Ideal Standard Close Coupling Ring Washer Doughnut Toilet WC Cistern

Product Information

We are currently using Royal Mail Parcelforce and DPD as our delivery providers, all small items will be delivered by Royal Mail, these can take up to three working days to reach you. With everything cleaned and ready refit, pop the brand new doughnut down on top of the toilet cistern in it’s recess making sure that it is sitting correctly and flat on the toilet pan. I realise this is an old thread however my experience may be useful to others. I also had a siphon fault with toilet marked M360 from Ideal Standard made in late 1995. I believe the model name is Reflections or Meadow and it was designed as a 7 litre flush. This is the most likely root of the cause, however there can be others so read on to learn about how to resolve leaks with close coupled toilets. Why is my Close Coupled Toilet Leaking When I Flush??

Once installed, the next problem a lot of people encounter is that, the first time they flush a newly fitted close coupled toilet cistern, it leaks. This is such a common problem and 99% of the time the answer is the same. The cistern needs to be fitted at exactly 90° to the toilet pan. This allows the large rubber ring washer, or doughnut to create a proper seal. Note: If there is no isolation valve installed then now is an ideal time to install one. See our project on how to fit an isolation valve for help on how to do so. If the actual 4 inch waste outlet for the toilet was leaking then this would also result in water pooling behind the toilet and in the area of the connection itself.With the wall fixings removed the final job before removing the cistern is to loosen and remove the through bolts holding the cistern to the pan.

This is especially important if the leak is with a newly installed close coupled toilet! The through bolts, as stated above, secure the cistern to the toilet by running down through holes in the base of the cistern and top of the toilet. If however you find that you still have a leak then you will need to remove the cistern again and apply some Plumbers Mait all around the doughnut, top and bottom. Once reassembled this should now fully resolve any leaks.

Delivery Policy

Although we have established the most likely cause of a newly installed leaking close coupled cistern above, occasionally the same type of leak will occur with a toilet that has previouysly had no issues, most of the time for years, so why would it suddenly start leaking? However this issue would not just become apparent after flushing the toilet, there would be a constant leak. Then the real trouble began. Given its condition, it came as little surprise when I couldn't get the original close coupling washer to seal properly. I was pleasantly surprised that Screwfix's sister company B&Q sold the washers separately without having to buy the metal part as well so I bought one. If Plumbers Mait or a similar sealant isn’t used or the screw cap on the hose isn’t done up tight enough onto the fill valve then water can easily leak up through the threads. As we have discussed, the most common cause of close coupled cistern leaks is that cistern isn’t sitting at 90° on top of the toilet pan. If the cistern is leaning over, even a little, one side of the doughnut lifts and, with a lot of water pressure, the leak is exposed.

Before doing anything, the first task is to turn off the water supply to the cistern so that you can safely disconnect the flexi hose or other means of connection. I have not yet mounted the cistern on the toilet, but I have the feeling that something is not right.

Why is my Close Coupled Toilet Leaking When I Flush??

Refit the 1 or 2 screws that secure the cistern to the surface behind but don’t tighten them too much, leave a little wiggle room. This is just to help hold everything in place and ensure nothing moves out of place. When screwing up these bolts once they are inserted down through the toilet pan, if you don’t tighten them evenly and together so that the cistern is pulled down straight and level then this can also be a cause of leaks as the cistern will sit at an angle and not seal the doughnut correctly. Other Causes of Leaks From Close Coupled Toilets Note: There are several different sizes of doughnut so make sure that you get the right one. Measure the diameter of the base of the flush valve in the cistern and then you will know what size doughnut you need to ensure it fits correctly. The close coupled toilet is a fairly modern iteration and was meant as a replacement for the older and less efficient low level toilet. This is a problem in itself as the two types of toilet suite are very rarely interchangeable due to their size and layout. To see how to get over this problem go to our project on changing toilets