A typical toilet consists of a bowl and a tank filled with water. This tank is called the cistern. The water in it flows into the bowl, flushing its contents into the sewage system. The flushing system is activated by pressing a lever or button, depending on the model.
You can find various types of cisterns on the market. There are several classifications of such equipment.
Based on the tank’s location relative to the bowl, the main categories are:
- Fully Separate Designs: In this case, the cistern and bowl are separate. This is the oldest type of toilet. The tank’s height can vary depending on its placement.
- High-Mounted Cisterns: The cistern is located a meter or more above the bowl, connected by a pipe. This option was the most common until recently. The high position of the cistern ensures a strong water flow with high pressure during flushing. Today, these models are less commonly used.
- Built-in Cisterns: These are used with wall-hung toilets and are installed within a special frame.
- Low-Mounted Cisterns: The cistern is attached to the wall just above the bowl, connected by a short pipe. The flush mechanism is located on the cistern body. Since the height from which the water is released is lower, its speed and pressure are slightly reduced.
- Compact Cisterns: The cistern is placed directly on the toilet bowl, which is equipped with a special shelf for this purpose. These models are very convenient to install and use, but the water pressure and flushing speed are minimal. Compact toilets come with cisterns in trapezoidal and triangular shapes, often referred to as corner toilets. They fit well into room corners, making them especially suitable for small bathrooms.
- Monoblock Toilets: These consist of a toilet with a cistern integrated into the body. This equipment is very easy to install; you just need to connect the water supply and link the device to the sewage system. This ease of installation is the main advantage of monoblocks. However, if there are serious malfunctions in any part of the monoblock, it often needs to be replaced entirely since the integrated design usually hinders full repairs.