not have the regular tank, but a tank where water fills and is pressurized into a small space. When the toilet is flushed, the pressurized water enters the bowl and flushes the waste.

Floor Mounted Units: In these the drain pipe has an outlet in the floor and thus the pedestal is mounted on the floor. The flushing mechanism can be either gravity or pressure assisted.

Wall Mounted Toilets: These are not floor mounted but are mounted on the wall behind the toilet, with the opening of the drain in the wall.

Depending on your individual needs and requirements, you can choose a toilet from the various types mentioned here.